Have you heard about China’s six zeros policy for building materials?
Probably not. We heard about it through Shane Hodgkins of Matrak, one of our speakers at Circular Disruption. We Googled it, with thin pickings. Even in the age of AI.
Coming out of the all-consuming Circular Disruption Forum we held on Wednesday, it’s astounding the vast canyon that exists between what the mainstream says and what’s really going on under the surface.
At the event, we could see real action on the ground from people who are trying to invent a new future. Thing is they won’t be beaten down. They know it’s tough, but their dreams and persistence are tougher.
While the Nationals and the Liberals are actualising some kind of Death Metal politics by rejecting net zero, the heart of the sustainability industry is not perturbed.
“Let them eat cake” was the sentiment of some in the room on Wednesday. “We’re doing just fine; momentum is on our side.”
Sure, after January this year, the entire sustainability industry pretty much lay down and played dead when the anti climate ideologues took over the White House, but now there’s bite back.
The “socialist lunatics” as Trump has dubbed Zohran Mamdani and pals have indeed taken over the asylum – starting with New York but also working their way through other cities conveniently located in the red states.
Trump has vowed to circle the wagons and choke off supplies.
But does anyone care? Are they even listening?
Nope.
Chicken Little has done his dash and no-one believes the old codger any more. The thing about smoke and mirrors is that the next bright thing to grab attention wins.
At Circular Disruption we got wind of much more than bright new things. We saw several potential green unicorns, critical thinking and how financial and political frameworks were changing to build the transition. More importantly we saw truckloads of passion and commitment.
Hello world!
But in Australia, while parts – not all – members of the Libs and Nats are determined to take this country back to the Stone Age, politically speaking, the good news is that money is a bigger momentum.
From what we could see there’s so much pressure building for climate and sustainability solutions that more than a few are close to breaking through to that sweet commercial spot where demand and supply meet.
China gets it.
To be blunt it can see what side its bread is buttered on and it’s not Death Metal.
Check out our first report on the event and look out for more deep dives. It will lift your spirits.
Meanwhile China’s six zeros for building materials are: zero purchased electricity, zero fossil fuels, zero primary resources, zero carbon emissions, zero waste, and zero staff.
Number six is probably about robotics and we wish they’d stuck at our favourite magic number, five.