Imagine a world where Gross Domestic Product is no longer the standalone benchmark of a nation’s success; where economic prosperity is no longer measured by what a country generates, but by what it regenerates.
This is the kind of world being imagined and delivered by Dr Tia Kansara, an award-winning entrepreneur, lifestyle consultant and policy advisor, who will delivering the 2017 Flinders University Investigator Lecture on 28 September.
Dr Kansara is the pioneer of the ‘World Replenish Index’, an innovative new metric designed to support the development, implementation and ongoing evaluation of regenerative lifestyles.
The Index dictates that financial investment be shifted to products and services that are 100% compostable and that have a positive, replenishing impact on the natural world.
The ‘Replenish Economy’ is one that transcends GDP to reinforce environmentally conscious behaviours that help cities adapt to climate change and become smarter, more sustainable metropoles.
Referred to as a future-forward ‘community architect’ and ‘ecosystem engineer’, Dr Kansara’s philosophies have already been adopted by a number of significant global entities including Coca-Cola, Bloomberg, the European Commission, Forbes, Formula 1, MIT, The Economist and Siemens.
The theme of her lecture, Replenish: A philosophy, a cause and action, will explore the use of the World Replenish Index to achieve economic success.
Dr Kansara’s principles for contemporary living have a deep resonance with research being undertaken in industrial transformation and diversification at Flinders University.
“Dr Kansara’s visit to Adelaide reinforces and re-energises our focus on sustainability,” says Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders.
“Our innovation precinct at Tonsley is one of Australia’s most awarded sites for sustainable re-use and design and a hub for cutting-edge research on novel applications of new technology to solve environmental challenges.
“Dr Kansara’s visit has immediate relevance to our work in supporting businesses and governments to thrive in an adaptive economy and capitalise on opportunities to address climate change.”
The annual Flinders University Investigator Lecture is an important part of Flinders’ public education program and contribution to the cultural life of South Australia.
The South Australian community will be able to hear Dr Kansara speak at the Hilton Adelaide on 28 September from 5.30pm-7.00pm.
Entry is free but registration is essential.