Social innovation, socially responsive design and social enterprise
There needs to be at least an 80 per cent reduction in global emissions (from 1990) by 2050 and a 34 to 42 per cent decrease in the UK by 2020. This sets a very strong premise; it is imperative to strive for projects that seek to cut emissions as above or the project is not likely to have enough impact and will be insufficient.
It is important to think about who and what can be influenced as well as how these can be influenced. Creating mainstream 'sustainability value', for example saving money, improved health, better lifestyle and more time with families, is likely to be more successful than the notion of saving the planet.
The Sustainable Development Commission describes how the concept of resilience can be promoted as not only relevant but also central to everyday lives. For example, reducing petrol dependency insulates the individual to a degree from oil price shocks. Green electricity, in the long term, is price resilient in a way that fossil fuel can never be. Eating healthily and exercising provide protection from the costs of poor health (Lindsay Colbourne, 2008).
To change behaviour, innovation will need to address the barriers to action described in the ‘Social Impact of Climate Change’ section including:
- Investment/price premium (perceived or actual)
- Behaviour gap (what I say I do versus what I actually do)
- The limited number of sustainable alternatives particularly in the areas of energy consumption and transport