The Purpose of Plastic: with Eastman, Mura Technology, and Tupperware

For the health of our planet and our societies, sustainability is no longer a choice. But change is hard. Yet throughout this series, we’ve heard from companies big and small who are pioneering sometimes quite dramatic change toward a more sustainable future. There is, in fact, momentum building for a different way of doing business. On this final episode of season 1, host Gaia Vince welcomes Rich Lesser, Global Chair of BCG, and Fortune Media CEO Alan Murray to discuss the state of the business world’s sustainability initiatives.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

Water is essential for all life on Earth. Today, we’re running out of clean freshwater supplies we need, putting the health and wellbeing of millions of people at risk. To achieve true sustainability, we need to value water as the life-giving resource it is, and businesses have an important role to play. On this episode, we hear from business leaders from across the globe about how they are addressing water scarcity, working with local communities in their supply chains, and even desalinating water to irrigate crops.  Featuring Ezgi Barcenas, Chief Sustainability Officer, AB InBev, Steve Marafiote, CEO, Sundrop Farms, Page Motes, Head of Global Sustainability, Dell Technologies, and Emmanuel Nazarenko, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

A hundred years ago, Marie Curie famously said: “You cannot help to build a better world without improving the individuals.” And as we undergo the enormous transition to sustainability this century, her statement could not be truer. We need to improve sustainability to make a livable planet for people, but we can only build a healthy environment for nature on this planet if we also look after the needs of people. On this episode, we dive into the issue and learn how companies are achieving the social side of sustainability by prioritizing livelihood creation and preservation.  Featuring Soren Bjorn, President, Driscoll’s, Avi Garbow, Environmental Advocate, Patagonia, Wendy Savage, Director of Social Responsibility, Traceability, and Animal Welfare, Patagonia, and Wendy Woods, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Vice Chair, Social Impact, Boston Consulting Group.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

Waste is the fourth biggest sector of greenhouse gas emissions. In a natural ecosystem, everything is used and recycled. But our human-made production model begins with resource extraction, moves through processing to purchasing and using the items we need—and when we’re finished with them, we throw them out and start all over again. In this episode, we examine what’s being done to minimize waste and mitigate pollution so we get our model closer to nature’s.  Featuring Prakash Arunkundrum, Head of Global Operations & Sustainability, Logitech, Ratish Namboothiry, Director, Innovation for Good & Sustainability, Kohler, Keiran Olivares Whitaker, Founder, Entocycle, and Shalini Unnikrishnan, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

Money makes the world go round, and it can do so in a fair or unjust way. We decide. Today, a lot of the world’s money is embedded in unsustainable, dirty industries and technologies. If we are to meet our net zero emissions targets, we need to decarbonize fast. That means redirecting the world’s money to drive those goals. In this episode we look at trends in sustainable investing and uncover how the finance industry is shifting investments to save our planet.  Featuring Afsaneh Mashayekhi Beschloss, Founder and CEO, RockCreek, Damien Lardoux, Head of Impact Investing at EQ Investors, Marcelo Marzola, CEO, Vayda, and Vinay Shandal, Managing Director and Partner, Toronto, BCG.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

Women are disproportionately impacted by climate change, given their vulnerability in the developing world. What’s more, despite the best of intentions, some efforts to mitigate challenges caused by climate change unintentionally affect women negatively as well.  In this episode we hear from experts and business leaders about the nuances of the intersection of climate and gender, some exciting, gender-conscious solutions, and why giving women a seat at the table when designing climate action policy is a business imperative.  Featuring Sally Gilligan, chief growth transformation officer, Gap Inc., Anouk Heilen, global sustainability director, social equity and inclusion, Unilever, Alexandra Palt, chief corporate responsibility officer, L'Oréal Group, and Zineb Sqalli, partner, Boston Consulting Group.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

We are facing a biodiversity crisis on planet Earth. The biggest cause of this crash is habitat loss, mostly the conversion of natural ecosystems to farmland. The transition to sustainable food production has never been more urgently needed. In this episode, we hear how two companies are revolutionizing the food system—and helping to preserve biodiversity in the process. Featuring Pat Brown, Founder and CEO, Impossible Foods, Adrien Portafaix, Partner and Associate Director, Boston Consulting Group, and Alison Taylor, Chief Sustainability Officer, ADM.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

Around one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the transport sector, which runs almost entirely on fossil fuels. Decarbonizing cars, trucks, trains, shipping and aviation is a priority. We’re only at the beginning of this massive transition, but the sector is growing apace, and innovative companies are at the forefront.  Featuring Chris Anthony, Co-CEO and founder, Aptera Motors, Cornelius Pieper, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group, Søren Rydbirk, Chief Commercial Officer, Green Hydrogen Systems, and Ganesh V. Iyer, EVP, Managing Director, NIO-US, and Global CIO, NIO.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

Plastic is fundamental to 21st century living—we’re not getting rid of it anytime soon. But very little plastic is ever recycled. In the past few years, the world has woken up to the problem of plastic waste, and companies have taken measures to address this issue. In this episode, we speak with business leaders across the globe to hear about some revolutionary innovations in the realm of product end-of-life care, from the circular economy to molecular recycling technology.  Featuring Cathy Combs, Director of Sustainability, Eastman, Sandra Harris, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Tupperware, Steve Mahon, CEO, Mura Technology, and Shalini Unnikrishnan, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

We’re all going to have to make changes to decarbonize and meet our net zero targets by 2050. This, of course, is a huge priority for the power sector, but is for other companies as well. In this episode, we speak with business leaders across the globe to better understand where we are when it comes to moving toward sustainable energy. Featuring Thomas Hörnfeldt, Vice President, Sustainability & Public Affairs, SSAB, Daniel Mölk, Asset Manager, Germany, Eavor, Mads Nipper, CEO, Ørsted, Valerie Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer, Citi, Robert Winsloe, EVP, Business Development, Eavor, and Tina Zuzek, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group.  Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.