blog

On June 13, 2024, Newlab attended The Economist’s 4th Annual Sustainability Week US, an event convening more than 400 in-person attendees across 21 industries. Taking place in New York, the event brought together leaders across a diverse array of sectors, including government, agriculture, oil & gas, construction, healthcare, and tourism.

The event featured speakers such as David Crane, Under Secretary for Infrastructure at the US Department of Energy; Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard; and Ali Zaidi, Assistant to the President and White House National Climate Advisor.

Satish Rao, Newlab’s Chief Product Officer, was invited to speak with Sarah Repucci, Americas Regional Head of Policy & Insights at Economist Impact, on the importance of public-private partnerships in accelerating sustainability initiatives, especially in decentralization and decarbonization efforts.

During his talk, Rao emphasized that to make a significant climate impact, it's necessary to integrate new technologies within existing industries rather than attempting to replace those industries entirely. He highlighted several aspects of Newlab’s approach to commercialization: 

• Innovative Infrastructure Development Newlab creates unique infrastructure, such as on-site prototyping labs and field testing sites, facilitated through public-private partnerships to support the commercialization of new technologies.
• Data Transparency for Enterprise Adoption Emphasizing the need for transparent data around utility, cost efficiency, and ROI to convince enterprises to adopt disruptive technologies, Rao shares that pilot programs, such as Newlab’s pilot with several mobility startups and the DOT, can generate this data to demonstrate impact.
• Reindustrialization and Innovation The discussion also touched on the growing focus on reindustrialization linked to climate action. Rao gave examples such as Uruguay’s efforts to invest in innovation. He underscored the importance of tapping into startups to drive innovation.