Welcome to 2020: Better food for people and planet
A wave of new reports and articles about food and sustainability have been published in 2019. What to make of the new evidence of today’s food system challenges – from agri-food related climate change, to biodiversity loss, the ever significant food loss and waste and not to forget the increasing poor-diets related illness?
Based on the latest insights, find hereby 3 reasons for changing our food production and consumption and 4 good ideas to start with in 2020.
‘Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth’ (EAT-Lancet, 2019).
Scientists and researchers of EAT-Lancet Commission, World Health Organisation, UN FAO, WRI, IPCC, WRI, WHO, FOLU, WEF and WBCSD have clearly shown that we are not feeding ourselves in a sustainable way. Without significant changes in our food systems we won’t be able to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals nor the Paris agreement. Food production and consumption are factors that can not be neglected, as they represent significant causes ánd consequences for human and planetary health.
Three good reasons for changing the way we produce and eat our food:
1. Food production outstrips our planetary boundaries. We will soon be surpassing 5 defined ‘planetary boundaries’ climate change, land-system change, freshwater use, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and biodiversity loss (EAT-Lancet, 2019). More scientists spelled out the specific boundaries in relation to food: The combined sectors of ‘agriculture, forest and other land use’ account no less than 23% of human GHG emissions according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change IPCC (2019). Climate change is already causing increased risk of water scarcity, soil erosion, and a decline in crop yield as well as nutrients in crops. Another intergovernmental panel, IPBES (2019) dedicated to biodiversity, highlighted that the world’s global biodiversity is in danger, with 25% of all animal and plant species are at risk of extinction, and half of all ‘eco-system’ services that nature provides us are in decline – think about pollination. Going forward the Earth won’t be able to produce the food we need.
2. We eat ourselves ill: We do not do a good job in feeding ourselves well. Poor-diets cause 11 million adult deaths per year caused by ‘non-communicable diseases’, diseases that are not transferable, such as heart disease and diabetes-2 and linked to high calorie intake, too much sugar, salt and saturated fats (EAT-Lancet). UN FAO (2019) calculated that the number of people suffering from hunger has risen to 820 million people, 1.3 billion people are moderate food insecure, where and over 2 billion adults and 400 million children obese or overweight (FAO and WHO, 2019) and more than 2 billion people lack essential micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Iron and Iodine (WHO 2019, IFPRI 2019).
3. On top of that, one third of all produced food is lost or wasted. Food is such a precious good, it is produced on increasingly scarce land, by human labor and costly factories it is a real shame that we are losing one third of all food along the way between growing, harvesting, transporting, processing and consuming, the equivalent of 1.3 billion tons of food (WRI, 2019).
Food system challenges are a complex matter. Imagine we could stay stay within 1.5 degrees temperature, but the global insect population would go extinct and soils get drought and poor, we won’t be to feed ourselves. If we don’t change our food composition, billions of people more will get ill and loose quality of life due to diabetes-2 and other non-communicable diseases. How can we feed ourselves, and our children, in a healthy, sustainable, fair and enjoyable way? Maybe you are a ‘climate knight’ on the verge of climate mitigation and adaptation? What if you are a nature conservation specialist, a farmer that wishes to future-proof its enterprise, a nutritionist, an economists, a consumer behaviour specialist, a politician, a designer or an accountant? Spoiler alert: You are all needed!
Four good ideas to change the food system in the coming decade:
1. Consumer behavior change. One of the most interesting and optimistic books I read in 2019 was ‘The way we eat now’ by Bee Wilson (Wilson, 2019). Wilson interviewed leading nutritionists, politicians, sociologists and economics about the important changes in our food systems in the past decades. She concludes that it IS possible for consumers to change their food patterns – when governments and food producers put all efforts in making healthy and sustainable choices more easy, with more transparency about the origins and content of food – ánd when citizens realise the shifts are within reach, by training new tastes, eating new foods on old (thus smaller) plates, cook more from scratch and reconnect with senses.
2. Healthier diets. There was no lack of guidance in 2019 about what a ‘healthy’ or, at least, a ‘healthier diet’ should constitute of. FAO and WHO (2019) and EAT-Lancet commission provided new global guidances for a larger food diversity, a preference for now or minimally processed, reduced sugar, salt and saturated fats, proportionally more plant based foods, moderate intake of dairy, eggs, fish, small amounts of meat and water as the fluid of choice, locally and culturally embedded. Others added that healthier diets should include (bio)fortification of staple foods subsidized by governments for those populations that are deficient of vitamins and minerals (WBCSD, 2019). The World Health Organisation (2019) pledges for a more central role of nutrition and making it part of primary health care, to prevent health risks and costs.
3. Sustainable food production. Emission reduction from agriculture and food production comes first. This should be done by halting deforestation, reduce methane emissions from ruminents and burning of rice fields or biomass burning; and reducing nitrogen oxide (N2O) from fertilizer use and manure (IPCC, 2019). Emission reduction however, won’t be enough. Oceans are increasingly a source of proteins, which requires marine biodiversity to be protected. Also agriculture soils need to stay healthy and fertile, ensure that land and aquaculture farming will be future-fit ‘regenerative agriculture practices’ will place a vital role, combining traditional techniques such as crop rotation and controlle livestock grazing systems and precision farming (FOLU, 2019, WRI, 2019).
4. Reducing food loss and waste. If there is one are that at first looks like a no-brainer, then it’s reducing food loss and waste. Driving change will require greater transparency in food supply chains, investments in (cold) storage and consumer behavior change (FOLU, 2019). WRI et all (2019) urge all governments and businesses to define food loss and waste targets, measure and track progress and identify hotspots take action upon. Among the scaling recommendations are national FLW strategies, public-private partnerships and the so-called ’10-20-30’ supply chain initiatives: the countries largest 10 food manufacturers and 20 largest suppliers cooperate to halve food waste by 2030 (SDG 12.3).
As food system challenges are multi-facetted, also solutions to fix the system will need a broad and multi-disciplinairy approach for which environmental, health, economic, urban planners, docters, farmers, and policy specialists are all needed.
Governments can help by redirecting subsidies to regenerative agriculture and R&D for sustainable production and food loss and waste reduction; Businesses should weight in and develop the best technologies to increase food productivity, protect resources and biodiversity and develop foods and beverages that fit in the new criteria of sustainable, healthy and enjoyable food for all; and citizens: choose the food that is good for you and the planet, demand transparency.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and sustainable 2020!
A healthy, happy and colorful 2019!
Vegetables and fruits are fabulous. Great taste, great colors, great looks. Most of us love them in all their forms and colors. Which is helpful, as eating plant-based foods benefits our health and those of the planet. Plants provide for many nutrients – and we can produce them with a limited environmental footprint. Which does say we won’t love our milk, eggs and fish anymore – they continue to provide us also great taste, essential nutrients when consumed in moderation and produced sustainably – nevertheless: plants will become more important as of now.
In 2018, the picture of food has become much clearer. Food is personal, aspirational, habitual and rooted in culture. Its production provides for a living for many. Unfortunately we are not very good at feeding ourselves in a healthy way within environmental limits. Malnutrition occurs in all countries in different forms, whilst one third of all food is lost or wasted. The good news is that academics, industries, governments and customers have started to map out the most urgent challenges and solutions. And the picture will become more detailed in 2019.
Clear pictures provide the best starting points for those who want to make food more nutritious, delicious, affordable and sustainable. In this article you find 10 top reads with important messages to be of inspiration in 2019 and beyond.
Wishing you a healthy, colorful and impactful 2019!
#1 Drawdown – ‘The most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming’.
Paul Hawken and colleagues calculated the 100 most substansive ways to reverse global warming. Solution #3 demonstrates that by reducing 50% of food waste by 2050, avoided greenhouse gas emissions would add up to 70 GT CO2-equivalents. Also, the researchers also calculated that ‘Plant-Rich Diets’ (#4) would save 66 GT CO2 equivalents.
#2 Global Nutrition Report – Insights into the current state of global nutrition’ – Corinna Hawkes, Jessica Fanzo and team.
Malnutrition comes in different forms and is a truly universal issue. Undernutrition, such as stunting, wasting, underweight and micronutrient deficiencies, cause 45% of deaths of children under five. Overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases contribute to 7.1% of all deaths. To fight malnutrition the nutritionists pledge for (1) a non-siloed coordinated approach, (2) investment in better data collection, (3) scaling up diversified finance models, (4) governments to organise true healthy diets for people, and (5) setting new ambitious targets.
#3 ‘Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits’ – Marco Springmann and colleagues of the Oxford Martin Programme.
The report comes up with 3 food system scenario’s to limit the environmental pressures of the food system – greenhouse gas emissions, land use change, depletion of freshwater resources and pollution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The authors pledge for a combination of the 3 scenarios (1) technological and management improvements in agricultural yields and feed efficiency, (2) reducing food loss and waste and (3) plant-based/flexitarian diets.
#4 ‘Creating a sustainable food future – A menu of solutions to feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050′ – World Resource Institute (WRI).
How to meet the increased food demand, use our land in the most effective way and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050? The WRI states that this is possible, but will require significant innovation and investment by both the private and public sector. Five menu courses are proposed: (1) Reduce growh in demand for food and agri products; (2) Increase food production without expanding agricultural land; (3) Protect and restore natural ecosystems; (4) Increase fish supply as a healthy source of proteins and (5) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production.
#5 ‘Preventing nutrient loss and waste accross the food system – policy actions for high-quality diets’ – Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition.
Every year, approximately 1.3 billion metric tons of food produced for human consumption never reaches a consumer’s plate. To make matters worse, especially the high-nutrient foods have high rates of leakage out of the food system. Amongst the recommendations, the Global Panel suggests to (1) educate all food system actors to prioritize food loss and waste reduction (2) take practical steps and innovative solutions for nutrient retention (3) organise a better public infrastructure.
#6 ‘Sustainable and healthy diets: reviewing existing dietary guidelines and identifying gaps for future actions’ – WBCSD FReSH Project team.
Members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) FReSH (Food Reform for Sustainability and Health) took stock of existing national dietary guidelines in 15 countries and compared these with average actual food intake. The project team concluded that consumers in all countries do not consume enough fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. All countries would benefit from diversifying protein sources. Identified action areas are being followed up in 2019: improvement of nutrition of packaged foods (less sugar, salt and fat, fortification where needed), healthy and sustainably produced proteins and supporting consumers to choose more fruits and vegetables as part of their daily diets.
#7 Global Burden of Disease Study – United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (UN FAO).
The main conclusions of the FAO overview leave no doubt: poor diets are now responsible for one fifth of all deaths – more than malaria, tubercoloses or measles. Diet-related non-communicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes are behind almost 75% of deaths last year. 6 of top 9 mortality risk factors are related to what we eat. We need food to stay healthy, but we need to change the way we do, to keep a good quality of life and improve public health.
#8 Connecting food systems for co-benefits: How can food systems combine diet-related health with environmental and economic policy goals? – Kelly Parsons, Corinna Hawkes.
Poor diets are leading cause of ill-health in Europe. As for many others, Europeans eat more sugar, fats and meat than recommended and fewer wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. The authors pledge for a more integrated approach for food systems to positively influence health, environment, economy and livelihoods outcomes, in a holistic way. This will need more cross-government and cross-sector collaboration to make the necessary steps for change.
#9 Putting Food in Food Packaged food as an essential lever in achieving positive health, social and environmental impact – WBCSD-EAT FReSH.
Packaged food is a great means to provide for safe, nutritious, enjoyable food at scale to many. Packaged food can be transported, stocked and kept for a while – reaching also the most remote people. This year a group of academics, civil society and industry experts met to discuss the challenges and opportunities of packaged food, to feed the global population in a healthy and sustainable way. Food innovators are urged to develop their packaged food solutions whilst taking into account the different impact dimenstions of public health, social, environmental and business impact.
#10 Handbook for Product Social Impact Assessment – Roundtable for Social Metrics.
When developing new food systems, health and environmental considerations alone are not enough: steering towards positive social impacts should also be part of the design dimensions. The Roundtable for Social Metrics published this year an update of the Handbook for Product Social Impact Assessments with a significant new section on small holder farmers – a welcome tool to design for the production of food whilst farmers enjoying a good quality of life.
*Read in 2018, shared via twitter, most of them published in 2018, some in 2017
6 Myths about managing sustainability
What do sustainability managers do?
It’s a question I’m often asked. Back in 2009, before I worked in this field, I started to interview sustainability managers from across Europe trying to come up with an answer. I wanted to understand their work, their top skills, how they stayed eager and determined, and whether ‘managing sustainability’ was going to be a short-lived business trend or here to stay. I was reflecting if this ‘métier’ would be something for me. I started to write blog articles and compiled them in a book ‘Your customers want your products to be green’. Since the start of that journey, I have realized there are a few misconceptions about sustainability managers. Hereby, my top six:
Myth #1 Sustainability managers must have studied ecology.
It is true that Mother Nature is close to the heart of most employees that drive sustainability in their company. Some studied ecology or environmental engineering. However, many sustainability managers landed in their jobs from a broad educational and professional backgrounds. Just to name a few: economics, medicine, marketing, engineering and finance. What does this say? Companies want experienced people in senior roles hence they tend to promote people from within their organisation with relevant expertise in one of the known domains. Junior positions are open for people directly from university who studied sustainability or corporate social responsibility as a main topic. The great consequence of the diverse backgrounds is that the mix of past experiences helps to build bridges with other functions.
Myth #2 For sustainability you don’t need to understand the business.
Wrong. You won’t be able to steer a company towards a better societal impact if you do not know how the company is being run, how it develops, produces, markets and sells its products and services. You see companies setting goals both on profit and social progress, but both effects are created by means of their main activities: business. You have to understand how environmental and social impact can be created through the core business, and how they are related to business opportunities and growth. It also helps if you can use sustainability to support marketing and sales.
Myth #3 Sustainability managers use a wand to change the organization.
Not true at all! Sure, some peope may be inspired as by a flash of lighting, after seeing a movie, reading a book or article. Some sustainbility managers are gifted storytellers who dazzle their audiences. Usually though, managers who are tasked with steering higher sustainability standards must first equip themselves with rock solid science-based metrics then work hard to drive change. They have to define, roadtest and baseline well-defined KPIs and dashboards. They also must coordinate structured dialogues and reporting processes to monitor and manage change. Magic does happen. Many people are inspired, willing to make the extra mile. It however rarely involves wands.
Myth #4 They are rising stars
Social entrepreneurs and sustainability leaders are highly aspirational. They want to change the world through business. They themselves, however, are not always the ones delivering that message on stage. For example, people may see the CEOs of companies like Philips, Unilever and DSM talking about societal impact and business ― and they want to become a star, just like the CEOs. What many people do not realize is that sustainability folks often operate behind the scenes, influencing and changing the organization in a stealthy way through coaching, by convening internal intervention groups, shaping key notes, and advising on internal changes. Although the sustainability team is rarely on stage, there is a fair chance the change has been initiated, followed-up and followed-through by them so that the leadership, sales teams and other ‘stars’ can go out and tell that story.
Myth #5 The best approach is top-down.
‘Without ambitious targets from the top, nobody will move’. This may be true and helpful in high power-distance company cultures. However, in many companies a sole top-down approach would be counterproductive. It should at least be accompanied by or even driven by a bottom-up approach. Many companies install internal networks with ambassadors and champions to co-create and roll-out the sustainability strategy, engaging people from accross hierarchies and functions. It is very important to repack, reframe and repeat the ambitions as well as share best practices on how to approach dilemma’s, how to scale up, and reward those who do a good job. It is important to set the direction from the top, globally, but translation has to be done locally.
Myth #6. Sustainability management won’t be necessary in 10 years.
Sustainability will, sooner or later, become part of most business functions. As companies start to articulate their societal ‘purpose’ or ‘missions’ alongside business objectives, the yardsticks and interventions will be embedded in a range of functions like strategy, finance, innovation, marketing, sales and sourcing. Sustainability will help to provide a compass for doing the right thing while doing business. It is however unlikely that the sustainability discipline will disappear completely within the next few years. Like Safety Health and Environment (SHE), quality management, supply chain management, the métier is likely to further develop and here to stay. Perhaps we will call it something else and maybe there will be multiple spin-off functions — but a central strategic, antenna, and supporting role is likely here to stay. I think we can look forward to a future of ‘Corporate Climate Warriors’ and ‘Chief Happiness Officers’ who will help take business to a new level.
Best wishes for 2018
December 21, 2017, 1:15 pm
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This summer I visited with my daughters the movie ‘Earth- Our Planet, Our Home’ in the Colombus Earth Center in Kerkrade (The Netherlands). The movie offers a spectacular insight in the life of astronauts:
How are astronauts preparing for their time in space? How do they experience to live in space and view the Earth from above? And what are their reflections once returned at Earth?
Dutch astronaut André Kuipers shared his epiphany moment when he looked down at Earth from space. ‘You realise it is just one Earth that is suitable for us as human beings. Forget about Mars or the Moon: This is the only possible habitat in the whole universe. He continues “We have to rethink energy consumption, food production and cities to allow for 10 billion to live in dignity on this planet’.
To me it is clear: To redesign our energy and food systems, the built environment and more, we will need ‘all hands on deck’. All ‘métiers‘ are needed to make the new systems sustainable, socially just ánd desirable. It is up to all of us, as designers, urban planners, sociologists, economists, data-experts, marketeers, scientists, film makers, architects, accountants, politicians, biochemists, social workers and artists to co-create this new world we would love to live in. (-60% of the cities by 2030 are still to be build yet so we better design them prepared for the future).
Where to start? First: Become a very good designer, urban planner, sociologist, economist, or any other profession. But then: Question your current frameworks and theories: Are they suitable for future proof systems? If not: Find out who is already starting in your domain to (re)design frames, learn more, question and join forces.
A number of new initiatives have emerged in recent years that give some directions. Think about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A call for action to improve the lives of many by 2030 in 17 goals. Another source of inspiration is Kate Raworths’ thinking on the ‘Doughnut Economy’. Raworth rewrites the rules of economy: Our current focus on GDP should be replaced by a focus on the global economy operating in the safe and just space in which everyone enjoys basic social standards and we stay within planetary boundaries. And don’t forget Sir Ellen McArthur who explains to everyone who wants all about the circular economy, as well as Delft University Associate Professor Conny Bakker who developed with her colleagues very le concrete guidelines for circular product design: ‘Products that last’ . Take also the Milano Mayor, Giuseppi Sala for example, who puts into practices that ‘cities can be the trigger for food system change, reduce emission, ensure social inclusion and consumer behaviour change’. Also to be followed is the ‘Food Reform for Sustainable and Health ‘FReSH’ coalition : 37+ businesses and scientists who are determined to identify necessary dietary switches for people and planet and come up with business solutions that suit future proof food systems. Many more examples are out there, just learn, experiment and share what works!
My daughters have not decided yet if they want to be an astronaut or architect (I would be very happy with all choices) but I hope they will continue to be curious and see opportunities to make a better world for all – building on the new insights of many.
Have a happy and relaxed Christmas time with your family and friends – and a great new year. Be curious, be bold, be brave!
5 Myths of selling sustainability
‘How do you sell sustainability?’ is one of the most challenging questions today. Imagine this: You have just developed a great new product with clear, measurable environmental benefits. After the product launch, you expect to see the sales skyrocket. But they don’t.
What went wrong? Did you overlook something? Why are these new products, which are obviously better for the environment and better for people, not selling? There are a number of myths around selling sustainable products that you need to know. Understanding these misconceptions will help you find the best possible arguments, get full value out of your sustainability claims and improve sales.
Myth #1: Sustainability will sell itself
Many people assume that sustainability will conveniently translate to higher margins. Unfortunately, this often does not work out in practice. Maybe your customers want your products to be green, but they don’t emphasize this. In some cases, sustainability is a unique selling point but only ranks 4th or 5th on the list, and only when framed in a very customized way. On a positive note, research shows 65% of consumers are willing to pay more for products with an environmental or social benefit. It is important to take a systematic approach to make full use of the sustainability benefits. Different customer group may care about different specific social and environmental causes. If you understand these causes and know how to articulate these benefits well, you have good chances. One interesting approach is the WRI SHIFT model.
The truth: You have to take a systematic approach to study your customers’ needs and concerns and then frame your message accordingly.
Myth #2: Telling a good story will do
We live in an age of storytelling. Many of us are even trained to do so in a compelling way. Some share personal breakthrough moments to underline their commitment to sustainability, others use stories of their organisation to open the door to have a meaningful conversation. Stories are very powerful ways to bring up a topic. However, when it comes to sustainability, and the story lacks proof points and fails to make a connection with the world as viewed by your target audience, it will not resonate.
The truth: You must connect your sustainability story with your customer concerns and use verifiable facts and figures related to your business and products
Myth #3: Carbon footprint is the silver bullet
You may have put some work into calculating the carbon footprint of your product. This provides great information however it says little about other topics such as freshwater use, the protection of forests, or labour rights. Climate action is key to reduce the worlds greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon footprint is a very important but only one aspect of sustainable development.
The truth: You must look at the big picture when it comes to sustainability. Understand the complexities, and assess the full environmental and social impact of your product.
Myth #4: Sustainability is a nice extra
Having a sustainability strategy in place is a great asset. It will boost employee engagement and contributes to a feel-good factor It is a misconception however to see sustainability only as a nice add-on, something extra that you might as well leave out. For many organisations environmental and social performance have become a licence to do business, close to a hygiene factor. People use different benchmarks or labels to come to their decision to buy specific brands or products. Companies look for suppliers that demonstrate high performance in industry sustainability benchmarks. It is essential to understand which sustainability issues exactly motivate your customers and align your R&D, product portfolio and marketing accordingly.
The truth: You need to have a solid understanding of your customers’ key sustainability indicators and potential differentiators, then build that into your value proposition.
Myth #5: Just go for the millennials
Millennials continue to drive consumer trends when it comes to sustainability and purpose-driven companies. According to a recent Nielsen study, millennials see “the orientation on purpose as an important shopping criterium”. So, many businesspeople think, “We should target millennials in our product placement! Spread the news and our product will fly off the shelves!” Not so fast. The Millennials group is not an easy target audience persé, nor a homogeneous group. Besides, not only millennials are interested in social and environmental causes connected with products and services. It is an illusion to think that Millennials will immediately buy your product because of the ‘good cause’ you support. Besides it makes sense to carefully explore the market landscape beyond Millennials. Environmental and social causes are certainly also of importance for the Babyboom generation, Gen X and Gen Z, although this might be for slightly different reasons (leaving a legacy, setting the example for kids, etc.).
The truth: You should define your target audience and their interest in environmental and societal goals in detail, then shape your marketing and channel strategy accordingly.
Conclusion
Addressing environmental and social causes can bring promising new avenues to market and sell your products better. It provides a great source for inspiration and excitement – but keep in mind a single magic formula to sell sustainable products does not exist. It’s a question of thorough customer understanding, integrating meaningful environmental and social causes in your value proposition, and applying your best marketing & sales skills. This will help you to better sell your sustainable products for the benefit of society and business.
Take good care
2016 has brought us many positive turns. Perhaps we start to understand how to keep this world a great place to live in? The Global Climate Agreements following COP21 in Paris were rectified. Renewable energy is taking over fossil fuels as the cost price decreases. The UN Sustainable Development Goals offer a shared framework for public and private sector to mitigate societal issues. Unfortunately we are still witnessing devastating wars, severe inequality, and malnutrition issues .. we are not there yet.
My wish for 2017: Keep up the good work and take good care:
- Take good care of the planet. Let’s keep the world the beautiful place and home as we know it. Use less stuff, use it longer, recycle and use renewables.
- Take good care of the people. Pay respect and be gentle. Close to home and as far as you can reach. We are in this game together. Be kind.
- Take good care of yourself. Be the best version of yourself. Work hard and play hard. Make choices. Enjoy. Relax. Be inspired. Cycle. Paint. Play the piano ; ).
Have a great 2017!
‘Solar cells that degrade like tree leaves’
Olga Malinkiewicz aims to develop solar cells ‘that can degrade like leaves on a tree’. She invented a procedure to print ‘Perovskite crystels’ on foils that can heat up our houses. ‘This new technology might change the whole energy sector’. See the movie about Olgas scientific and entrepreneurial journey:
Are you also working on a renewable energy solution, solar or energy stockage, ready to scale up and interested in 500+ hours of technical & commercial coaching: Join the #BrightMindsChallenge
Before the flood
To document the devastating effects of climate change, Leonardo DiCaprio travelled around the world and spoke to scientists, governmental and industry leaders.
DiCaprio & team analysed the melted ice layers on Groenland, witnessed burning forests in Indonesia and inspected the white-washed ocean coral riffs out of a submarine. The science is clear. The future unfortunately isn’t.
We need the world to urgently switch to renewable energy, energy efficient buildings, sustainable cities, clean transport, less waste, act upon the Sustainable Development Goals.
A sign of the times – 2016: More information: https://www.beforetheflood.com.
Join the New Material Award 2016
Are you working on a new product made of a novel sustainable material? Are you an architect on the verge of a breakthrough application of sustainable materials in buildings? Do you welcome some financial support and coaching to scale up your idea?
Designers, artists and architects are invited to join the New Material Award 2016. The award is organised by Het Nieuwe Instituut, DOEN Foundation and Fonds Kwadraat. The organisers are looking for promising design proposals that exhibit new sustainable materials and innovative techniques. Deadline is April 25th. Selected designs will be exhibited during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven in October 2016. The 2winners will receive a prize and six months of coaching by Het Nieuwe Instituut. For further details: look here: