Curious Case of Innovation for Sustainability
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<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">According to research, if we compare the earth’s history to a calendar year, modern human life has existed for 37 minutes, and we have used one-third of the earth’s natural resources in the last 0.2 seconds. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}">T</span>he world's population today is 8.1 billion, and if humanity is to exist, it needs to use the earth’s resources. However, the rate of resource depletion is a matter of concern; if this continues at this pace, no resources will be left. Earth will exist, given its strong resilience, but humanity will not. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Today, mindless consumption and the use-and-throw mindset have led to the need for 1.8 Earths to support 1 Earth. In 2023, Earth Overshoot Day landed on August 2. Earth Overshoot Day is when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services each year exceeds what earth can regenerate in that year. So, we are now borrowing resources from the future. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">In his book ‘Man and Nature: The Spiritual Crisis in Modern Man’ (1958), Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr argued that Man and Nature need to coexist out of mutual respect. The idea that man can dominate nature by leveraging technology is flawed, as earth’s resources are not limitless. Clean technology and green fuel may not be the answers, but the fundamental mindset of coexistence must be incorporated if we want to see results.</span> </p><p> </p><h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Sustainable Innovation in Supply Chains</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></h2></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Supply chains have been in the brunt of this storm as organizations' supply chains often account for more than 90% of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when considering their overall climate impacts. The need of the hour is to change the mindset to a circular economy, things we were doing 30-40 years ago. And it is important to look at innovation to address these challenges. Sustainable innovation involves intentionally changing a company’s products, services, or processes to generate long-term social and environmental benefits while creating economic profits for the firm.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Green Cement</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Let us take the case of Green Cement, an eco-friendly cement that uses a carbon-negative manufacturing process. Cement companies have been doing them for a long time (though we are talking about this now) to reduce the mining of limestone reserves, which account for 40 percent of GHG emissions. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">The major raw materials used to produce green cement include:</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul style="list-style-type: disc;" role="list"><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Discarded waste from the industry</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="2" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Slag from the blast furnace</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="3" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Fly ash </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Benefits of Green Cement</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></strong></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">The additional benefits are </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul style="list-style-type: disc;" role="list"><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="4" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Better binding capability, and this is profitable</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="5" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Use of advanced technology makes the manufacturing process highly energy-efficient</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="6" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Carbon dioxide emitted during this process is significantly low</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="7" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">This process reduces carbon footprint by 40%</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li><li role="listitem" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="8" aria-setsize="-1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-listid="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext=""><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Green cement is cheaper because the raw materials used in its manufacturing are mostly industrial waste.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Tata Indica</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></strong></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Another example is Tata Indica, the small car introduced by Tata Motors. This product may not have been a big hit, but it disrupted the price point, making a small car affordable for the middle class. But it also had to be profitable. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">The entire project, from conceiving the idea (September 1995) to the final production of the car (January 1998), took just about 28-30 months, nothing less than an achievement for a first-time passenger car maker.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">The first generation Indica was produced in a refurbished assembly line that Tata purchased second-hand from an abandoned Nissan plant in Austria. This was an optimum use of resources to control costs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Historically, frugal innovation or Jugaad in the colloquial language has been India’s DNA, as the country was starved of resources due to multiple invasions and colonialism.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Frugal innovation is a structured process that delivers customer value at predetermined price points. Resource constraints and the desire to open untapped markets to products and services via adequate price points and acceptable value-for-money propositions are at the heart of the frugal innovation movement. This has been demonstrated repeatedly, be it with supercomputers, Chandrayan-3, or the simple case of refill ballpoint pens.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">As per the latest data, there is an urgent need to support frugal innovation. As much as 95% of global population growth and 70% of real GDP growth will happen in emerging markets. Asia (excluding Japan) is the main driver, contributing 54% of population growth and 46% of real GDP growth. Developing products and services for the emerging middle class in these countries, slated to constitute around 70% of the global middle class by 2030, is crucial for all players. And it will be profitable and good for future generations. Today’s supply chains also need to think frugal.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p> </p><h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">Conclusion</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></h2></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">We have all heard the popular story "How Much Land Does a Man Require?" This is an 1886 short story by Leo Tolstoy about a man who, in his lust for land, forfeits everything. The moral of the story is that excessive desire can make a person lose all they have. The example is the peasant protagonist is never satisfied with how much land he has and although his ambition is at first good, it becomes too much. As a human race, we are at a similar situation where we are at loggerheads when it comes to progression. Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution has enabled the survival of the fittest; logically, we should have progressed as a race. But progress has come at the cost of robbing future generations.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">As we dwell in a multipolar world with imminent wars and natural catastrophes, we are at World War III. And this war must be fought together as humanity, coexisting with nature. We have already passed the tipping point of restricting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C as per the science-based targets. It is time to reflect upon innovating for sustainability.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279}"> </span></p></div>
KR Expert - Sandeep Chatterjee
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