eXXpedition Co-Founder and ocean advocate Emily Penn will share her insights on the importance of sustainability and the critical role of businesses in the circular economy at Episode 2 of e’ffect 2020 happening on 24th September 2020.
The recent Best Run podcast entitled “Creating a Cleaner Ocean with Innovative Thinking” hosted by Rushenka Perera, Head of Marketing ANZ at SAP, guested e’ffect 2020 keynote speaker Emily Penn.
The podcast somehow gave us a preview of what Penn will discuss in the second episode of e’ffect 2020, a three-part series featuring industry experts and renowned Australian business leaders. Emily shared with Rushenka eXXpedition’s advocacy in understanding product lifecycles, the ShiFT platform, and the role of businesses in a circular economy.
Project eXXpedition
As an international public speaker and advisor on issues relating to our ocean, Emily Penn set up project eXXpedition in 2014 with a mission to inspire and facilitate a community of changemakers as well as support the development of upstream solutions to the ocean plastic issue with the help of corporate partners, scientists and government bodies. The double XX in the project name represents the all-female voyagers who sail the seas understanding plastic and toxic pollution.
Aside from local NGOs and scientific partnerships, collaboration with business organisations helps eXXpedition fulfill its mission. Penn said:
“There are also the businesses who support eXXpedition’s work and creating the change that we want to see in the world. Businesses supporting financially as sponsors towards the voyages to sea – taking 300 women around the world over the next couple years as part of the research into plastic and toxic pollution.”
Qualtrics and the SHiFT Platform
Penn also created the SHiFT Method, which sprung from her decade-long experience out at the sea, to help people find their role in solving the world’s most pressing concerns. She experienced the “shift” from being a Cambridge-trained architect to becoming an ocean advocate finding solutions for plastic pollution.
eXXpedition and SAP have been delving into product lifecycles and sustainability for the past year to help people and businesses navigate the hundreds of solutions available today. Leveraging SAP technology, the SHiFT Method has been transformed into a digital entity now known as the SHiFT Platform.
“Using Qualtrics, we’ve set up a system on the Shift platform that helps you navigate these hundreds of solutions,” Penn shared.
She said:
“It takes you on this journey asking what kind of action you want to take. Are you at the beginning of your journey where you just want to learn what’s going on, or are you looking to be leader in this space?”
The SHiFT platform enables users to select how, in what aspect of life, and where they want to create a shift, from sea to source. By using filters, users can quickly navigate hundreds of solutions applicable to make their desired shift.
“It’s a tool designed for all sorts of people, but there’s a lot on there for businesses to really help effectively change their supply chain, how they do things, and how they operate,” Penn added.
Businesses’ Contribution in the Circular Economy
Penn emphasised that today’s consumers are expecting sustainable options and legislation, which should be strongly considered by businesses. According to her, creating a circular economy is about living and producing in circles, as seen in nature.
“The idea of a circular economy is to think in that same mindset. If you can close the loop then we can avoid living how we live now, which is this very linear society where we take something, usually oil from the ground to make something like fuel or plastic, and then there’s a waste product at the end, like the plastic ends up in the ocean or landfill, or in the form of fuel it’s waste carbon dioxide that ends up in the atmosphere. We’re trying to close that linear system into a closed-loop,” she explained.
Penn highlighted that people and businesses should focus on innovation to be able to create new sustainable products at scale.
Register here to join Emily Penn and other keynote speakers in the virtual event e’ffect 2020: The Ultimate Innovation Experience Event.
