Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

In this extended discussion, hear experts from Neste, Covestro, Unilever and the European Commission talk about scalable, affordable solutions to the sustainable materials challenge. The panel demonstrate progress, debate some difficult questions and highlight what is possible during 2021, a vitally important year, of course, for the climate.

Hear about Neste’s views on scalable, lower-greenhouse-gas-impact innovative materials. And, how Unilever plans to change purchasing policy from fossil-based to circular materials through to 2025. Learn what Covestro is doing to develop scale in production and distribution of lower GHG materials. And hear how the European Commission believes smart policymaking can maximise the upside, and minimise the downside, whilst encouraging innovation, products at scale and sustainable growth.

Panel:

• Lars Börger, vice president brand owner management, Neste
• Lynette Chung, chief sustainability officer, Covestro
• Marika Lindstrom, vice president, procurement – packaging, and beauty and personal care, Unilever
• Werner Bosmans, policy officer – circular economy, European Commission 

Hosted by Toby Webb, Innovation Forum

This discussion was supported by Neste.

This week: Jessie Cato from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre talks about the latest tracker following the forced labour risks in the supply chains of the minerals necessary to transition global energy supply to renewables. Lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel are among the elements required for solar panels, batteries and wind turbines, and have significant supply chain human rights challenges.

Plus: Chatham House and UNEP report says food supply is responsible for 86% extinction risks; WWF’s plan for dairy to get to net zero; PepsiCo joint venture with Beyond Meat; UK renewables supply beat fossil fuels in 2020; and GM to be zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh

ZSL’s Eleanor Spencer and Ian Welsh talk about the latest SPOTT survey into transparency and strength of corporate commitments on deforestation at the palm oil sector’s top 100 companies. As ever progress across the sector is mixed, with leading companies – particularly suppliers to big consumer-facing brands – continuing to drive best practice, but many others achieving a score of zero across the 180 indicators assessed.  

This week: Global Canopy’s Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson discuss the latest Forest 500 report, which highlights the lack of deforestation policies at financial institutions and the lack of consistency of approach across commodities for many sourcing companies. They discuss the need for a due diligence approach to deforestation for business, and what the legislation that can help looks like.

Plus: BlackRock letter to CEOs calls for climate action; Ikea’s new 2030 forest positive agenda; and, how a circular economy can mitigate 39% of annual emissions, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh

Nathalie Walker, director for tropical forests and agriculture at the National Wildlife Federation, talks with Ian Welsh about the new legislation that is going to require companies to take a tougher approach to environmental and human rights issues when sourcing. She welcomes the positive approach from the new Biden administration in the US, particularly around fossil fuel divestment and encouraging investment in new low emission technology.

Listeners please note that this interview was recorded in late December.

National Wildlife Federation was a sponsor of the recent sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.

Ying Xuen Hoe, project manager, Proforest Southeast Asia, Rashyid Redza bin Anwarudin, head, group sustainability, Sime Darby Plantation, and Olivier Tichit, director sustainable supply chains, Musim Mas, discuss the use of the Accountability Framework initiative to engage the challenges in palm oil supply chains. They highlight the need for multistakeholder collaboration at landscape scale.

Plus: UK food import standards threatened; Unilever’s new supply chain living wage pledge; PepsiCo’s 2040 net zero commitments; and, the US returns to the Paris accord, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh  

Victoria Crawford, manager of the Investment Partnership Network at Just Rural Transition, and from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, talks with Ian Welsh about some of the steps necessary to unlock potential investment opportunities in sustainable commodity sourcing. There are key roles for public and private capital, and focused collaboration is essential, Crawford argues.

Niels Wielaard founder and CEO of Satelligence talks with Ian Welsh about initiatives that are developing to transfer the lessons learned in one commodity supply chain to others, and to enable the real traceability buyers increasingly demand. Wielaard also reflects on how the rise of true science-based approaches is an enabler that help brands meet their no peat, deforestation and exploitation goals.  

Satelligence was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.

This week: Eleanor Spencer, palm oil specialist at ZSL, on the latest SPOTT survey assessment on the strength of deforestation and conservation commitments at the top 100 palm oil companies. Scores are up, but progress remains disappointing, Spencer argues.  

Plus: ExxonMobil’s scope 3 emissions disclosure; plastic risks ignored by investors; M&S boycotting China’s Xinjiang province because of forced labour abuses; and, protein grown from the air, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh  

Peter Stanbury, senior associate at Innovation Forum, talks with Ian Welsh about new research into how business can help develop really sustainable and robust smallholder farming communities. Stanbury argues that all in commodity value chains need to accept that systemic change is required, and only real cooperation can bring this about.

For more information about Innovation Forum’s Innovation Accelerator initiative, click here.