Disruptive innovations

At a recent Clinton Global initiative, participants stressed on the need for disruptive innovations to tackle the many challenges facing the race. Whether it be climate change, depleting resources, energy constraints, incremental or continuous innovation is no more enough, they felt. If talking of energy economy, this means knocking out coal fired plants and replacing them with renewables.

Al Gore spoke of ‘sustainable capitalism’ which would need to include placing an adequate cost on externalities, like emissions generated from burning coal and the byproducts of manufacturing. How can such a capitalism be achieved? Through more private partnerships and more social responsibility built into business models, was the opinion.

All this means the world is moving past the idea of conservation and regulation as the spearheads of the environmental movement. While recycling and reducing waste is still important, it means totally new ways of doing things, conducting business have to emerge. What do you think? Is it possible?

While infrastructure, human capital and financing are crucial, when it comes to energy, what the world needs today is innovation that leaps across boundaries. There is China, which is rushing ahead in solar PV manufacturing, wind farm construction, efficient and electric vehicles, etc.

What is special about China? Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris believes China has got it right by aligning education and workforce training with its national goals. Right back to the root - education. Have we got it right?