Gunter Pauli, a pioneering entrepreneur and sustainability advocate, captivated the audience as the keynote speaker at the Vlerick Sustainability Centre launch event in Brussels. Pauli’s talk focused on the urgent need for new business models that combine profitability with caring for the environment.
Pauli began by highlighting the worsening situation for gorillas as a symbol of our broader environmental problems. He emphasised that doing the same ineffective things over and over while expecting different results is pointless. Real change, he argued, requires a new way of thinking about business and sustainability.
Gunter Pauli explains how companies are stuck in a linear line where we keep on polluting and don't know what to do with it.
Pauli stressed that real innovation isn't just about new technology but also about rethinking how businesses operate. He criticised the common approach of simply reducing harm, comparing it to a thief promising to steal less – a strategy that still doesn’t make things right. Instead, Pauli called for business models that actively solve environmental problems and create value. For Pauli, zero emissions means turning all waste into useful resources.
Pauli introduced the "Blue Economy", a framework designed to transcend the limitations of the green economy. The blue economy promotes sustainable and inclusive business models, making innovative solutions affordable and accessible to all. This approach is based on using local resources and generating multiple revenue streams from a single process.
Pauli's book 'The Blue Economy' was a response to his frustration in fighting for the green economy. In the green economy, whatever is good for you and good for the environment is too expensive for many people.
Gunter gives an example of what we can learn from termites and how to apply this in construction.
The keynote served as a compelling manifesto for the blue economy, urging a shift from harmful traditional practices to innovative, sustainable business models. The examples provided demonstrate that profitability and environmental responsibility can coexist. By rethinking resource use and value generation, a future is envisioned where businesses thrive and contribute to planetary well-being. The call to action is clear: embrace innovation, prioritise sustainability, and inspire the next generation to continue the journey towards a truly sustainable economy.
The Vlerick Sustainability Centre is a community of companies embracing sustainability, with the ambition to be part of the leading coalition in realising positive change. These companies will drive our sustainability research agenda, and we’ll bring them together regularly to provide them with inspiration, moments of connection, impactful insights, and new tools and concepts.