Shows
Next FrontierThe data behind emission factors - And what it means for Scope 3 and sustainable procurementIn this conversation, Thomas and Philipp von Bieberstein, co-founder and CRO of Climatiq, delve into the intricacies of sustainable procurement, focusing on decarbonization and emission factors. Philipp shares his journey in founding Climatiq, a company dedicated to providing a tech stack for emission calculations. They discuss the importance of emission factors, the complexities of calculating emissions across various activities, and the challenges of ensuring comparability in data. The conversation also highlights the evolving landscape of emission factors, the role of local energy infrastructure, and practical advice for sustainability managers. Ultimately, they emphasize the need for action over perfection in...2024-10-3059 min
Next FrontierMedical supply chains and the ESG curse of middlemen and poor inventory managementIn this conversation, Thomas and Luká Yancopoulos, founder and CEO of Pandemic Relief Supply and Grapevine Technologies, discuss the challenges and opportunities in the medical supply chain from a sustainability perspective. They highlight the inefficiencies caused by middlemen and unnecessary shipments, leading to increased costs and carbon emissions. They also touch on the issue of waste, including the disposal of expired medical supplies. Luká shares insights into Grapevine, a company that aims to optimize the medical supply chain by connecting medical practices directly with suppliers and reducing unnecessary shipments. They also discuss the need for better inventory management and th...2024-09-1842 min
Next FrontierSustainable product design and sub-tier supply chainsIn this conversation, Thomas and Neil D'Souza, CEO at Makersite, touch on personal experiences, the changing landscape of sustainability, the role of regulations, and the challenges of communicating sustainability to consumers. Neil explains how Makersite helps companies make better products faster by constructing digital twins of products and analyzing their environmental impacts, costs, and regulatory compliance. They also discuss the levers that can be pulled to design more sustainable products, including material changes, sourcing strategies, and product lifecycle considerations.TakeawaysThe sustainability landscape has changed significantly in recent years, driven by factors such as geopolitical...2024-08-211h 03
Next FrontierLCAs and EPDs: How to navigate product-level emission data with your suppliersThomas talks with Fabian Diaz, LCA and EPD Project Manager at Climate Earth, about sustainability on the product level and the use of life cycle assessments (LCA) to evaluate environmental impact. Fabian shares his journey into sustainability, starting as an engineer in the oil and gas sector and transitioning to LCA. They also touch on the maturity and awareness of sustainability in Europe compared to other regions, discussing the challenges and opportunities of implementing life cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) in supply chains.Free resources from the EU to get up-to-speed with LCA...2024-08-071h 02
Next FrontierHow to source sustainably and collaborate with suppliersIn this episode, Thomas and Tim Grunow, Co-Founder of Archlet, discuss various topics including the tradition of burning a snowman in Zurich, the history of Archlet, and the role of sustainability in procurement. They explore how Archlet helps businesses make sustainable sourcing decisions and the challenges they face in implementing sustainability strategies.They emphasize the importance of leadership buy-in and education in driving sustainable procurement strategies. They also discuss the need for procurement teams to collaborate with suppliers and foster innovation in order to achieve sustainability goals. Tim encourages organizations to start somewhere and communicate the...2024-06-0453 min
Next FrontierThe consultant's perspective on sustainable procurementIn this episode, Thomas interviews Luke Abbott, CEO and Founder of Equipoise, about sustainable procurement. They discuss Luke's journey to specializing in this field, the definition of sustainable procurement, and the challenges and trends within. They also explore the drivers for sustainable procurement, including marketing, employee pressure, investor pressure, and cost savings.In this conversation, Luke highlights the importance of understanding scope 3 emissions and the risk of focusing solely on carbon emissions. Other environmental and social topics, such as nature, biodiversity, and supply diversity, are also important considerations. Luke notes that different industries and regions have...2024-05-2159 min
Next Frontier(re)Designing products for sustainability and sustainability in product marketingIn this conversation, Yann Chilvers, Founder and Co-CEO of Covalo, discusses the work of his company in helping consumer goods businesses design more sustainable products. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and providing consumers with access to information and data to make educated decisions. Yann also highlights the challenges and complexities of making ingredients more sustainable, including considerations of packaging, carbon footprint, and supply chain logistics.The conversation explores various aspects of sustainability and consumer behavior. It highlights the importance of creating awareness and educating consumers about sustainability issues. The role of governments in defining standards...2024-05-0753 min
Next FrontierInvestigative journalism in the supply chain and climate justiceMelanie Rideout, humanitarian and climate advisor, discusses her work in sustainability and social impact, as well as her passion for dystopian films! She shares her journey into sustainability and the complexity of evaluating sustainability in supply chains. The conversation also explores the conflict of values in sustainable development and the oversimplification of economic growth. Melanie introduces the concept of degrowth and discusses the problems with the current economic system. The conversation concludes with a discussion on efficiency and circular economy, as well as Melanie's background in journalism.The conversation explores the flaws in the current economic...2024-04-231h 01
Next FrontierEvaluating supply chains in Africa, circularity, and empowering local economiesKenny Kaluiji, founder of Decarbonify and Baobabpad, discusses his journey from working in the oil and gas industry to focusing on sustainability and climate change. He shares his frustration with the lack of attention to climate change in the industry and his decision to transition to Norway to study energy and environment. Kenny also talks about his master's thesis on supply chain issues and the challenges of getting data from suppliers. He highlights the impacts of climate change in Africa and the need for climate equity and investment in infrastructure. The conversation explores the topics of circularity and overconsumption...2024-04-091h 00
Next FrontierDecarbonizing logistics, electric trucks, and the social risks in freightIn this conversation, Geoffoy Henry, CEO of Ofload, discusses the importance of decarbonization and waste reduction in the logistics industry. He shares his background and journey to Ofload, highlighting the need for change in the industry. Geoff also talks about the maturity of Scope 3 regulation in Australia and the role of multinational companies in driving sustainability. He emphasizes the importance of measuring and understanding carbon emissions in logistics and the potential of electric trucks. Geoff also discusses the benefits of intermodal transportation and the social challenges in the trucking industry, such as mental health and safety. He talks about...2024-03-2646 min
Next FrontierConflict minerals, industry collaborations, and the metals and mining supply chainIn this conversation, Anastasia Kuskova discusses her experience running sustainability for a large company and her journey into the field. She emphasizes the importance of supply chain sustainability and shares insights from her work at ERG, a metals and mining company. Anastasia also introduces Sirius, an AI-driven sustainability copilot for mining and metal companies. She highlights the challenges and best practices of industry collaborations and offers advice on getting started with supply chain sustainability.TakeawaysSupply chain sustainability is a critical aspect of corporate sustainability, especially in industries like metals and mining.Prioritization is key...2024-03-2645 min
Next FrontierIntroducing Next FrontierThis podcast is about the successes and failures, learnings, do's and don'ts, and stories coming from real people on their journey in the climate transition. It's called Next Frontier because we focus on the supply chain, which is often both the root cause and the solution to many sustainability problems but it's immensely complex.Within the overall climate and sustainability movement, the supply chain is very much the next frontier that needs to be conquered. In an era of greenwashing and now also greenhushing, we need to get way better at sharing our learnings with each...2024-03-2002 min