Innovation Forum podcast

Monday briefing – Decarbonising critical minerals: tackling energy, access and market volatility

In this briefing, a snippet from the recent critical minerals webinar with World Resources Institute (WRI), Harmony Gold Mining Company, The Weir Group and Eramet. Reza Rahmaditio, critical minerals project lead at WRI Indonesia, outlines the biggest challenges in decarbonising nickel and other minerals. He discusses energy intensity, remote locations and market pressures – and how companies are beginning to respond with efficiency, new technologies and green premiums.

Host: Diana Kim

To continue the conversation and dive deeper, join us for the Critical Minerals Innovation Forum, taking place in London on 5th-6th November This two-day business conference connects the full critical mineral value chain from mining, processing and refining to automotive, electronics and renewables. Industry leaders and experts will further explore these vital themes and drive forward the transition to a low-carbon minerals sector. Click here for information on how to get involved.

Circular fashion: decoupling growth from new garment production

At the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Danielle Holly spoke with Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard about how brands can make money without producing more clothes. They share lessons from the foundation’s Fashion ReModel project and examples from H&M and Coach that are proving the business case for circularity.

Weekly podcast – Dissolving the problem: zero-waste solutions for flexible packaging

This week: Vidhu Nagpal, director for flexible packaging, and Alex Abbott, chief revenue officer at SmartSolve Industries, talk with Ian Welsh about why recycling rates for flexible packaging remain stubbornly low and how a zero-waste solution could change the game.

 

And, French bottled water brands face “natural”| label controversy; UK supermarket chain partners with food waste apps for real-time discount alerts; and, researchers update open-source framework to spot greenwashing, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.

 

Host: Ian Welsh

 

To continue the conversation, SmartSolve Industries will be attending the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.

Weekly briefing – The packaging and packaging waste directive: what it means for your business

This week: Davide Braghiroli, director for packaging sustainability solutions at Tetra Pak, talks with Ian Welsh about the impact of the European Union’s packaging and packaging waste directive. They highlight how the regulation will change material choices, supply chain transparency and potential opportunities.

 

And, Innovation Forum’s Lia Da Giau share latest updates in sustainable packaging, from the global plastics treaty to corporate innovation toward packaging circularity.

 

Host: Ian Welsh

 

We’ll be continuing the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum, taking place in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.

Weekly podcast – Why healthy soils mean greater crop yields

This week: Alex Udermann and Mark Gutierrez, farmers from the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, talk with Ian Welsh about how working on improving soil health improves productivity and farm profitability. They share insights on how healthier soils build resilience and cut inputs.

 

And, carbon markets expert and former CEO of Verra, David Antonioli reflects on the evolving role of the markets at the 2024 scope 3 innovation forum USA.

 

Plus: Barclays next bank to quit net-zero alliance; Barry Callebaut develops lab-grown cocoa; no safe level of processed meat, major study warns; and, global plastic crisis fuels major health risks, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.

 

Host: Ian Welsh

How EUDR compliance can create business value

In the second episode of Innovation Forum’s podcast series on corporate readiness for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), in collaboration with Deloitte & Touche LLP, we explore how companies can go further than ticking compliance boxes and instead use EUDR as a springboard for long-term business strategy.

Ian Welsh is joined by John O’Brien, managing director at Deloitte & Touche LLP, to discuss how EUDR requirements can unlock new value. From building trust with consumers and de-risking supply chains to accessing new markets and premium pricing opportunities, they explore how aligning compliance efforts with broader sustainability goals can deliver competitive advantage.

Key themes include:

• Why EUDR is more than a regulatory requirement
• The role of traceability and reliable data in understanding supply chain resilience
• How nature-related risks are evolving, and why businesses should prepare now
• What companies at different stages of readiness should prioritize next

Whether you’re just getting started with EUDR or are looking to build on existing systems, this episode offers strategic insights for transforming compliance into impact.

Monday briefing – Can business growth and emission cuts really go hand in hand?

This week: Kevin Rabinovitch, chief climate officer at Mars, talks with Ian Welsh about embedding climate targets into core business strategy, decoupling growth from greenhouse gas output, scaling pilots into transformational change and why science should set the pace to net zero.

And, Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne discusses how companies are moving compliance to build supplier partnerships that integrate social and environmental goals alongside carbon reduction, featuring innovations such as IKEA’s investment in clean delivery fleets and Unilever’s climate and nature fund.

Host: Ian Welsh

A rancher’s take on the future of agriculture

This week: North Dakota rancher and UK Channel 5 TV personality Jay Doan joins Ian Welsh to share a frontline perspective on regenerative agriculture and farm resilience. Recorded at the recent Future of Food and Beverage conference in Minneapolis, they talk about why regenerative agriculture is far from a trend, it’s a decades-old practice rooted in resilience, land stewardship, and long-term thinking. Jay also talks about why he things Big Ag has failed consumers.

Plus: A landmark UN ruling opens the door to legal accountability for climate damage; climate change drives food price spikes; Wales deposit return scheme faces industry pushback; and new research reveals gaps in US insurance sector climate risk disclosure, all in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Ian Welsh

 

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The economics of recycling: why some packaging gets left behind

Julien Tremblin, European general manager at TerraCycle talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges of making sustainable packaging economically viable. They highlight why some materials are recycled while others end up in landfills, and how voluntary take-back programs are filing the gaps left by traditional recycling systems.

To continue the conversation with TerraCycle, join the sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.

Weekly briefing – How to ensure effective farmer data collection

This week: Nicole Cramer, Rainforest Alliance, talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges involved in collecting farm level data, in particular the need to not overburden growers with unrealistic expectations and to ensure value incentives are set appropriately.

And, Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag discusses some of the emerging themes and innovation from companies sourcing tropical forest commodities.