Sustainable Views: From football stardom to green investing

Working in sustainability is almost by definition a “career change”, given the recent nature of this area. As far as career moves go, however, few may feel as far apart as those of elite football and niche science.French international footballer Mathieu Flamini has done just that, co-founding GF Biochemicals at the end of his playing days. Football aficionados will remember Flamini’s time with the French national team, England’s Arsenal and Italy’s AC Milan.These days, his focus is on developing a version of levulinic acid, a plant-based alternative to the oil-based chemicals used in paints, cosmetics and other products, that can be mass-produced from agricultural waste. Flamini believes this could transform industries and cut carbon emissions; investors seem to agree with him. GF Biochemicals has secured €15mn of funding for this development, and has already a couple of hundred patents for plant-based substances.In an interview at the Financial Times studio in London on October 2, Flamini talks to Alex Janiaud about the need to channel capital into the climate transition, his work with the French government, and ESG regulation. He also shares his views on the UK government's watering down of climate targets.-Register to our daily newsletter here: https://www.sustainableviews.com/sv/request-free-trial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Confused about sustainability? You’re not alone. Environmental, social and governance factors, or ESG, are increasingly a headache for business, finance and world leaders alike. Now even policymakers are creating rules to govern this space. It’s hard to keep up and make sense of it all. So let us help you by sharing some of the most interesting views shaping this space. Join your host, Silvia Pavoni, as she talks to the people living and breathing sustainability – and a few critics too. (We can’t promise this will be a completely jargon-free space, but we shall try!)Want to talk to us directly? Email sustainable.views@ft.com. Want to find out more about Sustainable Views? Visit www.sustainableviews.comSustainable Views is an intelligence service by the Financial Times Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.