We need to create a model and need to test, a kind of visualization and testing it with a customer 
- market research : need of the Arctic Green Box, is the idea good?  not market demand but a general idea feedback
is there any existing sustainable store here in Rovaniemi?
blueprint! make a visual presentation of the idea, it can be video, tangible sample, a VISUAL VERSION OF THE IDEA

 

Pauline Cibaud A1900176
Eszter Szabó A1900
Rajeev Gnawali A1701825

Georgios Ioannou A1701847                 Innovation and entrepreneurship

 

                                25 March 2019

 

 

Introduction

 

We were given the task to conduct research on climate change with a special focus and attention towards the Arctic. Our group has done guided individual research on the broad topic. After knowing and being familiar with the key concepts and problems each group member could individually start their own specific research on the field where they felt/seen the most potential on innovating. The following findings include what our group has learn during the research.

 

Findings

Climate change has always been a natural phenomenon greenhouse emission (methane and CO2) but since 1950 it has started to become because of industrial revolutions and thus human activity. The 3 main categories of greenhouse emissions sources, from the most impactful, are transportation, energy, and industry. But in details, we can say they come from fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and agriculture. In wider thinking it caused the mass production, and mass consumption society.

 

In practice, Global warming refers to « the increase in the average temperature of the Earth » which is estimated at +1.5 degrees. Its effects: acidification of ocean which can impact directly life and survival of biodiversity, sea level rise caused by melting permafrost, seasons mixed which means more extreme weather and more often natural catastrophes as fires, rain, dryness, tornadoes etc.  

 

It’s getting worse and worse because, still, many people are not aware of it in term of impacts on their own life: immigration movements, the price of food, the average of temperature and climate in their local region; everything is moving and in a very fast way now.

 

But it still exists some obstacles like some political personalities behaviour like Trump from the USA do. He doesn’t believe in Global warming issues and he shares and spreads his opinion publicly. In global, it’s due to economical high performances which get more attention. That way of thinking does not help to reduce global warming causes at all. 

 

Climate change in the Arctic Region

 

The Arctic region is warmer than before due to the climate change and continues to warm up, which has an impact on the entire planet. Over the past 30 years, it has warmed up more than any other area on earth. Most scientists agree that the Arctic weather and climate are changing due to lack of protection and mismanagement from humans. 

 

Changes in the Arctic climate are important because the Arctic operates as a refrigerator for the rest of the world. The Arctic region emits more heat in space than it engrosses from the outside, which helps to cool the planet. So, changes in the Arctic climate could influence the climate in the rest of the world.

 

A serious problem related to the arctic caused by climate change is the melting permafrost. The process during which the frozen ground starts to melt out releasing methane and other dangerous gases resulting in the rapid increase of CO2 in the air. Researchers say that there is at least as much CO2 in the frozen soil as much as currently in the air.

 

 

Oil 

The People vs The Arctic Oil movement by Greenpeace

Greenpeace and Natur are sueing the Norwegian government for violating the Norwegian Constitution’s Article 112, which is about ensuring everyone, future generations too, safe and healthy environment. Why? They want to open new oil drilling frontier putting generations life into danger. This made me think, do we really need more oil, or is the world ready to shift their minds to sustainable thinking and start to utilize renewable energies instead of oil. (Orsi Tuba)

 

Arctic Corridor – transportation

 

A global demand for goods is still increasing at the same time a possibility to Arctic Sea summer transport is opening up in the eyes of many. Taking the advantage of the melting sea ice through establishing sea routes on the Arctic Sea for transportation could be possible. However, this would mean a need to build the Arctic Railway, cutting through the indigenous forest in the area resulting in deforestation. Deforestation has many serious impacts, one of the most crucial ones is the reduction of accessible food for reindeers. Hence the Protect forests. Protect life. Movement was established to gather voices in order to stop the Finnish government from building industrial railway to the Arctic Ocean and from further exploit indigenous lands. Boost trading, more pulp mills, more logging and more mines are within the plans as well.

 

Agriculture effects

 

Until today, as mentioned before, agriculture has been contributing to the increase in greenhouse emissions: by around 12% out of global emissions.  

 

Agriculture importance, challenges

 

Agriculture is essential to human life to the extent it impacts directly undernourishment/hunger, life expectancy but also conflicts and immigration. 

According to the United Nations’ annual food security report, the total number of people who face chronic food deprivation has increased by 15 million since 2016 by reaching 821 million today, in 2018. Scientists agreed it’s partly due to global warming which affects food crops through extreme weather, increasing sea level and increasing average temperatures but also because of humidity/rainfalls changes (frequency, quantity, and location).

Meanwhile, as the global population is growing at a quite fast rhythm, we will reach roughly 10 billion inhabitants on earth by the end of 2050. It means we will face serious demographic problems if we do not proceed with a reorganization of the industrial agriculture system on a global scale.

 

Agriculture in the Arctic

 

Global warming has increased +2,28 degrees in the Arctic.

Because of this rise, new untouched lands in the Arctic region are now reachable. Arctic countries could take advantage of these new opportunities but, still, by thinking about and spreading new more responsible ways and new systems in order to renew agriculture industry. They can be leaders in those changes.

Tourism-related problems in the Arctic

As the road network in the whole Arctic region is not so well-developed and there is no chance to travel by train as the northernmost stop is Rovaniemi, and the distances are quite big between the tourist attractions, the only opportunity to get to national parks and other touristic sights in the nature is to go by bus which goes quite rare or more often to rent a car, but as usually not big groups are travelling together, only 1-2-3 people in one car, it means that the cars are not efficiently used and there are many of them on the roads only half full. More cars on the road means more carbon-dioxide emission, so that it makes the process of global warming even faster. 

Carpooling or some ways of sharing a ride would be efficient to avoid individuals travelling alone by several cars. Some vehicles that emit less gases could be used - maybe electronic ones or somehow using renewable energy - and more people could fit in at the same time. If there were more electronic vehicles and more charging stations along the ways to the sights, individual traveling would be much easier.

Also, forming bigger groups could be a way to improve tourism, so more people could be transported to the same place at the same time. 

 

Businesses and climate change

 

In wider thinking, climate change issues affect companies. Indeed, they feed markets with all of their products and services. Their production and consumption represent the base of every human activity. As we demonstrated it before it largely impacts Global warming causes through their actions: production but also by giving population habits in the way people consume.

 

More deeply, with time and new knowledge brought by scientist and added some government concerns, companies got more pressure and responsibilities regarding greenhouse emission reductions. Then, new proofs and laws appear that impacts them directly and especially the bigger former ones in transportation, energies field mainly which have been functioning the same way for many years. 

 

On top of that, nowadays, customers lead the market and companies follow their trend as quickly as possible. In new marketing approaches “adaptation, values, and relationship with customers” characterize the market functioning. In this way, companies get more and more environmental values because this market is growing faster and faster: it’s a trend like Vegan products.

 

In the end, after all of those reforms which are occurring will end the world in new systems in many different fields. Inevitably, there will be winners and losers that’s why companies and business have to cope with it by changing their strategy and business model.

 

Learning experience

 

The above mentioned topics were discussed on our meeting and based on sharing our findings the team could shift their minds easily towards thinking of climate change not as a problem, but more as an opportunity. Great innovation experience and teamwork what we had!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources

 

 

 

 

https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate/causes-of-global-

warming#gs.iW2jbLUH

 

 

 

 

 

Climate change in the Arctic Region

The Arctic region is warmer than before due to the climate change and continues to warm up, which has an impact on the entire planet. Over the past 30 years, it has warmed up more than any other area on earth. Most scientists agree that the Arctic weather and climate are changing due to lack of protection and mismanagement from humans. 

Changes in the Arctic climate are important because the Arctic operates as a refrigerator for the rest of the world. The Arctic region emits more heat in space than it engrosses from the outside, which helps to cool the planet. So, changes in the Arctic climate could influence the climate in the rest of the world. 

 

Climate change is expected to create a new opportunity in the Arctic region, such as shipping by opening new waterways. For instance, Northwest Passage and the North Sea Route, will significantly meliorate connections between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, reducing shipping prices. The decline in sea ice will improve accessibility in Arctic ports, reduce the cost of exploring and exploiting oil and minerals and open faster transport routes linking the Atlantic and the Pacific. International companies are already using the North Sea to transport natural gas and other commodities. 

 Finland food chain waste: appr. 335-460 million kilos of food a year

From this, food waste that restaurants and supermarkets throw away: 150-200 million kilos of food a year
Food waste: 1/3 of all food consumption

Total climate impact of food waste is appr. 1000 million kilograms of CO₂-equivalent per year.

 Lapland

 Annual food waste: 500 kg/person 
All together: 10 million kilograms/year (locals + tourists)

Sources:

 

Green Box’s mission is to raise population awareness in the Artic region and, more widely, to inspire the world through its sustainable community system by giving poor/low income people new easy opportunities to act for greenhouse emissions reduction on their daily life thanks to Green Box's innovative products and services

- Socialy responsible

- Ecolocaly responsible
- Easy and accessible to everyone
- and especially Life and habits changing 

Normal version:
Vision
Green box is recognized in the Arctic region as a main impactful actor in reducing Global warming causes who has changed population habits in terms of food production and consumption by leading and offering a new innovative sustainable community system.

Green Box’s mission is to raise population awareness in the Artic region and, more widely, to inspire the world through its sustainable community system by giving people and companies new innovative products and services which give them easy opportunities to act for greenhouse emissions reduction on their daily life. 

- Socialy responsible

- Ecolocaly responsible
- Easy and accessible to everyone
- and especially Life and habits changing 

But it still exists some obstacles like some political personalities behavior like Trump from the USA do. He doesn’t believe in Global warming issues and he shares and spreads his opinion publicly. In global, it’s due to economical high performances which get more attention. That way of thinking does not help to reduce global warming causes at all. 

Oil
The People vs The Arctic Oil movement by Greenpeace
Greenpeace and Natur are sueing the Norwegian government for violating the Norwegian Constitution’s Article 112, which is about ensuring everyone, future generations too, safe and healthy environment. Why? They want to open new oil drilling frontier putting generations life into danger. This made me think, do we really need more oil, or is the world ready to shift their minds to sustainable thinking and start to utilize renewable energies instead of oil. (Orsi Tuba)

Arctic Corridor – transportation

A global demand for goods is still increasing at the same time a possibility to Arctic Sea summer transport is opening up in the eyes of many. Taking the advantage of the melting sea ice through establishing sea routes on the Arctic Sea for transportation could be possible. However, this would mean a need to build the Arctic Railway, cutting through the indigenous forest in the area resulting in deforestation. Deforestation has many serious impacts, one of the most crucial ones is the reduction of accessible food for reindeers. Hence the Protect forests. Protect life. Movement was established to gather voices in order to stop the Finnish government from building industrial railway to the Arctic Ocean and from further exploit indigenous lands. Boost trading, more pulp mills, more logging and more mines are within the plans as well.

Until today, as mentioned before, agriculture has been contributing to the increase in greenhouse emissions: by around 12% out of global emissions.  

Agriculture is essential to human life to the extent it impacts directly undernourishment/hunger, life expectancy but also conflicts and immigration. 

According to the United Nations’ annual food security report, the total number of people who face chronic food deprivation has increased by 15 million since 2016 by reaching 821 million today, in 2018. Scientists agreed it’s partly due to global warming which affects food crops through extreme weather, increasing sea level and increasing average temperatures but also because of humidity/rainfalls changes (frequency, quantity, and location).

Meanwhile, as the global population is growing at a quite fast rhythm, we will reach roughly 10 billion inhabitants on earth by the end of 2050. It means we will face serious demographic problems if we do not proceed with a reorganization of the industrial agriculture system on a global scale.

Global warming has increased +2,28 degrees in the Arctic.

Because of this rise, new untouched lands in the Arctic region are now reachable. Arctic countries could take advantage of these new opportunities but, still, by thinking about and spreading new more responsible ways and new systems in order to renew agriculture industry. They can be leaders in those changes. 

In wider thinking, Global warming issues affect companies. Indeed they feed markets with all of their products and services. Their production and consumption represent the base of every human activity. As we demonstrated it before it largely impacts Global warming causes through their actions: production but also by giving population habits in the way people consume.

More deeply, with time and new knowledge brought by scientist and added some government concerns, companies got more pressure and responsibilities regarding greenhouse emission reductions. Then, new proofs and laws appear that impacts them directly and especially the bigger former ones in transportation, energies field mainly which have been functioning the same way for many years. 

On top of that, nowadays, customers lead the market and companies follow their trend as quickly as possible. In new marketing approaches “adaptation, values, and relationship with customers” characterize the market functioning. In this way, companies get more and more environmental values because this market is growing faster and faster: it’s a trend like Vegan products.

In the end, after all of those reforms which are occurring will end the world in new systems in many different fields. Inevitably, there will be winners and losers that’s why companies and business have to cope with it by changing their strategy and business model.