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Making plastic industry sustainable is corporate self-interest
Plastics are essential for Asia, but for Ian Bremmer the way the industry works right now is incompatible with the region's targets to fight climate change. Very soon, though, he predicts there will be "immense gravitational pull" to do things differently. Once the way Asian companies use plastics now becomes outdated, he says, it's only a matter of time before they change out of their own self-interest. Bremmer spoke during the second of a two-part Sustainability Leaders Summit livestream conversation sponsored by Suntory.
To invest in recycling plastics, embrace risk and watch where you divest: JBIC's Tadashi Maeda
Tadashi Maeda, governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, believes there's huge potential for new technology to solve the global problem of plastic pollution via recycling. But to do so, he says companies should first be a bit less risk-averse with new ways of doing things, and don't rush to divest from countries that not only consume a lot of single-use plastics but also burn much coal like Indonesia or Vietnam.
Maeda spoke during the Sustainability Leaders Summit, a live GZERO event sponsored by Suntory. Watch the full discussion here.
“Fine words” on climate aren’t enough: UN Environment Chief Inger Andersen
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Program. Will the UN Climate Conference (COP26) produce lasting change or just more hot air? The world's top 20 economies, Andersen says, are responsible for over three-quarters of global carbon emissions, so if they "make the requisite shifts, frankly we are out of the climate crisis."
Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: Surviving a warming planet
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- How China fits into global climate change - GZERO Media ›
- What We're Watching: G-20 split on climate - GZERO Media ›
- Want to fix climate change? This is what it'll take. - GZERO Media ›
- UN environment chief: G-20 can practically fix climate on its own ... ›
Single-use plastics are the new ozone layer, says UN environment chief
If you get caught with a plastic bag in Nairobi these days, you're on the hook for $1,000. That's because Kenya has signed up to a "circular economy" that bans single-use plastics, so there's no choice but to recycle. UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen says more nations are finally responding to growing public awareness about plastic pollution, which she thinks could drive policy change like the hole in the ozone layer did decades ago.
Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: Surviving a warming planet
- UN environment chief: G-20 can practically fix climate on its own ... ›
- Viewpoint: What to watch at COP26 - GZERO Media ›
- Focus on applying existing tech to recycle plastics — Suntory CEO ... ›
- Fixing climate in Asia… and recycling its plastics too - GZERO Media ›
- What's the "circular" economy? - GZERO Media ›
"We just don't have time to mess around" on plastics pollution
Plastic pollution has caused a lot of damage to the environment — including a staggering loss of biodiversity that will soon affect humans. For Climate Bonds Initiative CEO Sean Kidney, the critical way to reverse this trend is to switch all production to biodegradable right now. "It's got to be everything, and we've got to do it fast. We just don't have time to mess around. There's been a lot of talk, a lot of talk for 10 years, not enough action. Whew. Time to change."
Surviving a warming planet
Fires, floods, and droughts. Climate change is already happening but so far humans have been slow to react. Will the UN Climate Conference (COP26) produce lasting change or just more hot air? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Program. Plus, a look at what's driving the United Kingdom's fuel shortage.
Refuse single-use plastics — but not the rest: Aloke Lohia
Refusing single-use plastics is okay, but Aloke Lohia, CEO of Indorama Ventures, believes all other plastics should be given "a fair chance" at recycling. Lohia says that some plastics are already 100 percent reusable, while chemical recycling is "just around the corner." Lohia spoke during the second of a two-part Sustainability Leaders Summit livestream conversation sponsored by Suntory.
What's the "circular" economy?
Wouldn't the world be a better place — and a more efficient economy — if most raw materials, especially plastics, could be recycled over and over again? That's the whole principle behind what Circulate Capital CEO Rob Kaplan calls the "circular" economy of the future, which will upend global supply chains by doing away with much of their waste. Kaplan spoke during the second of a two-part Sustainability Leaders Summit livestream conversation sponsored by Suntory.