Sustainability Explored

After extended vacations, Sustainability Explored is back! The podcast enters a new season, #9, with important updates.

When companies rebrand or get acquired, branded merchandise with outdated logos and mottos often end up in a landfill before their actual material life is over. This is a very concerning and sad issue for the environment. Ben Grossman mobilized the resources of the 4th generation family business in marketing and created the platform of givers and takers that helps redistribute branded merchandise and keep it away from landfills for as long as possible. Tune in to the episode to learn how Ben and SwagCycle do it and hear inspiring and creative success stories. Enjoy it!

What's the difference between climate positivity and climate neutrality? How the company's carbon footprint is calculated and how accurate the algorithm is? What are the ways of carbon offsetting beyond tree planting? All of these (and other) questions are answered by Jack Kennedy, co-founder of @dodo_eco, a company on a mission to reduce 400m tonnes or 1% of the world’s CO2 emissions by 2025. 

The company's website: https://dodo.eco/

Jack's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-kennedy-a583b867/

For my February self-imposed reading challenge, I chose "Growth Reinvented: Turn Your Data and Artificial Intelligence Into Money" by Mika Ruokonen. Drawing on dozens of real-life case studies and existing company examples, it provides a practical step-by-step guide for companies looking to realize the value of and monetize their data and AI offerings. 'Growth Reinvented' shows how new technology can be designed as a standalone opportunity to drive forward systemic change.

My personal views are inside, enjoy the episode :)

The book 'Growth Reinvented. Turn your data and artificial intelligence into money' by Mika Ruokonen: https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Reinvented-artificial-intelligence-money/dp/B08PJQHZHY

Mika Ruokonen LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikaruokonen/

In this episode, we are talking with Andjela Djuraskovic, "a versatile eco enthusiast with a background in social sciences", an Environmental Activist and Environmental Communication Specialist, also she is the Founder of "Eko Korijen" publishing & consulting in Montenegro. Andjela created the first environmental online course in the Balkans language area - "Guide through online environmental communication", available at www.ekokorijen.com/eko-komunikacija 

We talk about the working strategies to install the right environmental behavior in our societies, and how to use online platforms as teaching tools for raising the ecological awareness of people of various backgrounds. Enjoy the episode!

Her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andjastvara/

From this episode you will learn how RIZOME is scaling engineered bamboo lumber into primary global construction material, planting one of the largest carbon sequestration projects on the planet, and building the first climate-positive cities and buildings. Find the show notes at annachashchyna.com

Join us today for an unusual, yet exciting episode on a multidimensional topic: the intersection of environmental protection and conflict mitigation. Together with expert Nikolai Denisov, we explore the hidden impact of war and conflict on the environment to raise awareness about the importance of preventing issues at the roots, instead of mitigating the consequences “when the conflict is already burning”. Nikolai will further walk us through what it means to include social impact and relations when conducting environmental assessments, as well as how different actors of society can participate in preventing environmental degradation during the conflict. We'll particularly dive into the role of intergovernmental institutions and programs, such as the UNEP and OSCE. Tune in and let us know your thoughts!

What you'll learn:

• How wars and conflicts lead to environmental degradation;
  
• How to prevent environmental exploitation during times of conflict;
  
• Examples of different socio-political contexts and their influence on the relationship between conflict and environmental rights.
  

Books & other resources mentioned:

Key institutions websites:

Zoï Environment Network: https://zoinet.org/

Join us today for an exclusive episode with Trista Bridges, author of  “Leading Sustainably” on the importance and challenges of driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across sectors.

Sustainability takes a team effort: governments need to guide policy systems; businesses must take responsibility for their operations, and society can encourage actors that lead the transition.

Trista shares critical insights on how companies are changing their operations to assess their planetary impact and include sustainability considerations, as well as the many barriers that remain against achieving the global SDGs, such as the conflicting needs of companies with low levels of development.

Tune in the full episode & share your impressions with us afterwards!

What you'll learn:

● What the role of different economic and social actors is in driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

● Why we may not achieve the SDGs but, also, what improvements can be seen across different sectors;

● Why and how companies can use sustainability certifications to their benefit;

● And much more!

Books & other resources mentioned:

Company website: https://www.readtheair.jp

Book: Leading sustainably: The path to sustainable business and how the SDGs' changed everything, by Trista Bridges and Donald Eubank

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In today's episode, we turn the belief that sustainability is costly on its head as we discuss with Patricio Gonzalez Morel about the enormous potential for profitability of resource efficiency.

Transforming energy use and reducing input materials can help businesses recover their investments up to 10,000 times.

Can you believe it? The figures are true and Patricio shares with great detail how businesses in the hotel industry built impressive returns on investment (ROIs) and outperformed competitors by finding opportunities to cut waste and improve the efficiency of resource use.

We'll also discuss barriers such as the preconception that sustainability only pays off in the long term and ways to ease in practices that can save the company money at the same time as saving the planet.

Now relax, play the full episode, and prepare to be amazed!

What you'll learn:

● What resource efficiency is and how it can save money;

● How businesses around the world have implemented cost-saving measures;

● How companies can better manage the transition to sustainability;

● And much more!

Books & other resources mentioned:

Book: We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer

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Our discussion today with Bintou Camara is filled with precious insights about the urgent sustainability issues faced by indigenous communities in Guinea, West Africa. Every day, these vulnerable groups confront the dangers posed to their social, economical, and spiritual lives by the mining activities in the territories they occupy. As animists, indigenous communities are deeply connected to and dependent on the natural environment, but the intense exploitation of bauxite leads to deforestation, water blockages, and land occupation. Bintou sheds light on the NGO activities she leads in the area that aim to preserve indigenous languages and spirituality. Also, we will reflect on the need for leaders and mediators who can include indigenous people at roundtable discussions about the future of their country. Learn all about these issues and many more in the full episode. Enjoy!

What you'll learn:

• How indigenous languages and spirituality in Guinea are threatened by natural resource exploitation;
  
• What types of projects are developed in endangered areas to communicate and protect indigenous communities rights;
  
• How we can involve indigenous communities in economic activities in a way that benefits them;
  
• And much more!

Books & other resources mentioned:

Join us today, as we discuss with Erica Larson about the art & science of branding and marketing sustainability. It's new, yet it's a hot topic that will only get more traction as brands expand their role in society and need to communicate their global footprint. Erica shares insights from her unique journey into communicating sustainability in engineering and the built environment. Things such as how her web design and marketing services agency helps companies communicate their sustainability narratives; why technical and scientific teams need to pair with the creative brains of marketing professionals; and how companies can measure marketing efforts effectively. Lots of exciting things to dive in. But don't take our word for it: tune in the episode and enjoy!

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Erica's company website: https://www.pixelpowercle.com

In today's episode, together with Mirishahe Syla, we take the concepts of feminism, gender equality, and environmental justice and discuss their numerous facets and inevitable interconnection. Born out the same faulty system, social and environmental injustice are causing toxic hierarchization, inequality, and unjustified superiority, whether in our relationship with each other or with nature. Mirishahe sheds light on the way that a patriarchal Kosovo shaped her interest in gender inequality and her contributions to raising awareness of these issues in a young and changing country. We further discuss the interesting lens of ecofeminism, how it's perceived by society at large, and what strategies we can use to help people see the world through a more sustainable perspective. Tune in the full episode for many more interesting insights!

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Today, we're excited to be joined by Aya Ulan in a conversation about sustainable design. Step by step, we dive into the principles of the circular design, including product durability and reparability, as well as how these fit our current needs to reduce waste and pollution. Circular design constitutes a key driver of the system transformation we seek through the sustainability approach. It teaches us to treat waste as a valuable material. Aya will share more from her experience with eco-friendly furniture based on recycled and upcycled materials, the challenges with recycling infrastructure, and the need for cross-sector collaboration and systems thinking. Join us in the episode for more insights & enjoy!

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