Last year, Whirlpool introduced a novel insulation technology that could represent a significant breakthrough in refrigerator design and sustainability. The technology, known as SlimTech™, replaces traditional polyurethane foam with a proprietary powder-like material held in a vacuum, addressing longstanding recyclability issues in refrigerator manufacturing.

Pam Klyn, executive vice president of corporate relations and sustainability at Whirlpool, joins the podcast to talk about SlimTech and the broader landscape for sustainable refrigeration and emissions reporting. Like many multinationals, Whirlpool faces challenges in managing Scope 3 emissions, which largely depend on product use in consumers' homes. They're developing systems to better estimate and report these emissions while focusing on tangible product improvements. Innovations like SlimTech support the company's goal for net-zero emissions in its operations by 2025 and a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 compared to 2016 levels. But while appliance manufacturers like Whirlpool have made substantial improvements in energy efficiency, the source of electricity powering homes also has a major impact on emissions.

Highlights from Pam Klyn

Challenges with polyurethane in refrigeration (2:00)
What is SlimTech? (3:18)
Whirlpool's road map for SlimTech's end of use applications (5:26)
Global landscape for sustainable refrigeration (7:03)
Whirlpool's leadership in sustainability (9:12)
The role of the grid in modern home appliances (11:32)
Challenges and opportunities in reporting emissions (13:02)
Challenges in complying with different regulations worldwide (16:33)
Whirlpool's net-zero goals (19:10)

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Buildings are responsible for about 40% of energy related carbon emissions around the world. That means any conversation about reducing emissions and achieving net-zero goals will have to feature insights about the efficient construction and – perhaps more importantly – operation of buildings.

Mark Reinbold, vice president of Global Sustainable Infrastructure at Johnson Controls, joins the show to discuss what he gleaned from attending COP28 in Dubai about how business executives and other experts are factoring infrastructure into their sustainability strategies. Mark shares some of the key findings from research Johnson Controls conducted with Forrester Consulting about smart building trends and outlines the role technologies like artificial intelligence are playing amid the expansion of the concept of net zero buildings-as-a-service.

Highlights from Mark Reinbold

Conversations about sustainability with global leaders - (1:52)
Common roadblocks to more sustainable infrastructure - (6:28)
Have global gatherings like COP and Davos 'jumped the shark'? - (8:08)
Any deal follow-up from COP28 - (10:15)
Expanding Net Zero-as-a-Service - (12:59)
Key takeaways from Forrester Research on smart building trends - (16:09)
Examples of artificial intelligence delivering for smart buildings - (19:05)
Showcase project: University of North Dakota - (23:30)
How renewable energy is factoring into projects - (26:05)
Mark's bold predictions about sustainable infrastructure - (29:25)

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Mars, Inc., is a giant in the snack industry and also has a huge footprint in the petcare and food & nutrition sectors. Diverse lines of business usually present complex sustainability challenges. Autumn Fox, Climate and Sustainability Senior Manager at Mars, joins the show to discuss the details of Mars' Net Zero Roadmap. The roadmap outlines what Mars views as the 5 Fundamental Elements of Net Zero and offers details about how Mars is addressing major issues, like deforestation, water scarcity, and decarbonizing supply chains.

Our conversation, which also features SmartBrief Food & Beverage Content Editor Janet Kendall, delves into some unexpected areas ... like Mars' climate Boot Camp and what Autumn and her team do to solve the sustainability challenges related to pet anesthesia. Yes, pet anesthesia. This was a fun and informative episode. Enjoy!

More resources from Mars

Mars Launches New Coalition to Mobilize Suppliers & Accelerate Climate Action
Mars hails expansion of global coalition to mobilize suppliers on climate action

Highlights from Autumn Fox
Background info about the origin of Mars' Net Zero Roadmap - (2:36)
Getting buy-in from stakeholders across the company - (3:19)
Science-based targets and other aspects of Mars' Net Zero Roadmap - (4:14)
The 5 Fundamental Elements of Net Zero - (5:00)
Sustainable packaging - (6:20)
The impact net-zero goals have on Mars' recipes - (7:55)
Decarbonizing a complex global supply chain - (9:18)
Agriculture and regenerative farming -(12:52)
Communications best practices with farmers - (14:41)
Tackling deforestation - (16:10)
Addressing water scarcity - (18:59)
Net zero when it comes to pet supply businesses and veterinary clinics - (20:51)
The energy Mars uses to power its operations - (22:30)
What Mars learned from looking in the mirror - (24:14)
Autumn's bold predictions about Mars' sustainable future - (25:39)
Climate Boot Camp - (26:55)
What other companies can take away from Mars' Net Zero Roadmap - (28:36)

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