Let's Talk Sustainable Business

Mel Blackmore is Founder & CEO of two companies: Blackmores (UK), an ISO Standards consultancy offering support with Integrated Management Systems implementation in Europe and Carbonology Ltd, which provides training and verification services in the carbon standards sector. She also hosts 'The ISO Show podcast', which aims to dispel myths and share tips for businesses to succeed with ISO Standards by asking business leaders to share their journeys. In this episode, we discuss Mel's background in quality management and her inspiration to start two companies, the crucial role she feels ISO Standards play in a company's sustainability journey, and why she decided to create a separate company, Carbonology, to provide companies with assurance for carbon emissions.

Kenny McGee is Founder & CEO of Component Sense, a company which focuses on the redistribution of excess and obsolete electronic components and whose motto is to "empower sustainability in electronic manufacturing." In this episode, we discuss the current state of the e-waste market, Component Sense's 'Electronic Waste Manifesto' and what he thinks stakeholders need to do to scale up e-waste solutions.

Sebastian Leape is the CEO of Natcap, a UK-based nature intelligence company which helps businesses measure, report and act on their nature-related impacts and dependencies. In this episode, we discuss why "nature intelligence should be integrated into business decisions", the role collaboration can play in helping companies develop a nature-based strategy, and why Sebastian decided to focus his career on nature-based solutions.

Marie Brueser is Senior Corporate Venture Manager at EIT Food, an organisation co-founded by the European Commission which is focused on driving innovation in the food and agricultural sectors. In the second part of our conversation, she outlines the EU's 'Farm to Fork Strategy', discusses how companies and policymakers can use EIT Food's Consumer Observatory as a database full of consumer insights, and talks about how food is at the heart of so many UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Marco has worked in the plastics space for over 20 years and is currently Chief Commercial & Public Affairs Officer at Avantium. This conversation was recorded during Marco's previous role, as Business Director Biopolymers EMEA Advocacy & Sustainability Director Europe & Asia at Braskem. In this episode, we talk about Braskem's clients and collaborators - including Allbirds, Tetra Pak and the Olympics, why Braskem is choosing to prioritize game-changing technologies worldwide, as well as the role plastics should play in creating a circular economy, including food preservation.

Kara Fulcher, Director of Sustainability, North America at Michelin talks about the social side of sustainability, why Michelin has committed to the French Act4Nature initiative and how she feels about the ever-evolving ESG regulatory landscape worldwide. You can find out more about Michelin's Bahia Reserve project in this video.

Kruti Munot, Cities Project Manager at GIZ, talks about some of the circular economy projects she has worked on throughout her career - as well as in her volunteering work with the Global Shapers Community - and the importance of community and prioritising resource efficiency to accelerate climate action. She also encourages listeners from diverse backgrounds to join the online #OpenToClimate community.

In the first episode of Season Six, Bárbara Mendes-Jorge interviews Paula Byrne (Program Director at the ESG Center) and Manali Paranjpe (Program Director at the ESG Center, Europe) on the key areas they are focusing on this year and how the ESG Center supports The Conference Board members on their sustainability journeys. We discuss how companies need to urgently familiarise themselves with the EU's CSRD legislation - which is already transforming sustainability reporting - why human rights, biodiversity and circular economy are three of the main topics the ESG Center is focused on this year and, continuing on from discussions had last season, why it is so important for companies to avoid greenwashing.