In this post, Ampleen catches up with Paul Scott, a member of the “global sustainability team” in the largest privately owned company in the perfume and flavor business, Firmenich. Paul’s global experience along with his experience at both for-profit and non-profit organizations offers a well-rounded perspective on some of today’s biggest sustainability issues. Here, Paul shares some insights on what attracted him to sustainability, the differences between sustainability in the private sector and the non-profit world, and his goals as a sustainability officer in the flavor and fragrance industry.
What led you to get into the sustainability field after school, and what was your initial interest in this area?
I studied geography for my bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s in global development, and my interest in sustainability really comes from this background as a geographer. The complexities of the social, environmental, economic and governance aspects of a globalized economy are the core of many concepts in geography (in one way or another). Unpacking these interactions and understanding the complexities (and history) of the world that we live in gave me a good background for working in sustainability. My interest in geography also afforded me the opportunity to travel and investigate new places and people — exposing me to the “connectiveness” of a globalized world — a concept that I feel is key to sustainability.
You have experience in both the public and private sectors in your sustainability work. What’s the biggest difference that you have seen between the two in terms of sustainability methodology and approach?
I think many of us who work in sustainability have both public and private sector experience as the nature of sustainability means there is a need to have a multi-sector approach. From my experience, the biggest difference is urgency. In the public sector, you are able to take a longer-term view, but perhaps it’s a little more academic or idealistic. In the private sector, the urgency to achieve results is more intense, and thus your solutions have to be more practical and swift. Obviously, both approaches have their risks and opportunities. For me, recent work by a number of well-known global companies is really pushing the boundaries for how we view and respond to sustainability challenges – taking the private sector into a leadership role in the space that wasn’t there 10 years ago. A proxy for this could be seen at the Rio and the Rio+ Summits – the private sector was on the periphery of the first summit but central to Rio+20. It’s great that more cross-sector partnerships are happening as this will drive quicker, more appropriate and more efficient responses to sustainability challenges.
You have worked on clean-tech innovation for both the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and emerging economies. What similarities and differences have you observed in the clean-tech market place? What opportunities, challenges and gaps do you see?
Obviously, the market environment and access to financing has to be right in both markets to enable innovation and commercialization of clean technology. One major difference I see is that the business case is much less reliant on government “climate” policy in emerging markets than in OECD markets. The proportion of income that is spent on energy and food and the lack of access to clean water along with barriers to markets and supply volatility make many sustainability innovations in emerging economies viable without the need for formal policy in place to support the development of the sector. Off-grid energy or water solutions are a great example of this, as well as snacks foods that have added vitamins and minerals.
As a sustainability officer in the flavor and fragrance industry, what’s your personal mission, and what do you wish to achieve in this capacity over the next few years?
It’s a really exciting time to be involved in the sustainability space in the flavor and fragrance industry. I’ll be focused on a number of exciting initiatives. First, I’ll be working on better understanding consumers, what their understanding of sustainability is and what their sustainability desires are — both in developed and emerging economies. Second, I think the health and nutrition agenda will continue to gain prominence — reducing calories and adding vitamins, especially with “base of pyramid” populations. Last, I’m very excited about creating value for consumers through better traceability of the ingredients in their products, and connecting producers and consumers to enhance the consumption experience.
Many young people are interested in a career in sustainability. What is your advice to them?
Be passionate, be collaborative and get involved (in whatever way you can). Small steps lead to big opportunities.
What do you think of the interview with Paul? Let us know of your feedback!
Paul Scott is a sustainability specialist with experience in advising on market entry and business models and he has expertise in clean technology, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and international trade. Prior to joining Firmenich, Paul worked at the World Bank, the Australian Trade Commission and a U.K.-based development consultancy. He holds an MPA in economic and energy policy from Columbia University, an M.A. in international development from Manchester University, and a B.S. in geography from the University of Durham.
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