Article
Innovation Shouldn’t Cost The Earth | AccountancyAge, Brussels | Matthew Griffin | Sustainability Keynote Speaker
Today we can see technologies that will help us eliminate up to 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, so now it's down to us to embrace change.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2019) 'Innovation Shouldn’t Cost The Earth | AccountancyAge, Brussels | Matthew Griffin | Sustainability Keynote Speaker', 311 Institute, 20 December. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/futurist-keynote-brussels-innovation-shouldnt-cost-the-earth-accountancyage/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, a big thank you to the team at AccontancyAge for asking me to be this year’s keynote at their annual summit in Belgium where I was asked to discuss one of the subjects that’s closest to my hearts, namely the environmental cost of innovation and how we build a future for us all where sustainability is at the heart of everything do, and where we still have an inhabitable planet to live on.
When we look at today’s world people could be forgiven for thinking that we are all headed down a one way road where one half of the planet is on fire while the other is underwater and being battered by increasingly powerful, but that future isn’t set in stone, yet, and today we have plenty of powerful tools at our disposal that can help us change the narrative and create a better brighter future for us and our children. Whether or not we embrace and use them though, well, that’s down to us.
See the keynote
During my keynote I discussed the environmental cost of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain, and the new tools we have at our disposal to mitigate it, and then shone a light on the various breakthroughs that collectively give us a path to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, in the long run, by over sixty percent. Although, admittedly, it’s never as straight forwards as that.
I discussed breakthroughs that include the electrification of transportation, and new ways to produce food without the animals or farms, as well as new construction techniques and materials, and of course, last but certainly not least, new green energy generation and storage technologies. I even managed to discuss, albeit rather tongue in cheek, NASA’s new green rocket fuel…
The future is in our hands, and what kind of planet we all live on in 2050 is down to us, so I hope you enjoy the keynote, and, as always feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Today we can see technologies that will help us eliminate up to 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, so now it's down to us to embrace change.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on articles and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 20 December 2019. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2019). Innovation Shouldn’t Cost The Earth | AccountancyAge, Brussels | Matthew Griffin | Sustainability Keynote Spea. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/futurist-keynote-brussels-innovation-shouldnt-cost-the-earth-accountancyage/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.