Why sustainability is the key driver of innovation – The UN’s sustainable development goal is to enhance scientific research, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries by 2030 -Sustainability innovation sustainable development - Arhive

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Sustainability innovation sustainable development Sustainability innovation sustainable development   Sustainability innovation sustainable development   Sustainability innovation sustainable development   Sustainability innovation sustainable development   Sustainability innovation sustainable development  

Why sustainability is the key driver of innovation

Sustainability innovation sustainable development

The UN’s sustainable development goal is to enhance scientific research, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries by 2030.

We continue our series on the UN-sanctioned steps businesses are taking to meet their sustainable development goals and to reduce negative impacts on society.

Novel ideas and solutions have become essential for businesses to stay ahead of the curve and sustain their growth and development.

Be it solutions for a sustainable environment or changing the lives of people with a life threatening disease, Kiwi innovators are disrupting sectors by creating technologies that put human and societal wellbeing right beside profits.

Haydn Jack has been working on a monitoring system that could detect changes in blood sugar levels via human scent.

A 22-year-old product design consultant from Hamilton, Haydn Jack has been working on a prototype for a type-1 diabetes monitoring system that could detect changes in blood sugar levels through human scent.

Jack said he wanted to create an aid that prevented young people dying in their sleep from sudden drops in insulin levels.

Inspired by dogs that can sniff changes in human scent, Jack’s project Sixth Sense aims to detect changes in volatile organic compounds emitted through the skin and breath of the user.

He presented his project at Dubai Design Week last month and has since garnered interest from investors to back his invention.

“It takes new thinking to get out of our old ways, especially with product designs that can impact and change the lives of people,” he said.

Another home-grown business that has successfully used innovation toward bettering the environment and people’s well being is Aeroqual.​

The Kiwi business works in monitoring air quality and has created its sensors to be a fraction of the size of the large container-sized commercial sensors many countries use.

Its box, the size of a large suitcase, can measure up to 20 different gaseous and particulate pollutants and environmental parameters simultaneously.

Aeroqual has been working on creating an even smaller, shoe-box sized, device for houses, schools and community centres to receive real-time information on air quality with greater convenience.

The company has gained popularity in the United States, China and India, where smog and air pollution has been a concern.

Aeroqual’s chief executive Mark Templeton said having an air measuring device was a common trend in China where general trust in government agencies to monitor air pollution was low.

“We want our customers to have better knowledge about air quality particularly in developing countries where we hope to influence policy changes or just put pressure on governments to take measures to control pollution,” Templeton said.

Earlier this month Sri Lankan cricketers protested over air pollution in Delhi during their test against India. The players had breathing difficulties from the smog in the city.

Meanwhile, a small New Zealand packaging company has taken up the cudgels against non-recyclable plastic containers.

Chilltainers founder Hamish McGregor said he wanted to eradicate the use of polystyrene in food packaging and shipping.

McGregor said there was a wave of change happening in the corporate world with more businesses looking at their environmental footprint.

“Plastic is a sunset industry and sustainable packaging is on the rise. Suppliers also want to be seen as they’re doing the right thing.”

Jack said big corporates are being forced to listen to the better-informed, environmentally conscious consumers and promote sustainability or face losing their following to competitors that are willing to do so.

“Perhaps the real innovation of new technologies and ideas comes in opening the mindset of the older generation of how we solve problems,” he said.

By 2030 the UN sustainable development goal targets enhanced scientific research, upgraded infrastructure and retrofitted industries to make them sustainable.

That means increased resource efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies.

TIPS

– Look for suppliers who have a take-back scheme for equipment or who provide packaging that can be recycled in your usual recycling streams.

– Review your business premises using a free online tool like the NabersNZ building energy rating. It will help you reduce your energy use and save.

– Help tackle congestion, parking problems and pollution with the introduction of a travel plan for your business. NZTA has a free planning kit that suggests making provisions for car-pooling, flexible working hours, car-sharing schemes and cycling to work.

READ MORE:
* Diverse thinking creates a sustainable workforce
* Three ways to build innovation into your organisation
Finegand’s green boiler sets standard
* Researchers map plastic patch bigger than Greenland 

Related Topics

Smart production sought for sustainable textile development – Smart production sustainable textile