WWF-UK says western society will soon have to look to innovation in Asia for leading green trends.
Asian innovations are already rippling across the globe with China bringing integrated electric vehicles, renewables energy and battery technologies to market, frugal innovation in India highlighting how firms can dramatically cut energy and natural resource use, while Bangladeshi micro-finance and micro renewables services illustrate how new bottom-of-the-pyramid approaches can work.
Asia is fast becoming the land of opportunity and disruptive influence. There are incoming Asian innovations for western firms to adapt to and work with. There are also export opportunities that arise from efforts across Asia to solve pollution, congestion, resource scarcity and other challenges. China is set to spend over $500 billion in the next five years on renewables, energy efficiency and cutting air pollution and this presents a major opportunity for western firms that can bring cleantech solutions to the continent.
Conversely, business opportunities are opening up in Asia for western firms that can help tackle social and environmental challenges alongside the rapid economic growth across the continent. The increasing desire for on and off-grid renewable energy, car-sharing services, clean cooking stoves and other cleantech services present opportunities for western firms that can complement home-grown solutions.