Building a sustainable economy

Building a Sustainable Economy

The Questions

• How do you know what is sustainable and what

isn’t?

• What does a sustainable economy look like?

• How do you put this into practice?

We’ve been trying to figure this out

and came up with something called

Horizons

Let’s begin…

What are the critical sustainability issues

facing your organisation now or in the future?

Some examples of the many trends shaping

our society and economy

Life expectancy in developing countries

has risen from 46 to 64 years since the 1960s.

Infant mortality rates have halved too.

Ageing population Not just in the developed world:

by 2050 nearly 1 in 5 people in

developing countries will be over 60

Demographic change

Urbanization By 2050 2 out of 3 people will live in

cities

“By 2050, humanity will demand TWICE

as many resources as the planet can

supply. Meeting future demand for steel,

water, agricultural products and energy

would require roughly

$3 trillion average capital

investment/year”

McKinsey, Resource Revolution

Competition for land, water and resources is a

potential risk for migration and conflict

Every 24 hours we lose 150-200 species forever.

This is 1000 times the rate of natural extinction and could lead to economic collapse

Source: UN 2010

We’re used to thinking about financial risks, but

to be prepared for the future we need to think

about all the trends and issues affecting you

These are just some of the risks

that we should be paying attention to

So what does a sustainable

economy look like?

One that operates within safe environmental limits

and delivers social value.

To break this down, we’ve done a lot of thinking

and come up with something called Horizons

Explore and discover our videos

http://horizons.innovateuk.org/

Source: horizons.innovateuk.org

How we approach a new topic

• Set a goal

• Define what we mean (e.g. what is ‘resilience’)

• Explain why is this critical

• Include some killer facts

• Develop case studies

• Signpost further resources

Many companies are generating value from responding to these drivers

“Investment outperformance will come from spotting

sustainability winners early” - Aviva

“Lasting way to deliver our mission is by aligning with a sustainable future”

- Technology Strategy Board

Why is this vital to long-term success?

Dow Jones Sustainability Index

• Companies on the DJ Sustainability Index are outperforming the DJ General Index

• DJSI saw a 31% increase in participation from companies in emerging markets

Ask yourself

• How are these trends driving changes to the

market?

• What is the right business model?

• How are we uniquely placed to contribute to

these goals?

Test your strategy and drive new innovation

Questions to take away

What are the critical sustainability issues

facing your organisation?

How can you turn potential risks into opportunities?

www.forumforthefuture.org

Company No. 2959712

Charity No. 1040519

www.forumforthefuture.org

Company No. 2959712

Charity No. 1040519

Nicky Conway

Principal Advisor

Email: n.conway@forumforthefuture.org

Mike Pitts

Email: Michael.Pitts@tsb.gov.uk

Lead Specialist, Sustainability

For more information and a webinar: