From its progressive renewable energy and manufacturing waste ambitions to its commitment to source 100 percent of natural raw materials from sustainably managed forests by 2020, SC Johnson continues to establish a legacy of corporate environmental leadership.No small feat for an industry-leading manufacturer of household consumer brands and one of America’s oldest family-owned businesses.

Captain of these inspiring efforts, Dr. Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO, joins GLOBE 2020 in discussion with Ocean Wise President and CEO Lasse Gustavsson. They will delve into the impact of plastics and marine debris on ocean health and highlight the promising pathways for public-private partnerships to step up action in this battle. Hear how these leaders are turning the tide on ocean plastic while accelerating movement to a circular economy and hear lessons from the journey to help your organization achieve the same.

Apple has boldly demonstrated the art of delivering truly innovative products that influence progress across the corporate landscape. In GLOBE’s feature armchair, The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)’s Global Director David McGinty talks with Sarah Chandler, Apple’s Senior Director of Operations, Product Development and Environmental Initiatives, about how Apple is rethinking materials and paving the way for breakthrough carbon-free manufacturing methods. This not-to-be missed discussion will reveal updates on Apple’s closed-loop solutions and what lies on the horizon for the circular economy leader.

In the hard-hitting impact-oriented conclusion of GLOBE Forum, business leaders, government, not-for-profits, academics, cleantech innovators and youth will all come together on Feb. 13 for GLOBE Advance. In a completely new event format for GLOBE, experts from the GLOBE community will put pen to paper and develop strategic action plans to further the clean economy.

The circular economy offers businesses the opportunity to realize a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing global and domestic market. The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) in Toronto (September-October 2020) is an unprecedented opportunity for Canadian businesses, policy-makers, investors, and other stakeholders to engage with circular economy experts and leaders across all industries and sectors from more than 60 countries. In partnership with the Circular Economy Leadership Coalition, the half-day Circular Economy Advance session at GLOBE 2020 will be an important stepping stone to the WCEF and will work to surface vital issues of tension, tackle barriers, and explore opportunities that will come from a transition to a more circular economy in Canada. Through small and large group discussion, augmented by expert resources, participants will surface sector-relevant opportunities and barriers that can be brought forward as potential foundations for industry roadmaps and incorporated into discussions taking place at the WCEF 2020.

Expected outcomes: A set of recommendations around next steps for business sector action and policy intervention, as well as a list of key barriers and opportunities on a targeted sector-by-sector basis that will inform program content and side event activities for WCEF 2020.

Who should attend: Policy makers, investors, and private sector executive and operational leaders from Canada’s leading  sectors and industries including: food systems, forestry and bioeconomy, primary metal production, construction/built environment, textiles, consumer goods, and plastics production and supply chain.

To register for GLOBE Advance, indicate your preferred session on the Order page of the GLOBE Forum registration process. The cost of GLOBE Advance is included in your GLOBE Forum pass.

Sponsored by:

Canada’s late to the dance with its Bioeconomy Strategy, released in the summer of 2019. Yet Canada’s enviable natural resource wealth positions us favourably to capitalize on value-added products and services, from biofuels, bio-based textiles, chemicals and bioplastics. The bioeconomy presents a massive trillion dollar opportunity for Canada that underpins a more circular economy and delivers measurable climate benefits. As Canada’s strategy rolls out, critical questions around how biomass will be deployed are timely, especially in light of competition for valuable feedstocks and capital, emerging technologies and foreign markets looking to capitalize on the opportunities. Join us in reimagining our natural resources under a lens of higher value as we discuss the bioeconomy as a crucial piece in Canada’s low carbon transition.

• How do we create the market demand and value chains necessary to accelerate the move to a bioeconomy?
• What are the promising pathways for high value deployment of forestry and agriculture biomass and how can Canada lead in this space?
• What is the job potential associated with the bio-economy and where do we expect to see growth in the near-term?
• How is capital being deployed in this arena and where are entrepreneurs likely to find financing and assistance with scale?

Sponsored by:

Our current consumption patterns have brought us close to, and in some cases beyond, our planetary limitations. If it remains unaddressed, unchecked consumption threatens to put a brake on business growth and the four-fold growth in GDP anticipated by 2050. Join the sharp end of consumer-retail for a working session on how companies are meeting the challenge, where they see opportunities, and what it might mean for your business along the supply chain.

• How do we break the dependency between business growth and selling more stuff to more people? What models have companies tried and what did and did not work?
• How do we move consumer aspirations away from buying and owning stuff and instead focus on  utility and service?
• How do we ensure this is not yet another example of wealthier countries telling emerging and low income economies they cannot follow our growth path?

With over half the global population living in cities, how cities enable citizens to live sustainably becomes an essential consideration. Cities that are making commitments to climate action, staying within planetary boundaries and supporting just transitions recognize the pivotal role that business plays for implementation. In this workshop, we will explore the model’s risks and opportunities for business as we ask:

• What is the ecocity model and what barriers lay in the way of implementation?
• What are the hotspots to focus on in order to achieve sustainable lifestyles?
• What is the scope for business leadership in achieving resilient cities and responsible lifestyles?

Responsible for three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions, cities are a key factor in the battle for a stable climate and have the power to create a low-carbon circular economy. City leaders are already taking practical steps to boost car-sharing, modular energy efficient building and sustainable management of organic waste streams. They are also exploring new models of consumption that reduce emissions while creating jobs and strengthening industries. Making more efficient use of energy, materials and assets puts cities in the driver’s seat for emission reduction. Step up your city’s circular game as we discuss:  

• What benefits can a circular economy transition in key urban systems bring to cities?  
•  How are some of the leading cities in the world transitioning toward smarter and more sustainable urban solutions?   
•  How can private and public stakeholders collaborate and what are the barriers for integrated action amongst industry and solution providers to ensure cities are more equitable, more sustainable and better connected? 

Achieving a circular plastics economy in Canada – wherein plastics never become waste – requires strong dialogue, commitment, action and innovation across the packaging value chain. This dialogue will bring together key stakeholders from upstream manufacturers/producers to downstream brands, alongside innovators, government, and civil society to tackle important questions, including: 

• What are the largest barriers plaguing actors across the value chain and how can these be overcome?  
• What are the most promising alternatives to single-use plastic out there and how can these be fostered?   
• What is the role across government and how will the proposed single-use plastic ban impact direction in Canada?

Sponsored by:

Companies large and small are starting to embrace circular business models that have the potential of achieving supply chain efficiencies, opening new markets, and achieving market leadership by responding to customer demand. But the road to success is often long, winding and littered with challenges. In conversation with first-mover leaders in this space we will ask:

• Why are companies really deciding to embrace circularity and what was the internal process required to make this decision?
• What are the predominant business models being embraced?
• What new products, services and markets can we expect to see in the future?
• What is holding companies back from deepening and scaling their move to circularity?
• How can governments, institutional investors, and civil society do to help accelerate this transition?