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

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