Naturally enterprising ‐ eco‐design, creative thinking and the greening of business products

Argues that currently many businesses are looking to reduce the environmental impact of their activities or products but sadly the results are often disappointing. Sustainable development remains elusive. The future clearly demands something different ‐ we need solution focused products that produce an E‐plus effect. These will increasingly dominate future markets and provide the key to a competitive edge. The challenges, and barriers, are, however, likely to be significant ‐ concurrently the environmental lobby is changing tactics, moving from problem/blame campaigning to preventive/solutions campaigning. Campaigners rightly point to the earth bank balance as continually overdrawn and unhealthy, with life support systems threatened and biodiversity declining. No one appears to re‐invest in this global bank balance. Withdrawals are easy, but investing is not so easy. With the E‐plus concept creativity and innovation will require different patterns of thinking from the people that have hitherto used their talent to create existing new products and markets or to survive hard times. Managers need not only promote a climate of innovation and creativity but do so in directions that are fundamentally different. Business talent and enterprise is poised to become a major player as a social force. The talent is out there and some of the new innovative thinking patterns are explained in this article through the description of simple examples from across Europe.