Shaping Changemakers - Fostering Sustainability and Innovation

Shifa Walter 25BAVA53 Department of Professional Management Studies Kristu Jayanti (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru

“Sustainability and innovation are not trade–offs, they are partners in shaping the future” - Paul Polman.

Shaping changemakers is all about empowering individuals, especially the youth, to take initiatives that create a positive impact in society and the community, ultimately leading to the betterment of both. However, if we simply think about how we can change society or the environment, it won’t really work. Some initiatives need to be taken to see the current situation of the dynamic world. The major terms that should be taken care of while trying to shape the changemakers are SUSTAINABILITY and INNOVATION.

When we talk about sustainability and innovation, what comes to mind? Saving resources? Creating new things? Eco-friendly items? And a lot more. But what exactly does sustainability and innovation mean? And are they correlated? All these discussions will take place in this blog. Sustainability and innovation are not just some trendy words but they are the present and future of today’s dynamic world.

Let us start by talking about sustainability, which is the principle of meeting today’s needs without compromising the needs of future generations as well. It is about protecting the present without stealing from the future. Sustainability is all about balance, balance between growth and preservation. Diving more into sustainability, experts claim that it has three main dimensions named – Environmental, Social and Economic. Environmental sustainability focuses on conserving natural resources, reducing carbon footprints, and protecting ecosystems, while social sustainability is all about promoting equity and community well-being, whereas economic sustainability tries to ensure financial viability and long-term prosperity. The only thing which is common in the above three dimensions of sustainability is the usage of all the resources wisely, which is the main goal of sustainability.

Coming over to innovation, it has been the major term and force behind all the human progress that we have made so far. As mentioned earlier that it is the art of turning ideas into reality, which is creating new products, services or systems for the improvement of our lives. Innovation has altogether shaped our societies. For different fields and different people, its meaning changes accordingly. For example, for businesses, it will mean staying competitive, coming up with new ideas so that they open new doors for them in the competitive market. On the other hand, for the people in the aviation industry, it would mean finding new ways to make air travel safer, faster and more efficient, i.e., it would mean differently for everyone depending upon their industry, mindset and situation.

That was the introduction about sustainability and innovation. One very common question is whether, if we are talking about these two terms together, they are correlated in any way? The answer is yes; they are correlated with each other. In fact, when we are talking about shaping changemakers, sustainability and innovation altogether are the major key points for this topic to take note of. Moving on to finding out how these two terms are correlated and important for shaping the changemakers.

It may seem that both of these terms, sustainability and innovation, are completely different concepts, but they are not; they are interconnected with each other. And when we bring both the words together, they form sustainable innovation, which is indeed a very informative and useful term in this dynamic world and for the changemakers too. Innovation connects us with sustainability by introducing renewable energy, eco-friendly technologies and a lot more. Whereas, sustainability connects us with innovation by making sure that the innovations or the solutions are not short-sighted or harmful to the people or the environment. Now it is necessary that when we talk about “SHAPING CHANGEMAKERS”, the changemakers must know about these terms and have a concise knowledge of these two major terms.

Some of the examples of these are The Youth Conclave (2025), which was organised by the Energy and Resources Institute in collaboration with the delegation of the European Union to India. It brought together young climate experts and focused on empowering youth to take sustainable climate actions. Another example would be the Youth Co–Lab National Innovation Challenge 2024 – 2025, which was between AIM (Atal Innovation Mission) and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), which recognised six youth-led start-ups for their innovative solutions advancing disability inclusive innovation.

But the question that arises is, how are we going to shape the changemakers!? On some fine day, we cannot just ask them to study about this and work accordingly. As the word itself suggests that we need to shape them. We need to shape the changemakers for the future. And this can only be done when they get to learn about it daily, slowly, step by step.

Shaping Changemakers is something that every university, school and other educational institutions must adapt to, because this way they will be able to get the student ready for the world’s dynamic nature. Also, as discussed above that sustainability and innovation are the present and future of the world. So, by fostering students with sustainability and innovation, one is making them ready for the dynamic environment, or they are making them future-ready. Therefore, by giving the students enough opportunities, one can help them bring out their innovative ideas. Also, by setting some examples in the university itself, one can shape the youth for the better. It is said that one’s environment can shape their thinking, creativity and oneself too.

That’s where Kristu Jayanti (Deemed to be University) comes into the picture. Their green and conscious campus – the waste segregation system ensures eco-friendly disposal and recycling, plastic-free drives promote awareness and responsibility among students, and energy-saving measures such as LED lighting and solar panels reflect the institution’s commitment. Students here don’t just read about sustainability, but they live it daily. The research and innovation culture provides a platform for brainstorming and experimentation. Collaborations with other institutions give students exposure to the entrepreneurship cell, giving students a platform to present their innovative ideas by organising workshops and competitions that nurture student start–up culture. There are quite a lot of points that can be stated with respect to the university, but one last point that should be stated is the university’s value-driven curriculum, which helps the students carry both knowledge and values. That is why sustainability and innovation are not restricted to one program but are integrated across disciplines.

Shaping changemakers is more than a phrase; it is a call to action. A necessity for the present as well as the future. It is about nurturing individuals who combine imagination with responsibility, creativity with conscience, and most importantly, sustainability with innovation. There are challenges that are going to come in the future, which can only be sorted out with the help of the innovation of the sustainable innovative mindset. Through education, collaboration and a commitment to sustainable innovation, we can shape a generation ready not just to survive, but to thrive – leaving behind a legacy of positive impact for generations to come.