“If you’re in R&D management and you’re ignoring sustainability, you are limiting your future job prospects,” says Steve Evans, Director of Research at the Centre for Industrial Sustainability, IfM. We are featuring an interview with Steve in the forthcoming special feature ‘Innovation for a Sustainable Future’.
A recent Global Energy Perspective by McKinsey shows that by 2035 renewables could produce more than half of the world’s electricity – in most regions at a lower cost than through fossil-fuel generation. It estimates that global energy-related emissions are about to peak and will decline by around 20% by 2050, mostly driven by the decline of coal usage in the power sector.
However, this is not fast enough to reach the Paris Agreement targets. More needs to be done to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future and this can be achieved by better use of existing technologies, new materials, and innovative business models.
Change for the better
Steve will explain the importance of the energy transition to enabling sustainability and the role of value as a tool for determining how to create change for the better.
The theme complements that of the 2025 R&D Management Conference – ‘Innovation and biodiversity’ – which will be asking the big question: ‘How can we adopt regenerative innovation practices that protect natural habitats while enhancing their resilience?’
We have talked to a number of the track chairs about their views on this subject and in the special feature we are looking to include examples of technologies, tools and approaches that are enabling a more sustainable economy.
If you would like to contribute then do get in contact with us.
Innovation for a sustainable future
If you have opinions, research or examples that are relevant to the following topics please do send us your contribution.
- How to create value by aligning business and innovation goals to evidence-based sustainability targets
- Legislation and policy that is driving the transition to Net Zero
- How the concept of just and twin transitions nurtures inclusive economic change
- Does mission-orientated research offer a framework for addressing the grand challenges?
- Creating the circular economy to optimise resources
- Can construction be green?
- The transition to bio-materials
- Rethinking the business model to support system change
- The role of the supply chain to accelerate decarbonisation
- Can sustainable travel support climate resilient communities?
- Industry 5.0 as an enabler for sustainable innovation
We are looking for solutions, innovations and good news to inspire and energise – ‘we can do this’.
