Marketing and sustainability

'Marketing and sustainability' is based on an original booklet written by Martin Charter in 1990. The text has been updated and re-written to take account of the changing and emerging debate of marketing’s role in relation to sustainable development. This booklet has been produced as a supporting publication for the Sustainable Marketing Knowledge Network (Smart: Know-Net) a web-based information and communication platform for marketers interested in sustainability, available at www.cfsd.org.uk/smart-know-ne

Eco-Friendly Marketing: Beyond the Label

The science is unequivocal: every ecosystem in the world is in decline. Without significant intervention, the world’s inhabitants of almost 7.3 billion are in peril. In light of this imminent threat and as a response to market pressures, public outcry, and changing national and international policies, businesses are seeking to rebrand their products by adopting a more environmentally-friendly approach. From various certification processes to other forms of green marketing, eco-labeling has been trending and consumer engagement rising. But without a thorough analysis of a particular product, the consumer’s belief that he/she is helping to contribute to a solution, may be misplaced

What If (Dublin)

Raby developed three ‘What If...’ exhibitions with Dunne (RCA), asking what role design can play in imagining possible futures and raising social, cultural and ethical questions, building on 20 years’ practice in Critical Design theorised inter alia in Dunne and Raby’s Design Noir (2001), Hertzian Tales (2005) and Speculative Everything (2013). Raby’s research included concept development, extended collaboration with exhibitors to develop their contributions, and devising the engagement strategy: all three required localised approaches to audiences, circumstances and commissioning hosts. Extensive investigation was needed in synthetic biology, nanotechnology, surveillance technologies and the domestication of natural phenomena, working with scientific partners at Imperial College and Cambridge University. ‘What If…’ Dublin (2009) comprised 29 projects envisioning hypothetical futures and was reviewed in Irish broadsheets (Examiner, Times, Independent), Wired and New Scientist: ‘the exhibits…address questions on scientific or medical ethics that must be asked in our bio-technological age’ (http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2009/12/post-2.html). Exhibits were also shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, Israel Museum, MoMA and Ars Electronica Center. About 1.8 million people pass the windows of the Wellcome Trust building in London annually, making them an important means of science communication. Wellcome commissioned a changing ‘What If…’ exhibition of 15 themes over 15 months (February 2010 – March 2011). Raby reconceived the design strategy with exhibits engaging at different distances, from passing buses to close-up study. The third exhibition, for the Beijing International Design Triennial (2011), explored the impact on future life of novel technologies through 58 projects in 130 exhibits from 36 designers (12 from China), for a diverse audience. The exhibition and related symposium at Tsinghua University were supported by the British Council. The Triennial was visited by approximately 500,000 visitors and featured widely, e.g. China Central Television, People's Daily, New York Times (all 2011) and Zhuangshi journal (2011 and 2012)

Novel nanocomposite automotive temperature sensing technology

In recent years, automotive emissions legislation has been introduced and is rapidly becoming more stringent. With alternative vehicular propulsion methods far from becoming mainstream reality, leading automotive providers have intensified efforts in the direction of reducing the harmful footprint of their products. This is being accomplished via smaller, more optimally designed internal-combustion engines. A crucial means to that end is exhaust gas temperature monitoring and control. To enable such control, a mass-produced sensor, capable of operating reliably in the harsh automotive combustion environment, comprising a broad spectrum of high temperatures, severe shocks and a chemically aggressive ambient, has been used widely in the past decade, with performance demands growing constantly in line with advances in engine performance. This paper presents a technology overview of the potential of novel nano composite sensor design and manufacture using materials in an innovative way towards industrialising such a sensing solution. The presented sensor design implements the state-of-the-art in thick and thin film technology incorporating nano materials for improved strength, fabrication and performance properties

LED based lighting and communications: An emerging technology for a greener more sustainable future

The paper discusses on the effect that the growth in our energy consumption as a species is having upon the planet, and how the global lighting and telecommunications industries are major contributors. We demonstrate that through the adoption of LED based lighting combined with visible light communications, substantial economical and power savings by orders of magnitude can be made over existing technologies, contributing towards a greener more sustainable future. The future of LED technology is also discussed with a focus on organic technology, promising increased savings

Greening Demand: Energy Consumption and U.S. Climate Policy

The search for greener, less polluting energy supplies has dominated discussions of u.s. climate change strategy, but we often overlook cheaper and faster greenhouse gas emissions reductions achievable through energy efficiency and conservation. In this article, I outline a decade-long greening demand agenda to reduce the amount of energy consumed in the United States. The federal government should aim to reduce U.S. energy consumption by fifteen percent by 2016 and twenty percent by 2020 to achieve needed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. While the United States has achieved notable efficiency gains since the 1970s, several market failures and other barriers continue to serve as obstacles to energy savings. These include principal-agent divergence, high implicit discount rates used in decision making on efficiency upgrades, and outmoded forms of utility regulation. I demonstrate how a greening demand agenda, centered on price signals, performance standards, informational tools, and changes in utility regulation can be used to overcome these barriers. Many of the challenges are technical and scientific, but law will play a central role in structuring incentives and shaping national markets for efficiency innovations. I conclude with some thoughts on the technical and political feasibility of greening demand