Organizations must take proactive steps to address climate change, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation. These efforts require a common language and understanding among stakeholders, so carbon reduction strategies can be effectively implemented. Activity-based models are one way that businesses can map out potential carbon reduction opportunities. They describe human activities and decision-making over …
What is responsible innovation?
Alessia Falsarone
Micro-scale innovation accelerators are becoming go-to places for entrepreneurs to unlock desirable benefits. These socio-technical networks challenge traditional corporate environments, encourage unlearning and questioning the openness of institutional functions in order to incite new possibilities within organizations.Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (*) have reported that “responsible innovation” is a major factor …
Unlock Your Data-Enabled Sustainability Mindset
Alessia Falsarone
To be successful, the sustainability roadmap adopted by businesses needs to be powered by data. So far we have laid out the journey that organizations seeking to integrate impact outcomes as part of their DNA – and, ultimately, their enterprise value – need to embark on along with their stakeholders (the producers and recipients of …
Leveraging Sustainability Data in Strategic Planning
Alessia Falsarone
Over the past fifteen years, sustainability risks have ignited the dialogue between management teams, boards of directors and special interest groups. From environmental catastrophes associated with oil drilling to the myriad recalls affecting auto manufacturers, governance responsibilities in the context of E&S principles have become directly correlated with upfront costs rather than value creation.Are boards …
Innovation Spotlight: Digital Product Passports (DPPs)
Alessia Falsarone
Innovation is central to reframing successful sustainability roadmaps for businesses. Interested in learning more about Digital Product Passports (DPPs)? Over the past decade I have been researching the connection between trust, open data and consumer behaviors towards sustainability. A key variable that keeps coming up is the influence of open data platforms on consumer decisions. Central to …
How to Innovate an Economy in Transition
Alessia Falsarone
While start-up incubators and alumni angel investor groups have become a steady feature of many university environments in North America and beyond, home-grown company incubators are a runner up. Sustainability-focused innovation is increasingly attracting pools of capital and talent to work on the next impact challenge: the “transition” economy. I use the term transition economy to …
How to Draw Like-Minded Investors by Taking Impact a Step Forward
Alessia Falsarone
Drawing in like-minded business allies is essential for any company looking to make an impact on a large scale. However, simply stating your ambitions isn’t enough; you need to take action and be able to show progress. That’s where having an impact strategy comes in. By integrating ESG goals into your business model and strategic …
Prototyping for Environmental, Social and Governance Success
Alessia Falsarone
From manufacturing advances to technology breakthroughs, businesses have long been using prototyping as a way to speed up their product development process. By creating a physical mock-up or employing a digital twin, businesses can test out their ideas and integrate early feedback from users before investing in a final product. But what about using prototyping …
The Power of Novel Datasets for Sustainable and Resilient Businesses
Alessia Falsarone
Organizations seeking to become more sustainable and resilient are increasingly relying on novel datasets to complement their decision-making processes. The traditional operational and financial metrics most businesses use are no longer fully effective in predicting risk and planning for sustainability. The climate crisis and the social challenges it creates are a real threat to our …
How Organizational Learning Can Lead to Better Impact Outcomes
Alessia Falsarone
Sustainability education is a hot topic in the business world right now. Many companies are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact, and there is a lot of talk about how to do this effectively while preserving traditional and financial targets. In this new era of Environmental and Social Governance (ESG), some organizations are …