Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

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.

Testing trust: is your organic cotton really organic?

Sarah Rosenkranz and Bettina Fafengut from testing and certifiers Hohenstein Group talk with Ian Welsh about how cotton certification is raising the bar for trust in textile sustainability. They explore how combining organic standards with rigorous chemical testing is addressing traceability gaps and greenwashing risks.

Weekly podcast – Tropical commodities running out of time? Resilience against the clock

This week: Barry Callebaut's head of net zero Tilmann Silber talks with Ian Welsh about how physical climate risks are emerging in tropical commodity supply chains. They discuss the need for supply chain resilience through innovative solutions, highlighting the likes of agroforestry and vertical integration.

 

Plus: a snippet of a recent critical mineral mining webinar with Arend Van Der Goes, senior sustainability manager at metals mining group Eramet.

 

And, US corporates take charge in sustainability investments; UN warns of AI’s energy toll; UK retailer M&S tracks milk bottle recycling; and, Mars launches $250m fund for supply chain sustainability, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.

 

Host: Ian Welsh

 

Click here for full recording of the critical mineral mining webinar with Arend. This webinar was hosted in the lead up to our inaugural critical minerals innovation forum. For information on how to get involved, click here.

Monday briefing – The supply-demand challenges for critical minerals

This week: Innovation Forum’s Emilia Colman and Ian Welsh talk about innovation in the critical minerals sector and how business models are evolving to tackle the challenges.

And, in an extract from a recent webinar, Vale Metal’s Christian Spano outlines the differences between circularity and recycling.

Host: Ian Welsh

Can circularity lead to more sustainable packaging?

In Amsterdam recently Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh spoke with Carolina Gregorio, sustainability policy and advocacy director at Dow about the role of advanced recycling in developing real circularity for packaging. Ian also spoke about the potential opportunities from the EU’s packaging and packaging waste regulation with Tetra Pak’s director for packaging sustainability solutions Davide Braghiroli.

Plus: Wales to join UK deposit return scheme; North Atlantic nano-plastics prevalence; fashion waste regulated; and, EUDR benchmarking system rejected, in this week’s news digest with Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Ian Welsh

Why supply chain risks are now a C-suite challenge

Olivia Dobson, director, climate and resilience at Verisk Maplecroft, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about why managing data effectively is how companies can best get on top of the ever-evolving supply chain risks.

Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility: Strategies for local compliance and global consistency

To date, 7 US states have passed packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, with more exploring this pathway. EPR schemes have been emerging as an important component of packaging and waste regulations worldwide. But with a lack of harmonization across schemes, business is left in a tough spot.

This webinar explores how organizations are responding to the fragmented global EPR landscape, balancing local compliance needs with global goals and cross-border operations. We also look at the effects of these regulations on packaging innovation processes and sustainability strategies, reflecting on shared challenges and best practice.

• The practical steps to prepare for compliance in a growing patchwork of EPR regulations
• How leading brands are reconciling local packaging and waste management compliance with global targets and supply chain consistency
• Innovation through compliance? How to determine where and when to invest in new packaging solutions that may, or may not, align with future EPR rules
• Examples of effective cross-industry collaboration that can help to bring clarity and alignment in response to packaging EPR

Hear from:

• Sarah Paleg, director of sustainability at Amcor
• Jordan Girling, head of extended producer responsibility at WRAP
• Alex Chan, US and Canada EPR expert in producer fees, eco modulation, program planning and operations.
• Tanya Richard, Innovation Forum's COO and head of stakeholder engagement, moderated the conversation.

Continue the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum USA in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.