Debate: Innovation for a better world

By Richard

13 Nov 2017

global-eco-debate-1000x500.jpg
Eco-innovation has the potential to change our world for the better – and deliver real opportunities for companies across Lancashire. We brought a team of experts at the cutting edge of this work to Lancaster University’s Centre for Global Innovation to discuss how businesses are making a difference.

PRESENT: Richard Slater ~ Lancashire Business View • Dr Andy Pickard ~ Centre for Global Eco-Innovation • Prof Nigel Paul ~ Centre for Global Eco-Innovation • Mark Buchanan ~ Extreme Low Energy • Steve Wilkinson ~ Coolkit • Mike Cain ~ Demopad • Prof Harry Hoster ~ Energy Lancaster • Sarah Phillipson ~ Small World Consulting

What are the hot topics in Eco-Innovation and why should businesses care?

Dr Andy Pickard: Cooling is certainly one. We’re going to see a huge growth for cooling and it’s really energy that’s the issue.

The UK government’s going to miss the carbon target for the third round. The cost of energy is going up, so that’s clearly a massive area of concern. Also we’re using a huge amount of water.

There are also reports that 5,000 UK deaths per year are due to pollution and that links into a whole series of other issues. There’s the requirement for biodiversity and issues about waste and recycling.

Steve Wilkinson: Ultimately this will manifest itself in legislation which demands a response from industry. That’s something that’s affecting us at the sharp end of delivering our product, whether it’s technical challenges with electrical vehicles or challenges with new refrigerants.

Prof Harry Hoster: Legislation has a role to create the business cases and make them possible.

The technology I’m interested in most of all at the moment is energy storage installations and the government is currently revising its policies so they give quicker payback times and then hopefully we can start rolling out faster.

Mark Buchanan: Being able to generate power is one thing but being able to use it cleverly and efficiently is what we’re about. We’ve got an inefficient infrastructure; our grid was designed 100 years ago.

It hasn’t evolved to keep up with current demand, so we see that wasted energy is much a bigger issue than just trying to generate more and more to offset what we’re wasting.

Sarah Phillipson: You can consider managing carbon as a strategy innovation. Business and financial accounting has been around for a 100-150 years but how do you manage and measure carbon?

That is inherently more  challenging because unlike money, which you can physically see and count, carbon is something you can’t see and it’s very difficult to count. But it allows organisations to make much smarter decisions so they can operate more strategically, either through managing efficiencies or improving costs, whilst also having a social and environmental impact. Mike Cain: Our focus, funded by a Centre for Global Eco-Innovations (CGE) project that we’re just starting, is to develop a smart controller that can, for example, sit in a commercial building and gather data from all the diverse current management control systems and, having captured that data, look at how you can tailor-in impacts to reduce energy and do all these good things.

  • This is an excerpt from the most recent edition of Lancashire Business View. Click here to buy.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Richard

Latest news

1

Preston frozen dough brand has new celebrity shareholders Ant and Dec and Amy and Chris Cheadle

Preston frozen dough brand has new celebrity shareholders

18 Jul 2025

2

Wellbeing focused co-working space with its own pub in Burnley gets ready for launch Dave Scholes and Malcolm Ireland

Wellbeing focused co-working space with its own pub in Burnley gets ready for launch

18 Jul 2025

3

UK's pioneering Combat Air Flying Demonstrator is revealed Flying Combat Air Demonstrator

UK's pioneering Combat Air Flying Demonstrator is revealed

17 Jul 2025

4

A fresh brew for The Printed Cup Company The Printed Cup Company

A fresh brew for The Printed Cup Company

17 Jul 2025

5

Joe Diston from Beever and Struthers appointed to new Global IFRS leader for HLB International Joe Diston

Joe Diston from Beever and Struthers appointed to new Global IFRS leader for HLB International

17 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – August 14th
Navy--Event Tile.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
14 Aug 2025 - 14 Aug 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – August 14th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (24).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
21 Aug 2025 - 21 Aug 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

Morecambe Bay Walk
Walk.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
30 Aug 2025 - 30 Aug 2025

Morecambe Bay Walk

Arnside, CARNFORTH, LA5

09:30 - 14:00

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

North West Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880456273-4862066883-1-original.20241022-105445.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025

North West Business Expo 2025

Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton, BL6 6SF

09:00 - 15:00

Lancashire Business Day 2025
241122lbvlancashiredaylhp0647web
Networking
27 Nov 2025

Lancashire Business Day 2025

Burnley FC , Burnley, BB10 4BX

12:00 - 17:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin