What are the most effective strategies for fostering green innovation and entrepreneurship in your company?

Alignment of vision and values with the principles of sustainability is fundamental to foster green innovation. Hereby, the first step is to define your purpose, mission and goals. Your goals should be SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. Make sure that your goals are aligned with environmental and social challenges your company wants to address. Furthermore, communication of your vision, values and goals with internal and external stakeholders is crucial. Also track and communicate progress transparently to those. By communicating not just your outcomes, but also your challenges you reinforce your commitment but also inspire confidence and trust.

Olá. Sinto muito em lhes dizer que a visão de Sustentabilidade que estamos aplicando nos dias de hoje, já está ultrapassada é praticamente a mesma que aplicávamos há 40 anos atrás, onde discutíamos sobre o termo e a sua funcionalidade, que deveríamos ter mudanças constantes, mas erramos ao embarcar de cabeça na era digital, pois o novo era o futuro e estávamos cansados de lutar pela consciência na criação e produção de qualquer coisa, muitos mudaram de ramo outros apenas aceitaram e seguiram sendo mudados para um novo pensar, e deixamos que o sistema nos tornássemos pessoas egoístas, ao errarmos a culpa é do outro ou do sistema, e o mundo clama por ações rápidas onde possamos pensar sobre a sustentabilidade e evoluir em nossas ações.

The mechanisms to generate sustainable or green innovation processes in any organization is the consolidation of a multidisciplinary team. One of the most frequent mistakes made is to place responsibility for innovation on a single professional, the more experience a person has in an area or a process will know where opportunities and changes can occur to achieve innovation processes, let us remember that teams build innovation in a progressive way, and the mistake is to believe that everything is achieved as large technology companies do and that it has to be disruptive to be innovative, which is not the case, green innovation can reduce costs by avoiding fines or improving processes within the supply chain.

Some companies I've been in, have start-up accelerators where teams are given resources, tools and training to develop ideas and solutions. The winning team then gets funding, and the option of profit-sharing in the profits from the ideated product.

Actively seek partnerships with organizations and individuals who not only echo your sustainability vision but bring diverse perspectives to the table. Establish and sustain strategic alliances with companies, NGOs, research institutions, universities, and communities—each contributing complementary skills and resources. Your engagement shouldn't be passive; participation in platforms, events, and initiatives is your proactive immersion into the evolving tapestry of sustainability. Let's not merely network; let's co-create. By leveraging the collective intelligence of your network, you forge synergies and craft solutions that transcend individual efforts—enriching both your company and society.

You are never too old to learn something new. A good learning culture requires that self-improvement is made a priority. Investing in yourself and your team always pays off. By setting specific professional development goals as part of a company-wide mandatory review process, you motivate your employees to pursue their growth and align their learning with your company’s vision and values. This self-discovery can spark innovation in other areas of their work.

As mentioned in my contribution above, some companies I've been in have start-up accelerator programs to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. It is a good idea for the successful and seasoned green innovators and entrepreneurs who have already rolled out green projects and products, to give back to the community by sharing lessons learnt to the aspiring green innovators and entrepreneurs. This could occur via different channels - via a formal mentorship program, fireside chats, or townhall sessions.

A key risk of companies investing in innovation and entrepreneurship, is intellectual property risk. You do not want your innovators and entrepreneurs to use company resources to develop products, and then leave to start their own companies. This can be protected in different ways: - Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or confidentiality contracts - Non-compete clauses - Information management policies - Registration of patents, trademarks and copyrights

Be clear on the beginning with decision makers on what the business case needs to include to align stakeholders expectations and to get the innovation over the line.