Article
Lisa

Can everyone participate in eco-innovation?

Eco-innovating is an important phenomenon of the last decades. A lot of new innovations like solar systems, sustainable materials even whole eco cities are new concepts on the market. But to get this eco-system working, a lot of people have to participate. About 80% of humanity live with less then US$10 per day (1). Are the poor too poor to innovate?

eco innovation
In 2002 people discovered it was possible to illuminate a house with light from the sun via plastic bottles hanging inside his house from the ceiling. By simply adding a few drops of bleach (to prevent mold growth) to water in a used plastic liter bottle, replacing the lid and then inserting it through the ceiling of a house it was found that one could illuminate a room with no electricity(2). Suddenly, here was an incredibly cheap and sustainable way to provide light to millions of people with limited or no access to electricity. This shows that eco-innovation can be a cheap solution for a huge world problem.

The help of different associations can help providing eco-innovations for people that live on the bottom of the pyramid (BoP). This can be seen in Bolivia, where about 45% live under the national poverty lines (3). They developed an organization that took care of sustainability and the BoP: The IDTR Project, which is a initiative Bolivian government’s. Its main aim is to give rural families in Bolivia, especially in off-grid regions, access to electricity(4).

They started to install PVS (photo voltaic systems) for rural homes. PVS make use of a photovoltaic system that employs solar panels that have a number of solar cells and supply usable solar power(5). Besides the installation of photovoltaic panels for rural homes, the IDTR also encompasses other measures, such as the densification of the electrical grid in more populated regions. They made an electrical network in a sustainable way.

The contractor, usually a local firm, which provides maintenance for 4 years, installs the equipment. Such a contract permits a good balance between on one hand the necessity of the local firms to minimize their financial risk and on the other the desire of the government to maximize control over energy production. Thanks to the collaboration between local NGOs, local communities and international air organizations, this is a successful sustainable project.

These two examples of eco-innovation show that eco-innovation is a smart and easy way of solutions and also ensures a new accessible sustainable market. I think it is important to make sure your new product suits the ideas and costs of 80% of the world. It shows that people of the BoP are in fact really suitable for eco-innovation and that we also should innovate based on this group.

 Sources:

  1. UNDP Annual Report 2008. Source: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/corporate/undp_in_action_2008.html
  2. Mario Pansera , Richard Owen (18 October 2013). Eco-Innovation at the “Bottom of the Pyramid”. Source:http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7633-3_15/fulltext.html
  3. Explanation IDTR organisation. Source:http://e8casestudies.org/casestudies/Bolivia-IDTR.aspx
  4. Mario Pansera , Richard Owen (18 October 2013). Eco-Innovation at the “Bottom of the Pyramid”. Source:http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7633-3_15/fulltext.html
  5. PVS explanation. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_system
  6. Data Bolivia. Source: http://data.worldbank.org/country/bolivia
  7. Image eco-innovation-collage made by Lisa Gerards