William McDonough, pioneer of the concept of Cradle to Cradle Design™ for the Circular Economy, and Chief Executive of McDonough Innovation, attended the annual WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland last month. Below is a recap.
Ahead of the WEF kickoff, the ICEhouse™ (Innovation for the Circular Economy house) was assembled for the seventh time in Davos. The structure, inspired by Cradle to Cradle Design™️ principles and designed by William McDonough + Partners, was assembled with WonderFrame™️, and serves as an additional meeting place for global leaders and innovators attending the forum each year. ICEhouse is a collaboration with SABIC, Hub Culture, and McDonough Innovation. This year’s partners included Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Guggenheim Investments, Handshake, the New York Times, Imperial College Business School, and Supercool Mobility Centers.
In collaboration with Shaw Industries, early-adopters of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program, the carpet featured inside the structure was Shaw Contract’s carbon-neutral Cradle to Cradle Certified® Shifting Fields carpet tile–an excellent component of the temporary space that embodies a Product As A Service and Circular Economy principles. Following the conference, the structure was once again disassembled and prepared for its continuous reuse. Shaw’s carpet tile, produced at their facility in Scotland, UK was also disassembled and prepared for next use.
McDonough was interviewed by Hub Culture’s Edie Lush, Executive Producer and Co-Host at Global GoalsCast. The annual event between the two longtime friends at the WEF Davos took place in front of the ICEhouse, where Lush inquired McDonough on all things Cradle to Cradle and Circular Economy, as well as what McDonough’s focus is on next: the Circular Carbon Economy. Watch the full interview below.
Additionally, McDonough hosted a dinner discussion at the ICEhouse in collaboration with Handshake, Celebrating Innovations for the Circular Economy and Regenerative Business. The event, attended by leaders in various industries including fashion, finance, packaging, manufacturing and design, explored moving beyond mitigation and defensive tactics to a more future-forward and generationally positive approach to moving the global agenda forward. Discussing how Cradle to Cradle, the Circular Economy, the Circular Carbon Economy, and Regenerative Business will play a critical role in the shaping of the world to come, the conversation focused on what needs to be created and built to ensure our shared future is a prosperous and equitable one.
