Chasing Sustainable Business

“Sustainability really just starts with us, and these small little steps. It doesn't need to be any grandiose thing.”

Tune in to our last episode of the season. In this episode, we chat with Jade Herrmann from Yoggu! Jade is the Founder and CEO of Yoggu! A plant-based and dairy-free yogurt company founded in 2017. We talk with Jade about her journey building her own business and all the challenges she found along the way. As a company that focuses on a sustainable consumer product, Jade explains how she continuously improves her product to be more sustainable but keeps maintaining the quality of her product. Moreover, She talked about her decision to change the packaging from a glass jar to recyclable plastic tubs. Go and listen to our conversation with Jade to learn more about carbon emissions related to the production phase and sustainable consumer products!

"One half breath we take comes from the forest of sea and one half breath we take comes from the forest of land"

Join us in our conversation with Bodhi Patil. Bodhi is a youth activist leader that focuses his work on the ocean-climate. He is also a second year student at University of British Columbia doing the BA+MM program. Tune in to learn more about youth leader and ocean-climate with Bodhi.

"We need to find a way to get the minerals out of the ground in a way that doesn't harm the environment, and we have the ability to do that."

Understand more about the mining industry and how the industry transforming to be a better industry with Michael McPhie. Michael has worked in the mining industry for more than 20 years. In 2019, Michael and his colleague, build a consulting company that specializes in mining and environmental engineering clients called Falkirk Environmental Consultants Ltd. In this episode, Michael will explain how the mining industry has evolved and transformed to become a better industry, however, he noted that there is still a lot of work to do. With his expertise in the minerals and mining industry, Michael will break down the challenges in transforming this industry to become more sustainable, and the good works that the many companies and the industry as a whole have made in progress. Are you curious to learn more about the minerals mining industry? Tune in now!

"Sustainability shouldn't be just a sector of business, it should be embedded in all businesses."

Join us in our conversation with Professor Fernanda, a lecturer and researcher in the UBC Faculty of Forestry who has extensive knowledge in ecological communication - a critical component to consider when framing the issues that we care about.

“Sustainability applies to every industry in the future, it is not a single industry. Sustainability is more like a lens.”

Learn how Anastasia build a company that focuses on reducing food packaging waste, especially for takeout food packaging. Anastasia is one of the co-founders at Reusables.com, a company that offers its members a reusables takeout food packaging that can be used when buying food from Reusables business partners. Anastasia likes to step outside of her comfort zone and make an environmental impact. She has lived in multiple countries before, which makes Anastasia has a very broad knowledge of sustainability. This experience has had a big influence on her point-of-view towards sustainability and how she builds her own business. Tune in to learn more about Anastasia and her business called Reusables.com

"Get involved and don't tolerate people spoiling the planet for you, your children, and your grand-children, because you are going to inherit this"

Want to learn how the agriculture industry evolves to become more sustainable-friendly? Come and join us in our conversation with Daphne Preuss. Daphne is the CEO and Member of the Board of Directors of CarbonBook. CarbonBook is a software company that provides an app that allows indoor farms to track and record their carbon footprint to move toward a more sustainable agriculture industry. In this opportunity, Daphne will talk more about how the agriculture industry could improve its practices to become more sustainable-friendly in the future and how we as the young generation could contribute to that.

"The small actions we make and every conversation we engage in, will change our mindset about Sustainability"

Tune in to our conversation with Laia Shpeller, Chair of the conference on Sustainability in Engineering and final year student in Biomedical Engineering

"Sustainability is not the strict purview of a sustainable director, but it is really an attitude, it is a viewpoint"

Curious to learn more regarding the future of sustainable planning and how to set up a sustainable mindset? Join us in our conversation with Alastair, he is a faculty associate from Royal Roads University and also the Co-Founder of Greenwoorks Building Supply. In this episode, we will talk about sustainable urban planning, sustainable consumer products, and developing a sustainable mindset. Alastair also talks about the real situation with the movement into a more sustainable future and what are the challenges that keep slowing down this trend. Excited to hear more? Tune in now

"Electric Vehicles (EVs) has a big upfront cost with it, but in long term, it has a very big benefit to going towards EV"

Join us in our conversation with Reece from the UBC Formula E club to learn more about their project and the future of Electric Vehicles (EV)

“The small things we can do that have a massive impact are wasting less food and thinking differently about the food that we have”

Learn how to tackle food waste issues in our society. In this episode, we have a conversation with Sarah Soteroff, PR Manager at Too Good To Go. Too Good To Go is an app that allows users to buy and pick up waste food in a package that is still in good condition and sourced from local businesses. In this conversation, we discuss with Sarah the current situation of food waste globally and locally in Canada. Sarah also talks about how the business grow since day one and their considerations for expanding this business to a new city. Listen now to know how consumers could make an impact by buying food waste from local businesses.

"The way that the world is changing now, every single field is going to have to deal with sustainability, you can't ignore it at this point"

Learn more about the Environmental Engineering program at UBC and the North America Youth Parliament for Water

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"NEW GREEN HORIZON"

Do you Know: according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 8 million tons of plastic winds up in our oceans every year, threatening marine life and polluting ecosystems all over the world. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that plastic waste will outweigh all the fish in the sea by the year 2050.It’s time for a sustainable business to save us again: The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch Marine protection organization, is continuing its mission of ridding the world of ocean plastic by catching garbage before it makes its way to the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup Interceptors is a garbage Interceptors that can remove larger amounts of debris more efficiently and at a lower cost.The trash Interceptors are moored to riverbeds and use river current to snag debris floating on the surface. Then they direct the trash onto a conveyor belt that shuttles it into six large onboard dumpsters. The Interceptors run completely autonomously day and night, getting power from solar panels.It’s one of the most self-sufficient solutions to the problem. The Ocean Cleanup has set a goal to collect 500,000 football fields worth of plastic debris from oceans and rivers. As of now, it's reached half that goal, mostly with the interceptors in rivers. Obviously, more support is needed, and we hope new technologies joined will help us say goodbye to all marine garbage earlier!

"I came up with this idea like, I don't have to solve everything, I can just do whatever I can to make a difference"

Want to learn how to start your own sustainability campaign, but do not know where to start? Listen to our conversation with Yasmin, where she talks about her journey coming from Belgium to Canada and her reason to live in Vancouver. In this opportunity, Yasmin also talk about her journey starting her campaign called "buttwatch" and all the challenges along the way while initiating this campaign. She also shares her advice to the young generation on how to approach people and change people's behavior towards sustainable initiatives by spreading positive energy and persuasive methods. Are you excited to hear more about Yasmin? Tune in to our fifth episode of the season.

"Because a lot of the benefits that come out of these ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) implementation are cost savings"

Curious to understand how hotels and other hospitality businesses use ESG implementation to save costs in the long term. Join us in our conversation with Ian Lin from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. As an ESG analyst at Four Seasons, Ian will uncover the approaches that his company uses while implementing the ESG principles in their day-to-day business with their customers and partner vendors. In this opportunity, Ian will also explain how he got into this position and how his passion for sustainability developed during his undergraduate degree. Can’t wait to hear more from Ian Lin. Tune in to our podcast now!

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"NEW GREEN HORIZON"

According to Skift research, 83% of global travelers believe sustainable travel is critical. In addition, 73% of travelers would prefer accommodations that have implemented sustainability measures, according to Booking's Sustainability 2021 Report. Of those surveyed, 61 percent said the pandemic has made them want to travel in a more sustainable way in the future. But that's not all. According to new research by Futtera in the US and UK, 88% of consumers want brands to help them improve their environmental and social footprint.

These staggering numbers underscore how important it is for hotels to develop strategies around sustainability. As we move toward a more aware and environmentally conscious consumer image, hotels must be able to adapt by offering more sustainable travel opportunities.

In addition, the pandemic has raised environmental awareness and is seen as a catalyst for changing some consumption patterns that may impact the environment in the medium to long term. An example of this awareness can be seen in Venice today.

Before the pandemic, the Italian city welcomed as many as 80,000 visitors a day, according to CNN. Il Gazzettino, Venice's local newspaper, also reports that the number of tourists exceeds 50 percent of Venice's 50,000 residents. In the wake of the 2020 tourism meltdown, Italian officials have announced plans to charge tourists to enter Venice in an effort to curb the onslaught of tourists and day-trippers on the city. They have also banned large cruise ships from entering Venice's waters.

In addition, Google has recently launched a number of tourism sustainability initiatives for hotels to participate in. Starting in September 2021, hotels that meet the sustainability standards of independent organizations such as Green Key or EarthCheck will have an eco-certified badge next to their name in searches at google.com/travel.

“Stick to those things that you love because that's the thing that is going to keep you up if you don't”

Learn more about how Craig from ‘Trendi’ finding a solution to the food waste problem. In this third episode of the season, we will dive in with Craig Macintosh to solve this inevitable problem in our society, which is food waste. As a chef, Craig knows how much food has been wasted in the kitchen, while on the other side many people are food deprived. This ironic reality makes Craig realize that something needs to step up and make a change. ‘Trendi’ is a company that focuses on solving the food waste problem by offering various solutions which are, Biotrim technology, upcycled ingredients, and vending kiosks. Want to hear more about Craig’s journey and his tips for young entrepreneurs? Listen and join us in our conversation with Craig.

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"NEW GREEN HORIZON"

Do you Know: At a time when 811 million people go to bed hungry every night, a third of all food produced to eat is wasted or lost? The United Nations aims to halve global food waste by 2030, and technology solutions have shown promise in supporting that goal.

Food can be lost early in the supply chain, during production and processing, or later, when restaurants, supermarkets, and households throw it away. Rampant food waste worsens global hunger. It exacerbates the climate emergency, too, with an estimated 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions being associated with unconsumed food. Solving the food waste problem becomes increasingly possible with the sustainability companies adopting the latest technology: 

US-based Winnow uses computer vision to help commercial kitchens around the world understand how food is being wasted, measuring the amounts discarded using smart sensors attached to waste bins. The app also proposes strategies to prevent waste while saving money. Wasteless, meanwhile, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to maintain dynamic pricing on items with upcoming expiration dates. The objective is to help supermarkets and online grocery stores in Europe and the US reduce food waste and extend the value of their perishable food items.

"Take jobs that are going to excite you, that are going to bring you learning opportunity, that going to allow you to utilize some of your tools"

Want to learn how to transform your class project into real business practice? Join us on our second episode with Marc Wandler from Susgrainable Health Foods. Susgrainable is an upcycling business that uses rescued grains from local craft breweries and use it to make a healthy baking mix. In this episode, we discuss how Marc and his friends were inspired by their class project in their MBA course to build a business called Susgrainable Health Foods. Marc also shares his tips on building our own businesses and becoming an entrepreneur. Last but not least, listen to Marc top poker’s advice as he was a huge poker player back then. Sounds like an exciting conversation, therefore, make sure you listen to our conversation with Marc.

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"NEW GREEN HORIZON"

When it comes to food waste, where do you think of first? Is it the profligate Middle East or developing Africa? Data shows that it has been the world's largest developing country, China, which takes the top of the list in terms of total food waste in recent years. With the increasing consumption power of the people, the Chinese people's demand for food and drink has increased. Statistics show that over 35 million tons of food is wasted every year, which is equivalent to 350 million people's food for a year. Not only is food consumption unethical, but it also creates food waste and damages the environment!

With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, the Mainland started to promote the "Clear your Plate Campaign" in 2013, hoping to reduce "waste on Bites of China". In Wuhan, for example, the local restaurant industry has introduced the "N-1" ordering model, encouraging the number of orders to be reduced by one by the actual number of diners. Restaurants will also reward customers for packing leftovers to reduce waste. In Chengdu, a restaurant has introduced "small portion" ordering, where the price is no longer calculated on a per-course basis, but on the basis of the weight of the food ordered. This change has successfully reduced daily food waste by more than 60%. In Shanghai, a staff canteen has introduced smart ordering, allowing staff to make reservations in advance for the next week's meals and thus reduce food purchases.

Last year, China also enacted the , making it one of the few countries in the world that regulates all aspects of food marketing and encourages conservation at the legal level. Just like the All Lives Matter movement, there is an urgent need for people around the world to realize that every piece of food matters. Enjoy but chrish ,food wise everyday!

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Transcript link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10imtR0bZ0a9mCYBT0BvvifccM5EC6ZP9nOE931On6KU/edit?usp=sharing

'I always look to students for innovation, I think you have the benefit of not having the blinders on ... so get engaged in community development'

Join us in our conversation with Marla Zucht, General Manager of Whistler Housing Authority. On this first episode of this season, we will dive in with Marla to learn more about how the local communities and government work together to build better housing for its people. Hear Marla talk about her career journey and how it feels like working in such a beautiful area in Whistler. In the conversation, she also mentions the short and long-term projects for Whistler Housing Authority and how students can contribute to its community development. 

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"NEW GREEN HORIZON"

Which city do you think of when you hear “garden city”?  Well,The term “Garden City” was introduced 50 years ago when Singapore, this second populated city-state, began a race to increase parks and green spaces within the city to transform a dirty and highly polluted city into a green and sustainable model. Today, as one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the world, it is no doubt a success story recognized the world over.

Walking on Singapore's streets, it’s not hard to see Vegetation starts out on the ground and reaches the very top of buildings, it grows on terraces and also inside houses and offices. These designs are called ECO-FRIENDLY BUILDING AND VERTICAL GARDENS and they has been mandatory since 2008 in Singapore.One of the finest examples of the union between architecture and nature on the island is the Jewel Changi airport within-door plant collections cover 236,806 Sq ft.

The green city in Singapore is truly an environmental achievement, but are there any green cities in Canada? Well, some may consider Whistler to be at the forefront of green architecture, as well as a nature lover's paradise. To learn more about how Whistler is combining advancements in small-town housing with environmental conscientiousness, we spoke with Marla Zucht, Head of the Whistler Housing Authority.

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Transcript link:

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zckEgOJetYHv7FRKzh08V-UNal8tbxWX1_ii3kp_0vk/edit?usp=sharing

Tune into a conversation with Edoardo De Martin, the President and Chief Technology Officer of Cubic Farms. Cubic Farms is a company on a mission to create indoor farming technologies to feed a changing world.

Listen to our team talk about our sustainability tips. We got together to share a couple of ways we like to incorporate sustainability into our daily lives ranging from gift giving to eating more sustainably.

Listen to Marina Tran-Vu, the founder and CEO of Equo. Equo works to create sustainable solutions to everyday single use items. In this episode Marina discusses her passions and visions.

We had the opportunity to chat with Andy Chou, the co-founder and CEO of Drinkfill and Soapstand. These companies are creating zero-waste soap and drink refill stations. Andy is an entrepreneur with big ideas helping to improve our sustainable habits in everyday life.

To kick of the new year, we chatted with Ky Sargeant, a fourth year Sauder student who works with TransFocus Consulting as a Gender Inclusion Analyst and Program Facilitator while serving as the Equity Advisor at the CUS.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Chasing sustainability. You just listened to Allen Langdon, the CEO of Return it, a non-profit organization that manages the recycling of beverage containers and electronic devices in British Columbia. Stay tuned for more episodes of Chasing sustainability.

Listen to two current Sauder students and former CUS Sustainability members, Audrey Steinke and Elizabeth Chung, to hear more about their personal visions for the future of sustainability and their own involvement in sustainable business initiatives. You won’t want to miss out on this one.

As a 4th-year Marketing student and president of campus thrift store Get Thrifty, Abby Manrell is dedicated to promoting sustainability through both her personal and professional endeavours. Tune in to learn more about her work with Get Thrifty and her tips on having a more sustainable wardrobe!

Kate White is an accomplished marketing researcher and Professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science at the Sauder School of Business at UBC. She is interested in the intersection of social psychology and consumer behaviour. In particular, her research interests include social marketing, prosocial consumption, and sustainability. Hear Kate talk about her research and our discussion on how we can encourage people to engage in more sustainable behaviour.

We're kicking off our very first episode of Season 2 of Chasing Sustainable Business with our very own CUS Sustainability co-presidents: Liv Hine and Katie Clayford-Beckie! You'll get to hear more about who they are, their involvement and experience within CUS Sustainability, how you can get involved, and any sustainability tips they might have. 

We’re back with another episode of Chasing Sustainable Business! This episode features our third speaker for our upcoming Sustainable Speaker Series 2 event, Dharini Thiruchittampalam. Dharini is an adjunct professor at UBC Sauder teaching courses that encourage students to create a social impact through business. Her experience in different cultures and passion for learning have brought her to where she is today, so keep listening to learn more about Dharini’s story. If you’re curious about the event, be sure to check out our instagram @custainability for more information, as well as key takeaways from the podcast!

Welcome back to Chasing Sustainable Business! This is our second episode in our Sustainable Speaker Series 2 event lead-up, happening on February 25 at 6:30 pm. As a proactive and passionate individual, Sauder alumni Bruno works with both the HSBC Social Innovation Academy, helping to educate students on what they can do to make a change in the world, and Canvas Impact, a company committed to connecting capital centred companies with those who wish to use those resources for good. He has participated in sustainable research studies and helped to develop the UBC impact fund, giving him some great insights that he is eager to share with you today! Before and after listening, check out our Instagram @custainbility for some key points to look out for, and we’ll see you next time!

We’re back with another episode of Chasing Sustainable Business! In this exciting episode, we chatted with Steve Petterson, a UBC Sauder Alumni. Steve’s nuanced experience in impact investing through co-creating a UBC course and co-founding the National Social Value Fund is strongly reflected through the meaningful advice he gives to students throughout the episode. This is also our first episode in our Sustainable Speaker Series 2 event lead up! We hope you enjoy listening to Steve’s story and learn something through his path to success. Be sure to check out our Instagram @custainability for some of the key points from the episode and join us on February 25th at 6:30 PM to hear more from Steve.

We’re back with another episode of Chasing Sustainable Business! For today’s episode, we invited UBC alumni and professor, Tamar Milne, to share her experiences and advice. Tamar has worked in a wide spread of jobs supplying her with unique insights on the professional world. As a lecturer at UBC Sauder for 14 years, Tamar is committed to conveying business as a force for good to all students. We hope you enjoy the podcast, and be sure to check out our Instagram @custainability for some of the key points from the episode.

Welcome back to CUS Sustainability's podcast, Chasing Sustainable Business! This week's episode is the final part of our Sustainable Speaker Series event lead up, which is happening this week, November 4th, 2020 at 6 PM PST. In this episode, we sat down with David Lee to talk about his experience in social impact with the many projects he has taken on in the Greater Vancouver area and beyond. Make sure to check out our Instagram for the key takeaways of this episode!

Welcome back to CUS Sustainability's podcast, Chasing Sustainable Business!

This week's episode is a continuation of our Sustainable Speaker Series event lead up. Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing our panelists who work in sustainability and social impact. These interviews will lead up to our live event where you will have the chance to get your questions answered and network with our panellists and other students. 

In this episode, we sat down with Kim van der Woerd to learn more about her experience as a Principal at an Indigenous run consulting firm, Reciprocal Consulting.

A few of the topics from this episode:

If Kim's views interested you, make sure to register for our Sustainable Speakers Series event, and keep an eye out on our social media for the key takeaways of this episode!

Welcome back to CUS Sustainability’s podcast, Chasing Sustainable Business! This week’s episode is the first in our Sustainable Speaker Series event lead up. Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing industry professionals from Vancouver who work in sustainability and social impact. These interviews will lead up to our live zoom event where you will get the chance to ask questions and network with our panellists.

In this episode, I got to speak with Elyse Crowston about her experience as Director of Impact Investor Relations at Rhiza Capital.

We are excited to have our first podcast showcase a local corner store in the North Vancouver Blueridge community called United Strangers. United Strangers is a newly opened community corner store that aims to provide ethical and sustainable products, including coffee, groceries, and clothing, to the local community. All while during a worldwide pandemic, Christine and Joe were able to convert an old corner store into a brand new coffee shop and corner store to bring together the community. This episode, we have one of the owners of United Strangers, Christine Reid, here to share her experience and knowledge about sustainability and its role in her business. You can find United Strangers on Instagram @unitedstrangerscoffee and visit their website https://www.unitedstrangerscoffee.com/ for more information.