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Clean Techn Environ Policy (2017) 19:287289
DOI 10.1007/s10098-016-1310-0
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10098-016-1310-0&domain=pdf
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Web End = BOOK REVIEW
Yoram Krozer: Theory and practices on innovation for sustainable development
Springer (2016)
Heriberto Cabezas1
Received: 29 October 2016 / Accepted: 7 November 2016 / Published online: 17 November 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016
Professor Yoram Krozers monograph covers a rather wide range of topics on the theory and practice of innovation for sustainable development or sustainability. Note that I will use the two terms interchangeably, although they are admittedly not quite the same thing. Now, innovation is close to the business side of sustainability or sustainable development, and for that reason it is extremely important for action on the ground to actually happen. There are thirteen chapters full of tightly argued reasoning. Listed in sequence these are: Introduction, Income Growth and Environmental Impacts, Markets of Sustainable Innovations, User Innovation in Solar Power, Tacit Inventors in Regions, Arts for Environmental Qualities, Technology Suppliers for Sanitation, Alternatives for Commuting, Ethical Consumers and Producers, Sustainable Investors and Innovators, Energy Services for Smart Grid, Renewable Energy Business and Policy, and Conclusions on Sustainable Innovations. I would not propose that the monograph covers every relevant topic related to innovation and sustainable developmentmost likely the author would not propose that eitherbut it comes as close to covering everything as I have seen so far.
Excluding the introductory chapter (Chapter 1) and the conclusions (Chapter 12), chapters two through twelve are as close as I have seen to a Tour de Force of the topics of innovation and sustainable development. Chapter 2 (Income Growth and Environmental Impacts) discusses from a general perspective the importance of innovation in promoting sustainability. One particularly important observation is that in about half of the high-income
countries income has risen while material consumption and environmental impact have decreased even after accounting for material extraction and production in lower-income countries. This is a phenomenon which seems to be driven by technological innovation. Hence, innovation can autonomously move society toward sustainable development. Chapter 3 (Markets of Sustainable Innovations) delves into the details of the global market for sustainable innovation which is estimated to be about USD 2293 billion or about 4.62% of the global GDP in 2010 US Dollars. This...