The Future of Sustainable Building Dalraj Nijjar, co-founder and CCO of Concrete4Change, explains that for sustainable entrepreneurship, key trends include regenerative agriculture and "waste-to-value" innovations, with success relying on improving cost, efficiency, or quality, using Life Cycle Assessment tools, and partnering with sustainability-focused leaders.
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Entrepreneur UK chats with Dalraj Nijjar, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Concrete4Change, a Nottingham-based research and development company whose groundbreaking work in CO2 capture and concrete mineralization earned him the Young Innovators Award from Innovate UK, the UK's national agency that funds and supports business innovation. Dive into his insights on the latest sustainability trends and the impact of his award-winning innovations.
What innovative sustainability trends should entrepreneurs watch for?
Agricultural practices that restore and enhance ecosystems, improve soil health, and increase biodiversity, often leading to carbon sequestration. Entrepreneurs can invest in regenerative farming practices, develop technology to support these methods, or create products that emphasise regenerative sourcing and greater yields from harvests without the use of fertilisers and pesticides.
"Waste-to-value" is another trend that entrepreneurs should have an eye on. This is where one industry's waste can be transformed and converted into a high value product for another industry. Finding such synergies between two unrelated industries can lead to huge untapped opportunities and unique business models.
What's a common mistake startups make in sustainability, and how can it be avoided?
Too many founders believe that because a product or service is more sustainable, their customers will pay a significant premium on top of existing non-sustainable alternatives. Often when selling into legacy industries, sustainability is just one of a myriad of factors that go into purchasing decisions. If your product is not at least three times better, faster, or cheaper, as well as more sustainable, then it will be a tough sell.
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Can you share a success story where sustainability boosted a company's growth?
During our proof of concept trials, Concrete4Change was the first company to prove out the ability to convert wood waste into a 'carrier' material that could transfer, release and mineralise CO2 into concrete blocks. This successful proof of concept was a key milestone in securing our first private investment round and large grant award from the UK government to increase our Technology Readiness Level, explore alternative materials and build out internal material development capabilities.
How can entrepreneurs effectively measure the impact of their sustainability efforts?
Life Cycle Assessment platforms like Impact Forecast and 1-Click LCA are great starting points to understand the life-cycle impacts of their products and services within the ecosystems in which they operate.
What role do partnerships play in advancing sustainability, and how can startups leverage them?
Partnerships are very important in legitimising a startup's presence, particularly in legacy industries. The key is to identify the first movers within the industry, read through the sustainability reports, understand their decarbonisation targets, and find the key individuals within those organisations that are the champions of sustainability and new tech introductions. Then it's all about understanding whether you fit into that mission based on the product and service you're offering.
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