45 min

17. Gabriel Thoumi (Responsible Alpha) on plastics and sustainability Activation Energy

    • Science

I speak with Gabriel Thoumi of Responsible Alpha, a consultancy whose mission is to support businesses and communities in securing a low-carbon, sustainable, and equitable future.


(1:24) Production and consumption of plastic
(2:53) Plastic industry’s carbon budget
(3:59) Reconciling fact that plastic is useful in our society and economy with the fact that it is damaging to the environment
(8:35) What the plastic industry is doing to mitigate the plastic problem and the pressure companies feel to change their behavior
(11:58) The role of investors
(15:40) The role of governments
(20:25) Ramification of projected increase in demand for plastic
(25:43) New technologies
(31:11) Circularity and points of intervention
(36:51) Barriers to transitioning from linear to circular economy
(40:28) How transitioning to circular economy creates opportunities
(42:03) Short-term vs. long-term thinking

I speak with Gabriel Thoumi of Responsible Alpha, a consultancy whose mission is to support businesses and communities in securing a low-carbon, sustainable, and equitable future.


(1:24) Production and consumption of plastic
(2:53) Plastic industry’s carbon budget
(3:59) Reconciling fact that plastic is useful in our society and economy with the fact that it is damaging to the environment
(8:35) What the plastic industry is doing to mitigate the plastic problem and the pressure companies feel to change their behavior
(11:58) The role of investors
(15:40) The role of governments
(20:25) Ramification of projected increase in demand for plastic
(25:43) New technologies
(31:11) Circularity and points of intervention
(36:51) Barriers to transitioning from linear to circular economy
(40:28) How transitioning to circular economy creates opportunities
(42:03) Short-term vs. long-term thinking

45 min

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