Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World

J. Doyne Farmer is director of the Complexity Economics program at the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, Baillie Gifford Professor in the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, and an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He is a renowned physicist and complex systems scientist with a career spanning more than four decades. As a pioneer in chaos theory and complexity science, he has made significant contributions to understanding dynamic systems and their applications in various fields, including economics and financial markets.

In this conversation with Dave Young, the Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute’s Center for Climate & Sustainability, Doyne discusses his journey from astrophysics to pioneering work in chaos theory and complex systems. He explains how modern computational power and big data are revolutionizing economic modeling, sharing insights from his team’s accurate prediction of COVID-19’s economic impact in the U.K. Farmer argues for a shift from traditional macroeconomic models to more dynamic, data-driven approaches that can capture the intricacies of our complex economic systems.

Tomohiro (Tomo) Ishikawa is a financial executive with more than 25 years of experience in investment banking, regulatory affairs, and sustainable finance. Currently serving as the chief regulatory engagement Officer at MUFG and head of the corporate planning division, Tomo also holds key positions in global sustainability initiatives, including membership in the MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) Sustainable Finance Advisory Panel and the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative.

As one of Japan’s largest financial institutions, MUFG has committed to achieving net-zero emissions in its finance portfolio by 2050 and has pledged to provide ¥100 trillion (approximately US$660 billion) in sustainable finance by 2030.

In this conversation with Dave Young, the global leader of BCG Henderson Institute’s Center for Climate & Sustainability, Tomo highlights MUFG’s role as its clients’ partner in achieving net-zero targets and underscores the necessity of balancing energy security, affordability, and CO2 reduction in the transition process.

Judy Samuelson is a seasoned leader with more than four decades of experience spanning public policy, philanthropy, and business education. As the founder and executive director of the Aspen Business and Society Program at the Aspen Institute for the past 26 years, she has been driving change to align business decisions with societal well-being. Her diverse career includes roles as director at the Ford Foundation, vice president at Bankers Trust Company, and a legislative aide in California, complemented by her education from Yale School of Management and UCLA.

In this conversation with Dave Young, the Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute’s Center for Climate & Sustainability, Judy covers the evolving role of business in society, emphasizing the importance of intangibles like reputation and employee engagement. Judy highlights the need for businesses to embrace a purpose beyond profit and to integrate this purpose into their operations and decision-making processes. Further, she critiques the narrow focus on shareholder value.

Today’s guests are Janine Guillot, Judy Samuelson, Gary Knell, and Ron Soonieus. Janine is the former CEO of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Judy is the founder and executive director of the Aspen Business and Society Program. Gary is the former CEO at National Geographic, and Ron is a director in residence at INSEAD. Janine, Gary, and Ron are senior advisors to BCG.

In this conversation with Dave Young, the global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute’s Center for Climate & Sustainability, the expert panel covers the intricate role of business in addressing global challenges such as climate change, economic inequality, and social justice. Key topics include the evolution of fiduciary duty, the importance of sustainability disclosure, and the critical role of employees and partnerships in fostering a more just and sustainable society.

Today’s guests are Wendy Woods, Robert (Hutch) Hutchinson, and Richard Kidd. Wendy is BCG’s Vice Chair of the Social Impact, Climate & Sustainability practice, Robert is a Senior Advisor to BCG and Senior Fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Richard is a Senior Advisor to BCG and Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment & Energy Resilience.

In this conversation with Dave Young, the Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute’s Center for Climate & Sustainability, our expert panel considers the challenges and strategies pivotal to the energy transition and sustainability efforts globally—including the significant impact of collaborative initiatives and the crucial role of innovative thinking in overcoming systemic barriers to decarbonization.

Sameer Bharadwaj received a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Harvard University. He started his career as a research engineer at Dow Chemical Company before progressing into multiple executive roles at Cabot Corporation. Today, as the CEO of Orbia, he leads a purpose-driven company that is addressing critical global challenges spanning water & food security, decarbonization & the energy transition, and information access & connectivity. Orbia’s strategic innovations —whether advancements in more environmentally-friendly PVC and fluor technologies, lighter-footprint solutions for urban climate resilience, precision agriculture, telecommunications, or the EV transition—are emblematic of the company's transformation journey in bringing purpose to life and sustainable solutions to market.

In this conversation with Dave Young, the Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute's Center for Climate & Sustainability, Sameer highlights Orbia's approach to integrating sustainability into its business model and leveraging its diverse portfolio to drive global development and pursue a net-positive future.

In this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Tony Goldner, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

Together, they discuss the urgent need to address businesses’ impact on nature and the opportunities and risks that businesses face. They discuss the role that business ecosystems, corporate transparency, and public-private partnerships can play in the solution. Goldner also explains the similarities and differences with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the imperative for businesses to focus on climate and nature simultaneously, rather than simply one or the other.

***

About the BCG Henderson Institute

The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In the latest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews David Stanton, CEO of UGSI Solutions, an infrastructure technology supplier to water, wastewater, and energy industries.

Together, they discuss the challenges and values of helping companies enhance their sustainability by effectively dealing with their waste streams to achieve operational efficiencies and business model advantages. Stanton explains the shift in perspective that organizations face when deciding how to best allocate their waste so that it can be reinvested into the economy instead of simply disposing and destroying them.

***

About the BCG Henderson Institute

The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In the newest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Art and Annin Peck.

Art is the former CEO of GAP Inc. and Executive Chair and Partner at fashion start-up The Great as well as a Boston Consulting Group alum. Annin leads sustainability at GAP Inc. as the Director of ESG Strategy and Business Integration.

They discuss the evolution of GAP Inc.’s sustainability strategy, how ambitious goals can drive business innovation, the force multiplier effects that data and technology can effect within sustainability efforts, and how consumer-facing companies can help consumers make more informed and sustainable choices.

***

About the BCG Henderson Institute

The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In the newest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — is joined by BCG Senior Advisors Peter Tollman and Ron Soonieus. 

They discuss how CEOs and Boards partner to create strategic advantage through sustainability, the evolution of corporations’ roles in society, and the criticality of the G in ESG.

Ron’s perspective is informed by his decades of experience on both sides of the corporate agency divide as an executive and board member. Peter leads BCG’s CEO Advisory program where his decades of experience within BCG advising clients enables him to work alongside CEOs to elevate the success of the companies and organizations they lead.

***

About the BCG Henderson Institute

The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.