This was one of the key messages that our creative partner, Dickon Langdon, took away from the recent Innovation Zero event. We asked Dickon for his insights on the day and how both Six and our clients should be sparking new conversations on sustainability. Here are his top five takeaways:
1. Make real change visible
“Innovation Zero is the place where policy makers, innovators, funders and large organisation leaders come together to share insight, form new partnerships and collaborate to make a difference and capitalise on the opportunities.” (Innovation Zero, 2023)
The event was this and so much more…
Innovation Zero was an eye-opener. Going in, I knew the central topic would be decarbonization and therefore fully expected conversations on the current state-of-play and where we’re heading to become more sustainable. But what I wasn’t prepared for was seeing the future in action.
I witnessed first-hand investors and innovators openly discussing industry problems, their solutions and how they could make decarbonization work in the long term. Innovation Zero hosted a business meeting right on stage.
This wasn’t greenwashing but real people looking to make real change by having practical discussions about how they were going to make sustainability financially viable. The best part was witnessing how this kind of discussion should take place.
We witnessed how to turn theoretical ideas into a pragmatic reality.
2. Small actions make a big impact
Real action is needed now to make a difference when it comes to decarbonisation. The time for planning, strategies and talk is over - we need to get moving.
Personally, I thought that nobody exemplified this better at Innovation Zero than Stacey Kauk, Head of Sustainability at Shopify. Stacey is leading the sustainability charge, not just for Shopify’s customers, but for its customers’ customers. Despite being a well-established brand, Shopify is the mediator between supplier and consumer, making them essentially an invisible player in the ecommerce sector’s fight for sustainability. Whilst Shopify could so easily take a back seat, it is instead tackling the industry’s carbon impact head on.
For example, two of the biggest drains on sustainable action for the retail sector are returns and wasted deliveries. To tackle these pressures, Stacey and the team improved the quality of their product descriptions. Customers can shop online with the certainty that they will receive what they expected, without the need for an unnecessary delivery and an inevitable return.
It’s one small change, but small changes build up to create the biggest difference.
3. Offsetting is old news
Behaviour needs to change to make better, more durable decisions to support sustainability.
I have learnt that whilst activities such as offsetting are still popular, they are not the long-term answer for decarbonisation. Offsetting does not tackle the main cause of carbon emissions, thereby minimising the longevity of its impact.
The difference is now, we have options. Consider carbon storage - taking the carbon your business emits and storing it underground. By using carbon storage you can actually track the difference you’re making, removing the wooliness around cause and effect that you can get with offsetting.
Innovation Zero provided a look into the innovations and options available for all businesses to find long-term solutions for decarbonisation.
In my opinion, offsetting really should be old news.
4. Let’s leverage legislation
Yes - action is needed, but this is easier said than done. One of the main sticking points for a number of industries is that businesses can’t change without market change… but markets can’t change without businesses changing.
Bit of a catch-22.
What was great to see from Innovation Zero were the innovations that have been funded through GreenTech Financing - either from private investments in green technology or subsidies from the government.
In recent years, there has been increased pressure on the government to improve its sustainability policies. Incoming legislation means that organisations will be forced to reduce their carbon impact. Whilst this is a great first step, the government still needs to do more.
To break the catch-22, businesses and individuals alike need to put pressure on governments to continue these policy changes, especially around decarbonization.
5. Open your eyes to unfailing optimism
With all that said, the optimism at Innovation Zero was personally my favourite takeaway. The scale of the event was huge - from large consultancies and well-established incumbents to start-ups and emerging industries, everyone came together with a positive mindset for the future.
What Innovation Zero showed me is that, whether it’s policy forcing us along or outstanding innovation inspiring us to change, we all have a duty to work on decarbonizing. Amid the general doom and gloom of the outside world, the optimism I witnessed at Innovation Zero was truly inspiring.
By working together, we can feel what it really means to be alive for a lot longer.
The future is here
Prioritising sustainability will not only foster healthier business but a healthier connection with our planet.
If Dickon’s thoughts brought out your innovative side and refocused your views on sustainability, let’s chat: contact us today.
And, read more about how we help businesses put sustainability at the heart of what they do.
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