Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

The recent years have seen a major shift in people's relationship with food and drink, which have acquired a much more funcional role in​ our​ lives. ​Like in other sectors, data is key and the public want as much information as possible to make a purchasing decision.​ For that reason, the food and beverage industr​ies have to adapt to cater to new demands and needs, lest they could fall ​lag behind.

When it comes down to it, I fear that for many people “sustainable” has become synonymous with “less bad.” That’s not enough, friends.

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it will deploy a prototype extended range Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) in its Rolling Laboratory fleet of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles.

Every year Wessanen releases its integrated Annual Report including the latest Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s approach to creating environmental and social impact.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has committed to deploying 3 gigawatts of renewable energy throughout military installations by 2025. Military bases all over the world have taken a proactive approach in achieving these goals, with many implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. Energy initiatives aside, increased deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar PV can integrate with comprehensive microgrid solutions that can help meet DoD goals and ultimately boost energy resilience and independence, especially vital for mission-critical facilities.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has published its 2016 Better World Report, which reports on progress against its Better World strategy, which was updated last October following its combination with SABMiller to align its environmental, social and alcohol responsibility efforts around three core pillars:

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany—whose life science business in the U.S. operates as MilliporeSigma—recently published its 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report. Available online at http://reports.emdgroup.com/2016/cr-report/, the report details the company's activities across the globe in health, environment, and culture & education.

At MilliporeSigma, we have fostered a culture of problem solving. I was fortunate to work with our CEO, Udit Batra, to help develop the problem-solving model for our organization. What I find so interesting about the process and the concept is that, at the end of the day, it’s all very simple. We use a simple model to address very complex and tough challenges that not only our organization and our 1 million customers face, but also brilliant scientists and researchers.

Today, the amount of solid waste generated in urban areas and developing economies has overtaken other pollutants, including greenhouse gases. Single-use plastics outnumber fish in our oceans, and landfills tower over neighborhoods in the world’s megacities.

This year’s program is filled with dozens of action-oriented sessions led by leading visionaries, thought leaders and practitioners in the sustainability and circular economy field.