Michael Braungart
Michael Braungart is an internationally recognized author, scientist, and environmental activist who is best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of resetting business as usual and advocating for green chemistry and sustainability. His award-winning books have deeply influenced the environmental movement and made their impact felt in the business world.
Michael Braungart is the founder and CEO of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), a unique consultancy that focuses on creating cradle-to-cradle (C2C) designs for products, materials, and buildings. The MBDC team is dedicated to developing eco-effective solutions for managing resources in a more sustainable way, bringing about a circular economy. Braungart is also the co-author of two award-winning books—Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (2002) and Cradle to Cradle: The Way We Make Things (2007)—that together have helped shape a new paradigm of environmental activism based on the principles of circular economy and eco-effectiveness.
Braungart earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1989 and was named Professor of Environmental Protection andResearch at the University of Bonn in 1994. He also served as Undersecretary General of the United Nations Environmental Programme from 1996-1997. He has been widely recognized as a pioneer and innovator in the field of sustainability, receiving awards and recognitions such as The McKinsey Award, The Innovation Prize of the German Economy, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Environmental Education by the American Association for Science and Nature.
Braungart's book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, has been widely praised for its innovative approach to sustainability and restorative product design. In the book, Braungart and co-author William McDonough propose a new approach to product design based on the idea of closed loop production, in which materials are recycled, reused, or composted in a way that eliminates waste. Drawing upon the principles of green chemistry, the book provides practical strategies for creating products that are beneficial for the environment and for people, such as designing materials that are non-toxic and can be reused, upcycled, and recycled.
Cradle to Cradle: The Way We Make Things shifts the focus from product design and manufacturing to the broader context of sustainability and environmental justice. In this book, Braungart and McDonough extend the definition and scope of sustainability to include the broader implications of human activities, such as climate change and water scarcity. The authors show how sustainability can become a powerful tool to create social, environmental, and economic prosperity and how, through the adoption of green business practices and C2C design, we can build a better world.
Michael Braungart has fundamentally changed how we think about sustainability, and his work has garnered widespread media coverage and recognition in the business world and beyond. He continues to be a leader, advocate, and teacher for sustainable initiatives, offering groundbreaking solutions to the pressing challenges of our time.
