During our session in September 2024, the 2030 community gathered for Umicore Case study, with Thomas Leysen, the Chair of the board of this reknown Belgian company. The session was entitled « The Cleantech Revolution, Realities and Opportunities. A Umicore Perspective » and invited us to explore the future of clean technologies, focusing on sustainability within the heavy industry. The discussions led to valuable insights, particularly during the sub-group exchanges and individual reflections.
Key reflections from the sub-group discussions
Participants engaged deeply on the topic of electric vehicles (EVs) and their role in decarbonizing the transportation sector. One of the recurring themes was the importance of strong regulatory frameworks to accelerate EV adoption. While consumer preferences and market forces play a role, it became clear that incentives and regulations will be critical to pushing both industries and individuals toward sustainable transportation solutions.
Another prominent point was how collaboration across industries and with regulators is essential to achieving sustainability goals. Participants highlighted the necessity of working with competitors, sharing knowledge, and collectively shaping laws that promote long-term environmental and social benefits.
Introspections: individual lessons learned
Beyond the group exchanges, the session also sparked individual introspections. Here are some of the key takeaways shared by participants:
- Underpromise and overdeliver: Many participants agreed that businesses should commit to realistic sustainability targets and exceed them, rather than overpromising and underdelivering. This approach not only builds trust with stakeholders, including shareholders but also maintains credibility in the face of growing external pressures.
- Acting on behaviors: It was emphasized that sustainability isn’t just about technology or regulations—it’s also about changing behaviors at every level. Whether in leadership, consumer choices or within teams, aligning daily actions with sustainability goals is essential.
- Balancing sustainability with profitability: The need to conciliate business performance with sustainability was another important theme. Reflecting on how companies can embed ethical decision-making into business models without compromising long-term profitability was seen as a key challenge for many.
- Thinking beyond recycling: While recycling is crucial, several participants encouraged thinking beyond this to reduce and reuse within supply chains. Sustainability efforts need to include the entire value stream to maximize impact. It recalled our previous session on Technology and Innovation in which Pierre Raskin, teacher at UCLouvain, shared with us the not 5 but 11 Rs of Zero Waste approach.
Moving forward with optimism
The session closed with a sense of optimism, reinforced by the shared experiences and reflections. It was a reminder that while the road to sustainability is filled with challenges, the collective will and collaboration within our 2030 community can help us reach our goals.
One participant shared: “It made me feel better to see that the journey is hard for everyone, but the destination remains the same. Let’s keep going!”
Join the conversation: What are your key takeaways from navigating sustainability in your business? How do you balance ethical dilemmas with financial objectives?
