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GreenBiz 350 Podcast

Episode 221: Mapping biodiversity, repair and the circular economy

Plus, assessing the life cycle of reusable packaging with Tom Szaky, chief executive of TerraCycle.

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Week in Review

Commentary on this week's news highlights begins at 4:35.

Features

Esri and the science of corporate biodiversity (20:45)

The sophistication of environmental monitoring tools continues to grow, with satellites, sensors and artificial intelligence all playing a role. We chat about potential business applications with Dawn Wright, chief scientist of geographic information systems software leader Esri. 

Highlights from Circularity 20 Digital (32:45)

Due to the pandemic, this week's Circularity conference was postponed until August — when it will be held as a primarily virtual event. (Registration details here.) Here are some highlights from this week's precursor, which featured an interview on the viability of reusable packaging, and two panel sessions — one on the future of recycled plastics in an age of cheap oil and one on the role of repair in circular economy strategies.

  • TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky on what goes into a life cycle assessment for reusable packaging
  • Dell Senior Vice President Ed Boyd on how designing for repair can dovetail with a broader circular economy strategy

*This episode was sponsored by WestRock. 

*Music in this episode by Lee Rosevere and admiralbob77: "Southside" and "Curiosity" (Lee Rosevere); "Two Guitars," "Sax, Guitar and Organ at the Club" and "Confederation Line" (admiralbob77)

Virtual Conversations

Mark your calendar for these upcoming GreenBiz webcasts. Can't join live? All of these events also will be available on demand.

Scaling municipal fleets. Experts from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ChargePoint, Smart City Columbus and the city of Oakland, California share tips at 1 p.m. EDT May 26.  

This is climate tech. Join respected venture capitalists Nancy Pfund (DBL Partners), Andrew Beebe (Obvious Ventures) and Andrew Chung (1955 Capital) for a discussion at 1 p.m. EDT May 28 about compelling solutions and startups that address the climate crisis — and how big companies can play a role in scaling them.

The future of risk assessment. Ideas for building a supply chain resilient to both short-term disruptions such as the pandemic and long-term risks such as climate change. Register here for the session at 1 p.m. EDT June 16.

Resources galore

State of the Profession. Our sixth report examining the evolving role of corporate sustainability leaders. Download it here.

The State of Green Business 2020. Our 13th annual analysis of key metrics and trends published here.

Do we have a newsletter for you! We produce six weekly newsletters: GreenBuzz by Executive Editor Joel Makower (Monday); Transport Weekly by Senior Writer and Analyst Katie Fehrenbacher (Tuesday); VERGE Weekly by Executive Director Shana Rappaport and Editorial Director Heather Clancy (Wednesday); Energy Weekly by Senior Energy Analyst Sarah Golden (Thursday); Food Weekly by Carbon and Food Analyst Jim Giles (Thursday); and Circular Weekly by Director and Senior Analyst Lauren Phipps (Friday). You must subscribe to each newsletter in order to receive it. Please visit this page to choose which you want to receive.

The GreenBiz Intelligence Panel is the survey body we poll regularly throughout the year on key trends and developments in sustainability. To become part of the panel, click here. Enrolling is free and should take two minutes.

Stay connected

To make sure you don't miss the newest episodes of GreenBiz 350, subscribe on iTunes. Have a question or suggestion for a future segment? E-mail us at [email protected].

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