Chromatic Engines of Innovation and Growth
Innovation and creativity are intersections of existing elements between known and the unknown. How much longer can the human race repeat the same patterns? Can breaking point of one component be a creation of another? What would be the proportion of change required to warm up the vessels of growth? Until what superficial extend can Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction dive into the depths of green growth? Well intended innovations open doors to inclusive development and positive change. The term “Green Growth” has gained momentum in the recent decade post realization of the significance that sustainable development accommodates. The FY24 budget underlined India’s commitment to green growth by naming it one of the seven primary objectives. Now let us take a sneak peek on how creativity and innovativeness can aid in fostering green growth. Innovation encompasses not just intellect and imagination, but also new methods, new technologies, and novel applications of current technology. Affordability, flexibility, scalability, replicability, and sustainability must all be overcome via innovations. Any new technology or technique that does not result in a beneficial impact in people’s lives does not qualify as innovative. Human intelligence and creativity must be the world’s ultimate renewable resource. Sustainability is founded on creativity, which is rooted on sustainable social, economic, environmental, and cultural practises. It is a unique renewable resource and human talent. By facilitating the development of green products and processes, creativity improves environmental, social, and economic performance. Creative thinking has grown in importance as a strategy for promoting green innovation within firms, and it plays a vital role in improving sustainability performance. Different disciplinary and thematic views, as well as trans-disciplinary and multicultural viewpoints, can be used to approach creativity and sustainability.
Evolving Crossroads of Sectoral Hues
In the previous two decades, cultural and creative economy initiatives have gained traction. Many voices highlight to the cultural and creative sector’s potential as a driver of sustainable development. It is significant function as a resource for improving local cultural, social, environmental, and economic situations is acknowledged. Years later, in its report Our Creative Diversity, the World Commission on Culture and Development underlined the cultural sector’s potential for sustainable development. These alternatives were made explicit at the UNESCO summit in Stockholm in 1998, when an Action Plan to guide implementation was adopted. These were elaborated on in the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which is still in effect today, and follow-up reports on the 2005 Convention’s guidelines and activities were published in 2015 and 2018. In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development assembled with the purpose of kicking off a process to define a set of sustainable development goals. The final accord of the conference, titled “The Future We Want,” emphasises the role of culture and creativity in sustainable development but falls short of fully grasping its potential.
Locating Orange
Creative industries do not always make it to the mainstream dialogue of quantifiable development. The concept of orange economy helps us to identify and understand the potential of multiple creative and cultural sectors that contributes to overall progress. The term orange economy was coined by Felipe Buitrago and Iván Duque in the paper “The Orange Economy; an infinite possibility” issued by the Inter-American Development Bank. Howkins includes within the creative economy activities such as innovation and development, building, software, television and radio, design, music, film, games, advertising, architecture, and the arts. The creative economy as a whole is one in which businesses encourage creativity, knowledge convergence, and advanced scientific technology, relying on coordinated learning to create new markets and jobs. Who would have said that in the hands of creatives, designers, artists and entrepreneurs would be part of the response to the development challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean? Asia-Pacific accounts for more than one-third of global sales and 43% of jobs in the cultural and creative industries. The cultural and artistic sectors are especially significant for young people. In Pakistan, for example, nearly one-third of those working in creative and cultural occupations are under the age of 24. Similarly, in Ghana and Uganda, youth make up more than 25% of the orange economy. Young workers make for roughly 20% of cultural vocations in Peru, Paraguay, and Honduras throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Colour Green and What it Holds
An inclusive green economy is one that improves human well-being and builds social equity while reducing environmental risks and scarcities. An inclusive green economy is an alternative to today’s dominant economic model, which exacerbates inequalities, encourages waste, triggers resource scarcities, and generates widespread threats to the environment and human health. – UNEP. A group of top environmental economists originated the phrase “green economy” in a 1989 report for the Government of the United Kingdom. The report was commissioned by the UK government to advise on whether there was a consensual definition of the phrase “sustainable development,” as well as the implications of sustainable development for measuring economic success and evaluating projects and policies. It would have been a ‘experimental’ or ‘foreign’ phrase in the field of economics back then, but in just three decades, it has taken the position in every major policy and planning. In October 2008, UNEP launched its Green Economy Initiative to provide analysis and policy support for investment in green sectors and for greening environmentally unfriendly sectors.
Shades of Eco-cultural Innovation
The creative industries have emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic development engines. Cultural and creative industries have created and distributed cultural items, services, or activities that impart ideas, symbols, and ways of life. The creative industries integrate innovative solutions and decentralizing the design thinking process.
1. Creative tech and green-hood
Let us take the case of Raj Jadhav who is a registered architect, educator and award-winning researcher in Mumbai, India. He works on inventing new technologies in architecture and proposed to reviving traditional strategies integrated with technologies to scale sustainability. Another advantage of an orange economy is that creativity and invention are resources that can be renewed. One good example of a digital-creative initiative is the non-profit organisation Hydrous, which uses an immersive technology app to take users (possible tourists) on a virtual dive into the aquatic habitats of Palau in Indonesia. This features a guided tour of the coral reefs, where virtual divers can explore the marine biodiversity of the islands, which includes sea turtles, manta rays, and sharks. This helps in boosting the green and blue tourism.
2. Green awareness and jobs
Creative markets can help in generating green jobs; however, this process can be durable or sustainable through systematic revamping of environmental curriculum at educational institutions. Green jobs need new skills and awareness, this requires reinitiating skill development and training. Innovation in skills development provides new ways of talent development for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). No better way to spread awareness than visual media and creative arts, tuning minds through films and arts can influence change and create more conscious consumers who would demand environmentally responsible goods. Indian documentaries ‘All That Breathes’ and ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ make it to Oscar nominations, delivering striking messages of wildlife and ecological health. Another award-winning documentary – Invisible Demons, written by Yaël Bitton, Rahul Jain, Iikka Vehkalahti, Explores the dramatic consequences of India’s growing economy, capturing not only Delhi in crisis but magnifying our collective climate realities.
3. Social entrepreneurship and sustainable start-ups
The Orange Economy represents a chance to upgrade or convert sectors in need of new production models in order to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In addition, creative and technologically driven entrepreneurship and innovation play a vital role in meeting emerging needs. Creative industries also include social entrepreneurs who scale up enterprises through inventing green and community aiding solutions, which are often shut down due to lack of funds. The orange economy frequently engages with the youth and ovulate innovative operations to foster change and growth, the wave of start-up culture is developing to be driven by socially responsible motives. Organizations like Repurpose Global, Junoterra technology, Treejector protocol are few examples of environmentally creative startups who are paving the way forward.
4. Painting the grassroots green
While discussing creativity and innovation, we must also understand the concentration of creativity increases with the exposure one receives. Innovations that sprout from the grassroots level needs to be focused, for example the rural and the tribal population is exposed to natural environment compared to the urban dwellers. It is understandable that the people living next to naturally rich geographic regions tend to acquire more knowledge on land and forest management, this can be used or harnessed through inter-transactional innovations which will create exchange of sustainable indigenous knowledge. Investing in grassroots level creative innovations helps in curating a circular economy which signals green and it promotes decentralization that fosters efficient socio-political functions. A study conducted by AHRC Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC), shows that creative enterprises are a vital part of the Levelling Up agenda. Enterprises in rural micro clusters are more likely to produce local business, and robust networks are especially vital in rural areas. Broadband, roads, and facilities of high quality are critical for all sectors. Rural creative enterprises are more likely than urban counterparts to report infrastructure as a concern, yet infrastructure expenditures are likely to benefit all businesses, not just green ones. The major drivers and facilitators of our time will now have an impact on creativity and sustainable development. The possibility of a creative resurgence in green areas is not a pipe dream. The goal will be to translate research insights into actual, relevant, and creative investments that ignite greener enterprises