Our Story
About Fast Forward 2030
Fast Forward 2030 is a network of impact entrepreneurs hosted by the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) to encourage transformative enterprises that challenge the status quo and deliver sustainability and prosperity for all.
Professor Dame Henrietta Moore, Director of the IGP, and Arthur Kay, founder of Bio-bean and Skyroom, launched Fast Forward 2030 in London in 2015 to gather and inspire young entrepreneurs to develop new business models to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our Network
Fast Forward 2030 reaches out to the next generation of leaders who by 2030 will be the shapers of institutions, directors of businesses, producers of knowledge and inventors of technology.
Following the success of the London programme, Fast Forward 2030 has gone global, launching networks in Lebanon and Africa. Fast Forward 2030 will debate and promote positive proposals and provocative ideas for how a swarm of small actions can affect global change.
Why 2030?
The 2020s will be a definitive decade for responding to the climate emergency. IPCC's 2018 report conclusion says we need "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" to avoid irreversible damage. The report says we need to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 to have an even chance at keeping warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Fast Forward 2030 was set up to inspire entrepreneurs to achieve these goals.
Why the sustainable development goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals are the first comprehensive plan for the whole of humanity to flourish within the means of the planet. This makes them a great framework for people who want to have an impact. They also set a direct challenge to the private sector by insisting that the environmental and social impact of the way we do business can no longer be an afterthought or an add-on. They need to be at the very heart of how, and why our economies and businesses function.
Our Vision
We envisioned a global network of impact-driven businesses using innovative and sustainable business models to accelerate positive change founded and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Mission
To empower young entrepreneurs and changemakers to use business as a force for social and environmental impact through a holistic mindset.
To equip small businesses, startups and grassroots initiatives with best practices and creative approaches to delivering sustainability and innovation.
To foster a community of individuals and stakeholders with shared goals, collaborating on collective actions for systemic change.