Episode Details

Episode Overview

Graeme Codrington (Johannesburg) and Dean Van Leeuwen (South of London) explore fresh “grey elephant” signals—from subterranean data centres and living with a >2°C world, to UN reform rumblings—then sit down with Øistein Jensen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Oddfjell, to unpack how a 110-year-old global chemical shipping company is tackling decarbonisation, supply-chain due diligence, and industry-wide collaboration.

Key Topics Discussed

Grey Elephants Radar

• Converging, high-impact forces post-COVID; a once-in-a-century transformation.
• Strategy lens: identify weak signals early; turn risk into opportunity.

Subterranean Data Centres

• Old mines/bunkers reimagined as “underground data fortresses.”
• Strategic logic: protect critical data; manage cooling, power, and resilience.
• Side bet: cooling technology becomes a shovel-in-the-gold-rush play.

Living with >2°C

• Move beyond “prevention only” to adaptation + resilience at scale.
• Practical mindset shift (as with COVID): learn to operate in new conditions.

UN & Multipolarity Weak Signals

• Calls for African representation; scrutiny of Security Council veto power.
• Diplomatic flashpoints as indicators of a shifting geopolitical order.
• Boardroom takeaway: model tariff shocks, sanctions, supply-route rewiring.

BANI World & Grey Elephants

• Today’s reality: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible.
• Build antifragile strategies before the stampede starts.

The Quiz

• First military “drone” use: Austrian incendiary balloons over Venice (1849).

Interview — Øistein Jensen, CSO, Oddfjell

• Decarbonisation now: efficiency first; multiple fuels/tech—no single silver bullet.
• Regulation & level playing field: strong IMO rules to avoid “go-bankrupt green.”
• Holistic value chain: avoid offloading emissions upstream; measure Scope 3.
• Data & transparency: rising customer expectations across the full chain.
• Partnerships: industry bodies, local forums on human rights, technology co-dev.
• Supplier due diligence: shared platforms (e.g., Achilles) cut duplication and lift standards.
• Embedding sustainability: company-wide incentives tied to climate trajectories.

Featured Guest

Øistein Jensen — Chief Sustainability Officer, Oddfjell (global leader in chemical shipping). Oversees sustainability, compliance and strategic safety. Former submarine commander in the Royal Norwegian Navy; prior experience at PwC.

Connect with Graeme and Dean

• Connect with Graeme Codrington on LinkedIn
• Email Dean Van Leeuwen: Dean@tomorrowtoday.consulting
• Explore the 7 Grey Elephants: www.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/greyelephants
• General enquiries: hello@tomorrowtoday.consulting

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Keywords

grey elephants, BANI, multipolarity, UN reform, underground data centres, mines to data fortresses, climate adaptation, >2°C world, shipping decarbonisation, Oddfjell, Øis