DeepSummary
In this episode, Katie Whalen interviews Mike Townsend, the founder and CEO of the Earthshine Group, a consultancy focused on supporting the transition towards a more sustainable economy. Mike discusses the need for rapid transformation in businesses, economies, and societies to address challenges like climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation.
Mike explains that Earthshine Group has recently relaunched with a new emphasis on transformation through capability development, especially in supply chains. He highlights the importance of integrating sustainability into business operations and developing new skills and capabilities to enable this transformation.
Mike shares insights from a project with Norsk Umbrook, a company that remanufactures white goods like washing machines, demonstrating the significant sustainability benefits and commercial viability of circular economy models. He also provides practical suggestions for listeners, including keeping an open mind, ensuring commercial sustainability, and influencing change through quantifying risks and opportunities.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- There is an urgent need for rapid transformation in businesses, economies, and societies to address sustainability challenges like climate change and resource scarcity.
- Developing new capabilities, especially in supply chains, is crucial for enabling the transition towards more sustainable and circular business models.
- Circular economy models, such as remanufacturing products, can deliver significant environmental, social, and economic benefits.
- Successful transformation towards sustainability requires integrating it into every aspect of an organization and developing relevant skills across teams and roles.
- Quantifying risks and opportunities related to sustainability can help influence change within organizations by making the case more compelling.
- Collaboration and partnerships are essential for implementing circular economy models and engaging with different stakeholders in the value chain.
- Businesses need to innovate and adapt their commercial models to ensure long-term viability while delivering sustainability outcomes.
- Sustainable business practices should be presented as the obvious and most attractive choice for organizations, considering both risks and opportunities.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “We need to deliver a full blown transformation in all that we do.“ by Mike Townsend
- “In the end, sustainability is a big part of everybody's job, and so everybody needs to develop the range of skills that they need to do that.“ by Mike Townsend
- “For every €1 of operating cost within the business of Norse Gombrook, they deliver €11 of benefits to people. Planet and economy.“ by Mike Townsend
- “We have to help better business be the obvious choice.“ by Mike Townsend
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Episode Information
Getting In the Loop: Circular Economy | Sustainability | Closing the Loop
Katherine Whalen
3/9/20