A Podcast Interview with Mike Townsend
Earthshine Group’s Founder and CEO, Mike Townsend, was recently interviewed for the ‘Getting in the Loop’ podcast series: In this episode, Mike talks about the business of change and how transforming business towards circular ways of working starts with capability development. You’ll also hear about some recent circular economy projects that Earthshine has been involved with, including a fascinating project with Norsk Ombruk, a company which remanufactures white goods and delivers a broad range of benefits for society, the environment and the business.
Listen to the ‘Getting in the Loop’ Podcast: Circular Business Transformation.
Key takeaways:
- We need radical solutions if we’re to keep our climate within 1.5 degrees by 2030!
- Business has a key role to play, but this requires transformation – starting with capability development.
- New skills are needed – towards sustainability as a mindset! This includes finding new ways to work and collaborate, with sustainability integrated into all business decision-making, practice and performance.
- Going circular requires two new ways of thinking:
- 1. Marketing in two new directions – not just selling and distributing, but also developing the infrastructure for the return flow and refurbishment of products.
- 2. Innovating to find new ways of capturing value at key touch-points through multiple lifecycles of products.
- Three key things to keep in mind:
- 1. Create a broad vision – not only focused on carbon and energy, but include all inter-related sustainability factors – water, waste, resources, and more – to deliver a greater impact and even more benefits!
- 2. Sustainable business needs to work commercially, as well as environmentally and socially. This means business model innovation – finding new ways to enhance performance, reduce risk, improve resilience and profitability.
- 3. Change is hard, and takes time and effort – but can be influenced by systems thinking, sharing and collaboration. This means engaging with customers, suppliers, investors and policy-makers to develop appropriate and supportive policy architecture, as well as drive the necessary changes within our system of economy. Going circular, changes everything!
Listen to the ‘Getting in the Loop’ Podcast: Circular Business Transformation.
