The rate of technological change today is so fast that it’s hard to keep up with. So much has changed over the last 30 years; what on earth do the next 30, 50 or 100 years have in store for us?

Take driverless cars. They’ve been on the horizon for years, and yet only 6% of state transportation plans in the USA have taken the technology into account (Ref: ‘City of the Future’ report, Center for City Solutions & Applied Research, 2015). So, more roads and parking lots are built despite their impending obsolescence.

The Age of the Anthropocene is often chalked up to advantages of intellect and logic, but non-rational thought guides so much of human behaviour that ignoring the importance of how things feel is folly. And not least in the world of sustainability, where the success of so many well-intentioned projects boils down to human behaviour.

At Carnstone, we place evidence at the very heart of our work. But finding smart, future-proof solutions to sustainability problems sometimes requires creative thinking. So, we were delighted to partner with Tata Consultancy Services’ Spark Salon series to explore what the arts have to offer sustainability and technology alike.

Sustainability leaders today must offer a prophetic set of skills: as guides to the organisation, they identify risks and opportunities before others do, and set strategy fit for a rapidly changing world. Could an artistic mindset – imaginative, non-linear and comfortable with uncertainty – complement a scientific, evidence-based approach and help those working in sustainability? Can the arts open up cognitive horizons to myriad future paths and help us better prepare?

To further explore the question, we commissioned five talented artists to create artworks depicting our future world. The artists were: Becci Louise (poet); Duncan Cameron (sculptor); Michiko Nitta and Michael Burton (BurtonNitta, interdisciplinary art and design studio); Matt Parker and James Dooley (collaborating in sound and video art); and, Marie von Heyl and Philipp Eberle (art and jewellery design collaboration).

Using technological changes on the horizon, we provided the artists with provocations, or muses, to stimulate their thinking. Over six months, they responded to our brief in diverse ways: some hopeful, dystopian and even absurd, whilst others were disturbingly real.

On 24 January 2017, we opened the question up to wider debate. Over 80 people from across the art, technology and sustainability worlds joined us for an exhibition and panel session with the artists themselves. It was clear they didn’t all agree about the role of the artist: some thought their role was to reflect the world around them, without judgement, whilst others thought that artists could look ahead to important ethical boundaries, warning of trouble ahead.

Whatever the answer, it’s clear that artists nurture their ability to imagine realities beyond the visible, predictable and concrete. Perhaps that’s something the sustainability profession would benefit from, too.

Simon Hodgson spoke at the ‘Innovation that Saves Energy and Promotes Sustainability’ event in January 2016 at the Shard. The event, organised by the Warwick Technology and Global Energy Professional Networks including Dragos Petre, attracted 70 people interested in IT companies’ overall contribution to environmental sustainability.

Simon presented a summary of the ‘Green Screen’ report, discussing the direct, indirect and societal effects of the IT sector, as well as recommendations for how it can maximise sustainability benefits. He was joined on the panel by James Johnston, Co-founder and CEO of Open Utility, and Daniel Fogg, Chief Operations Officer at BuffaloGrid, who shared their experiences working in start-ups operating at the intersection of the IT, energy and utilities sectors. The panel provided excellent real world case studies for how technology brings environmental and social benefits, but also the challenges encountered. The panel was chaired by David Elmes, Professor of Practice at Warwick Business School.

We are excited to be opening our first overseas business; Carnstone Asia will begin trading in December 2014 from its new offices in Shanghai. The company will initially have three staff under the leadership of Tristan Edmonsdon. Tristan is a Mandarin speaker who has lived and worked in China on several occasions.

Carnstone Asia will work with international companies with operations and supply chains in China, as they navigate the very distinctive sustainability risks and opportunities in this amazing region. Several of our current clients have already asked for support, and the team will be working on projects from the very first day. One of the first will be Working Well, a collaboration of major multinationals to promote improved labour standards among key suppliers. Other work involves understanding the attitudes of Chinese consumers to social and environmental brands.

“We have consulted carefully about this venture” says Simon Hodgson, Carnstone’s Managing Partner “and the response from our existing clients is very positive. We feel the time is now right for us to make the move. Shanghai is a very vibrant place, and many of our customers have offices and operations there. We’re really looking forward to the new ideas and experiences it will bring as we look at familiar sustainability issues from the other end of the telescope.”

To find out more about Carnstone Asia , please contact Tristan Edmondson.