Re-imagining Business: The transition to the circular economy

12th Oct 2011; 18:00

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RSA/Desso Debate

In spite of the shock of the financial crisis, it seems it is still business as usual for many companies in 2011.

But for an increasing number of leading business figures this old model, based on debt-fuelled consumerism and the notion of endless natural resources, is broken.

It takes courage and vision to break the mould of an out-dated business model but this is what will be needed if more ‘enlightened enterprises’ are to emerge, able to achieve both profits and a positive environmental footprint simultaneously.

The RSA and leading European cradle-to-cradle manufacturer, Desso bring together a panel of speakers to explore how more businesses could start to implement this shift to longer-term economic thinking.

Desso’s CEO, Stef Kranendijk will talk about the experience of creating one of the world’s first truly cradle-to-cradle manufacturing companies, inspired by nature’s continuous cycle, and offer advice on how others can build something similar in their own markets.

Round-the-world sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur will provide insights from her own work at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which has focused its efforts on identifying and highlighting the work of the business leaders in this field and raising awareness of the circular economy among the next generation.  

Speakers to include: Stef Kranendijk, CEO, Desso; Dame Ellen MacArthur, founder, Ellen MacArthur Foundation; Penny Shepherd MBE, chief executive, UK Sustainable Investment and Finance (UKSIF); and Paul King, CEO, UK Green Building Council
 
Chair: Matthew Taylor, chief executive, RSA

Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #RSADesso

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