Google: Searching for a Circular Transition

Kate E. Brandt

Kate Brandt leads sustainability across Google’s worldwide operations and products. In this role, Brandt works with Google’s data centers, real estate, supply chain, and product teams to ensure that the company capitalizes on opportunities to advance sustainability and a circular economy.

Previously, Brandt served as the nation's first federal Chief Sustainability Officer, promoting sustainability across all U.S. government operations, including 360,000 buildings, 650,000 vehicles, and $445 billion/year in purchased goods and services.

Humankind is consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate. Recent data show that society’s demand for resources is equivalent to 1.7 Earths. Believing that businesses should help change the narrative, Google has committed to embedding circular economic principles into the fabric of their infrastructure, operations, and culture. They are also exploring how city leaders and citizens can use Google technology to gather, refine, and analyze data to create cities that are circular by design. In this talk, Brandt will discuss how Google has adopted the circular economy model and the innovation opportunities it brings.

Refreshments will be served.