This briefing looks at the importance of disruptive innovation in turning the UK into a low-carbon economy.

Key findings:

• The UK is locked in to high-carbon technologies and ways of working.
• Disruptive innovations can enable the rapid introduction of low-carbon technologies, or the carbon-conscious behavioural changes, that will help break this lock.
• But current environmental innovation policy is both too fragmented, and too narrowly focused on technological ‘fixes’ and ‘radical innovation’. 
• By consolidating and broadening environmental innovation policy, Government can enable individuals, firms and communities to create and use disruptive innovations. 
• Communities can often be the best groups to implement novel ways to reduce carbon emissions

The Climate Change Bill sets a statutory emissions target for the UK. To meet the challenge, the UK needs to make the transition to a low-carbon economy – potentially a costly and difficult shift.

This policy briefing looks at disruptive innovations can help. These are cheaper, easier to use alternatives to existing products or services that often target new or under-served users.

It also looks at the importance of community-led responses, and how Nesta’s Big Green Challenge aims to enable communities to reduce their carbon footprint through innovation.

Author: 

Nesta