Episode 114: Talking smart cities, Tyson's meaty agenda, GM's waste 'MacGyver'
In this week's episode, we talk water stewardship, science-based targets and what makes a smart city. And more.
Week in Review
Tune in around 4:40 for a weekly roundup of news.
1. What could have prevented the Cape Town water crisis
2. Averting the next Cape Town: Water strategy is a shared responsibility
3. Mushroom-beef burgers from Sodexo, Sonic are cutting calories and emissions
4. Sustainability, change leadership, and collaboration: From the why to the how
Featured stories
1. The science behind Tyson's meaty new sustainability agenda (19:40)
Former McKinsey consultant Justin Whitmore was on the job as the first chief sustainability officer of Tyson Foods just one month when he disclosed his team’s intention to set science-based targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and to embrace "outcome-based" water conservation goals across the company’s operations and supply chain. He chats with Heather Clancy about his team's progress, plus an emerging program to address food waste.
2. What's motivating cities to get "smarter" (28:05)
Did you know that smaller cities are investing faster in LED street lighting than larger ones? That's one finding from the Johnson Controls Smart City Indicator, which reflects the opinions of more than 150 leaders involved in smart city projects in 12 countries. Clay Nesler, the company's vice president of global sustainability and industry initiatives, chats about the findings with GreenBiz Group Executive Editor Joel Makower. You can download research highlights here.
3. Meet the "MacGyver" behind GM's successful zero-waste-to-landfill initiatives (37:55)
General Motors this week disclosed that all of its manufacturing plants in Canada, Mexico and South America have reached landfill-free status. Getting there has required the company to embrace unconventional processes for recycling, reusing and composting waste. The man in charge of those programs is John Bradburn. His official title is global manager of waste reduction. But internally, John is known as GM’s MacGyver of waste.
What's new at GreenBiz?
News, events, webcasts — the list goes on. Keep your finger on the pulse of the latest in sustainability by keeping up with GreenBiz.
• Looking to change up your career? GreenBiz is hiring, and you can check out all the open positions mentioned during the podcast introduction here.
• Are your organization's suppliers sustainability leaders or laggards? Don't miss our webcast "Supplier Sustainability Ratings for Procurement and Supply Chain Needs," which will teach you how to identify highly credible rating tools for selecting suppliers with high sustainability scores. Register here for free for the webcast at 1 a.m. EST/10 a.m. PST March 13.
• Check out Center Stage, which features the best of live interviews on sustainable business and clean technology, conducted on stage at GreenBiz and VERGE conferences.
Stay connected
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Have a question or suggestion for a future segment? E-mail us at [email protected].
