The Decade Of Action: Innovation & Sustainability 2030

Climate change and its dramatic consequences are on the rise

January 2020 kicked off what environmentalists are referring to as the Decade of Action. With just ten years remaining to meet the goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there’s a greater sense of urgency to increase our collective efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and limit global warming to 1.5º Celsius (2.7º Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by 2030.

In the midst of a global pandemic, we face an even greater crisis: Extreme weather events like hurricanes, heatwaves, droughts, and floods are on the rise. Record-breaking high temperatures, paired with changing rainfall patterns and other factors, are creating conditions in which massive wildfires rage unabated. If we don’t take drastic action within the next ten years, it’s going to get a lot worse.

The business world is finally waking up to the very real risks presented by what is increasingly evidently a climate crisis. In addition to growing pressure to appease sustainability-conscious consumers who “vote with their wallets” and prefer to support environmentally-responsible brands, companies are becoming cognizant of the risks' climate change poses to their operations. An estimated $3.8 trillion (one in three dollars) spent on development in the past 30 years has been lost to climate-related events, according to the UN Development Program.

Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C will require rapid, systemic changes to energy use and generation, land use and management, urban planning and infrastructure development (including transport and buildings), and industrial systems and investing practices.

This decade will determine the future of life on earth, for humans and the natural world alike. In ten years, we must transform how we do business, the way we use energy and travel, the way we shop, eat, and live – sustainability must inform every aspect of our lives if we hope to mitigate climate change and slow global warming.

In our latest report, The Decade of Action: Innovation and Sustainability 2030, we examine three critical impact areas where deliberate action can make a difference, and dive deep into thirteen core themes or forces shaping the sustainability landscape categorized into three broad change areas. We then provide A Snapshot of the Future, discuss the Implications for Innovation, and provide Recommendations for action. The need for innovation that supports a sustainable future has never been more urgent!

Courageously Innovate a Greener Future

In order to build resilience and foster sustainable growth, innovators must take proactive action in anticipation of change, not merely in response to it. To do so, innovators require a future-fit tool-set to help “keep their finger on the pulse,” so to speak, and make informed choices when it’s time to determine the next steps.

This report seeks to equip industry leaders with the tools, insight, and inspiration to get the full picture; gain a clear view of the challenges ahead; identify unique opportunities; and create an innovation roadmap that supports the development of distinctly differentiating value propositions.

At ITONICS, our team is energized by the possibilities and opportunities presented by sustainability-driven innovation.

We believe that it is up to innovators and leaders to engage across all levels of industry to ensure sustainable growth and integrated resilience.