RP3008: Emerging Approaches in Business Model Innovation Relevant to Sustainability and Low-carbon Transitions

Businesses are critical to achieving greater sustainability and the transition to a low carbon built environment. Business and businesses-related activities within the production and consumption system are among the primary causes of sustainability problems. But businesses are also a core source of innovative ideas, not only for reducing pollution and improving the efficiency of our products and production processes, but also in shaping changes in our socio-technical systems.

This report reviews new and emerging approaches used to develop business models, which might assist in realising and diffusing the technological, social and organisational innovations necessary to transition to sustainability and lower carbon. It also explores some of the limitations of the current thinking around business models, and suggests ways to refine these tools to help overcome some of the narrowness in current thinking.