October 1, 2025 • 22 mins
When it comes to power technology, the future is shaped by the decisions we make today. In this episode, Kim sits down with Tara to explore what sustainability really means for Cummins and why it’s more than a buzzword.
It’s a strategy. A mindset. A movement.
Together, they unpack Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy, circular economy principles, and the role design plays in building a healthier planet. With honesty and energy, Tara shares how Cummins is simplifying sustainability for its people and why focusing on your sphere of influence might be the most powerful thing you can do.
Whether you’re designing the future of energy or choosing what to wear tomorrow, this episode will show you how small actions can lead to a big impact.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy links sustainability to growth and impact
- Why the circular economy is about recycling and designing smarter from the start
- How Cummins is empowering employees to take action, not just take notes
Additional Resources
- Cummins Chair, CEO announces goal to double fuel efficiency work with customers
- Does the pace of the energy transition influence decarbonization goals?
- What is circular economy?
- Climate transition plan: Circular economy model
- Cummins environmental sustainability
- Sustainability reports library
- Cummins water works: Addressing the global water crisis
Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the [3-minute Power Up] to get breakthrough stories and the latest innovations in power technology delivered straight to your inbox: https://www.cummins.com/news/podcast#subscribe
Dive into the conversation:
(00:00) This is Power Onward
(01:28) Why Tara made sustainability personal
(02:49) What Destination Zero really means
(03:26) Breaking down and simplifying sustainability
(05:29) Why decarbonization matters at Cummins
(06:34) Fuel-agnostic engines and customer-focused innovation
(08:09) Renewable energy and powering manufacturing responsibly
(08:38) Circular economy: use less, use better, use again
(10:37) Navigating the energy transition with confidence
(12:35) Why sustainability is good business
(15:38) What gives Tara hope for the future
(17:16) The “no new clothes” challenge and engaging employees
(19:33) Designing products for a full lifecycle
(19:54) Employee engagement and action through sustainability influencers
(20:44) Final thoughts: sustainability happens now or not at all
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
This is Power Onward,
the podcast that wheels how powertechnology shapes your everyday life.
Transform the area you arelistening to, power our work.
What is power in your world? Onward.
(00:26):
This is Power Onward,
the podcast that unveils how powertechnology shapes your everyday life.
You're out for a walk on a crisp,clear morning. It's peaceful,
but the world is alreadyhumming with activity.
What powers our worldisn't always visible,
but it's everywhere it feels.
(00:46):
The things we rely on and shapesthe world will leave behind.
At first it might feel simple, but behindit all are the complexities of power,
technology and evenmore complex decisions.
Decisions about how we designpower and build for the future.
Decisions about what we protect andwhat we're willing to change. For Tara,
(01:07):
this is far from abstract, it'spersonal. As a mother of two,
she's thinking aboutsustainability. Long-term.
Tara grew up believing you should choosethe work that makes an impact today.
That means pushing forcleaner air, cleaner water,
and a strategy that makes space forboth planet and profit. I'm Kim.
(01:28):
And I'm Tara.
Tara,
when did sustainability become the workyou wanted to dedicate yourself to?
I remember when I wentto college, I said, oh,
I'm going to be an environmental engineer,
and I was convinced to be a mechanicalengineer because it broader,
but I never lost that passion.
And after however many16, 17 years at Cummins,
(01:52):
I finally wanted to diveinto that sustainability area
more, and I got the opportunityto do that. And I interviewed,
called my mom and said, I gotthe job. And she said, well,
you always said you were goingto save the rainforest one day.
It's something that's been really,
really a passion for me at theforefront of what I do and who I am.
(02:14):
I love to help people,
and so I feel that helpingpeople physically is a
big thing that we can do.
And then if we can help peoplementally as well, that's even more so.
And then the environmentkind of overlaps them both.
And so I feel like the easiest way forme to help people and impact people
(02:34):
is to help the environment.
You say that so lightly,
but it is really impactful and all ofthese things are intertwined. Tara,
I've seen a lot of updatedmessaging around Destination Zero.
Can you tell our audiencewhat Destination Zero is?
Sure. Yeah.
So we have just gone through ourmidpoint review of our goals,
(02:55):
and we did a rebranding ofour sustainability strategy,
which is now called Destination Zero.
So really when you lookat Destination Zero,
it's our commitment tosustainability and then helping our
customers navigate this energy transitionall while growing our business.
And so that's really where wemarry the purpose of our company,
(03:16):
mission of our company withthe profitability and growth.
Now at Cummins, we always talkabout simplifying sustainability.
What exactly does that mean?
That's a good one, because when youthink of sustainability, climate change,
it can be intimidating, debilitating,even. I mean, even for me.
So really when I think ofsimplifying it for Cummins,
(03:39):
it's about three things I focuson. It's let's figure out,
when we talk about sustainability,what it means to us.
When I'm thinking aboutsimplifying it, it's like, okay,
let's clarify whatsustainability means to us.
Let's explain what we're doing andthen let's connect it to people's work.
So when we clarify it, it's not just, oh,
(04:02):
I'm going to go out and hug a tree.
How are we sustaining our company?
How are we sustaining our employeesand pulling them along through this
energy transition as well,
and making sure they still feelrelevant with their skills,
and then they can adapt tothis changing environment.
How do we sustain our communitieswhere we operate? That's huge.
(04:25):
And then how do we continue to help ourcustomers and sustain our customers and
their growth that's going to help us as a.
Company. Exactly.
So sustainability is,
it's simple when youput it in those terms,
and then you think about explaining whatare our goals and aspirations in this
space,
and then making sure we connectthose things with people's work and
(04:49):
so that they can feel a part of thestrategy so that we can bring them along.
And that's what I've been pushingfor in the sustainability.
Space. That's a big part.
I recently participated in a e EEC wherewe were helping to garden and harvest
some different cropsin Indianapolis. To me,
it's so impactful to see that Ithink 61,000 of our employees are
(05:10):
participating in volunteering within thecommunities to make it a better space.
And it all starts with thosethree goals that you laid out,
which understandably it is, yousaid debilitating. And to me,
I felt that same way whenmy parents had asked me,
what is Cummins doing for sustainability?
Because.
There's so many things youdon't know where to start.
(05:31):
And identifying those three pillarsreally does lay it out in a simple way.
Let's talk about decarbonization.Why does decarbonization matter?
And what are we doing atCummins to work towards that?
Oh, well, that's a big questionbecause we're doing so much,
which is amazing. So I'm notgoing to list everything,
(05:53):
but decarbonization does matter.We want to see our communities,
our company, our employees thrive.
So how do we do that from anaspect of making sure where we
provide healthy communities, a healthierplanet to allow that to happen,
even when you look atour company's mission,
making people's lives better bypowering a more prosperous world.
(06:14):
And in order to do that,you need a healthier planet.
So decarbonization is thecatalyst to be able to
make that happen, to makethat healthier planet.
And some of the ways thatwe're doing that at Cummins,
when you look at our products,
we have fuel agnostic enginesthat we're working on.
And what does that mean forour audience that may not know?
It's where you just keep the base engineand then you change all the bits on
(06:38):
top, basically. And then you canuse different types of fuels,
and that helps our customers.
And if they want to uselower carbon fuels or
wherever they are in their sustainabilityjourney, we can help them along.
Meeting them where they.
Are. Yeah, exactly. So it'sreally customer focused.
And we have hybrids where we haveour diesel mixed with the electric.
(07:01):
We have some of the things that we'redoing with fuel economy projects.
So those are making sure,
even for those customers thatwe have out in the field,
how can we improve their fuel efficiency?So how did they use less fuel?
Very cool.
Very cool. Which saving money,less carbon. Yeah, yeah,
I was going to get to that. Right? For us,
(07:22):
it's a win-win because it's less carbonemissions for us from the use of our
products, but also for our customers.
They spend less money on the fuel that'sneeded to carry out their everyday
truly a win. So there's that.
And then we have renewable energies,which we focus on with our facilities.
So solar arrays that we haveat different plants that
(07:45):
help us to power our facilities andour manufacturing and manufacturing
facilities. So.
Very cool.
There are a lot of times where we seecommercials and we see all these things in
action,
but knowing that they're in place atthe locations that we work in is really
inspiring. It's here, it's real life.
This is not something that'sfuture casted, something that's far along the way.
(08:08):
It's here now for us.
Exactly. And it works. Yes. And it'sgreat to see it at work saying that, oh,
we've provided this customerwith an engine that was built
on renewable energy and helping togreen that grid. So it's really,
it's encouraging.
It's fulfilling, and I cansee the pride in your face.
We're just excited about it.Yeah. Oh, I am. I'm earlier.
(08:30):
You mentioned fuel economy,
but I've also heard you mentionsomething about circular economy.
Can you walk us through what that means?
Yes. So circular economy is also very big.
It's something like sustainability canbe big If you Google circular economy,
I think there are over 200 definitionsof what circular economy could be.
(08:51):
So for Cummins, what circulareconomy is is really simple.
It's just how do we use less,use better and use again?
So when we're looking at even making ourproducts, how do we use less material?
How do we extract less from the earth sothat we're not ending up having to put
more into landfill or ruiningthose natural resources?
(09:13):
How are we're using our materials better?
So when we look at theproduction of our products,
the design of our products,can we say, oh, you know what?
I probably don't need this muchmaterial to be able to make this part.
So how do we continue toimprove our engines and our
dependability in there whileusing less and using the material
(09:37):
in a better way?
So not interrupting or ruiningthe structural integrity of our
components,
but continuing to make them strongerand use them better as we move forward.
When we look at materialswithin our products,
how do we say, okay, at the end of life,
this can be used again, thiscan go to remanufacturing,
(10:00):
or this can be recycled. What do we doat the end of life with those parts?
It's really those three simplethings like how do we use less?
How do we use better? And how do we use.
Again, there is a lot of thought andintention in each of those actions,
and this feels like a morecorporate version of reduce, reuse,
recycle the things that we've learnedwhen we were kids in implementing them
(10:22):
Now. Exactly. Earlier you had alsomentioned the energy transition,
and now we all know there'sno perfect playbook.
There's no step-by-step planfor this energy transition.
So in a space full of unknowns, howdo you stay focused and continuing to.
Move forward? That's areally important question.
So every year we havea session with our CEO
(10:44):
to talk about our sustainability strategyand other key stakeholders within
leadership, what we are currently doing,what we have planned for the future,
make sure we're aligned withthe business. And this year,
she said something thatreally resonated with me,
and it was focus on your sphere of
influence and not your sphere of concern.
(11:05):
And that is really criticalin this sustainability space,
because I've said before, Imean, it can be debilitating.
You can just be a deer in a headlightsbecause there's so much to do and you're
constantly worrying, oh, am Idoing enough? Am I going too slow?
Am I too far in front? Isthis going to way too many.
(11:26):
Complexities that just continueto layer upon each other?
So really focusing on what we can control.
And so that makes methink forward to, okay,
so let's remember our purpose.What is our mission as a company?
So how do I help createthat healthier planet?
What can Cummins do in that space? Youjust keep going layer by layer. Okay,
(11:49):
what can we do? What can we influence?
99% of our footprint is fromthe use of our products,
so let's make sure we haveinitiatives around that space,
and we're pushing forward therebecause that's going to help us,
help our customers, help ourcommunities, help our employees.
So things like that just helpkeep me focused. It's like, okay,
(12:10):
let me make sure I'm just looking at mysphere of influence and doing what we
can here.
That's very powerful.
And I can see that focusing right therein your influence can help you move
forward with confidence because you arevery aware of all the things that we can
influence. Indeed.
We know Cummins has made a long-termcommitment to sustainability.
(12:30):
What does that look like in practice,
especially when so manyothers are pulling back?
I have always thought thatsustainability is linked with
business. And I've said before,
I think people sometimes talk aboutsustainability in a way that's just, oh,
it's great. We can savetrees and we can save water.
But when you're in corporate America,
(12:52):
when you're in a business andyou talk about sustainability,
it's great to talk about it in dollarsigns and monetary because it can be very
financially lucrativeif you do it correctly.
So when you look at the growth strategy,
what can we do within that spaceto help with the life of our
products? What do we do atthe end of our product life?
(13:15):
When I look at the business strategy,
we have to make sure thatwe are aligned with it.
And I think that when you lookat how we are going forward,
how the world is moving forward, how issustainability playing a part in that?
And you see,
regardless of the geopoliticalatmosphere across the world,
(13:35):
sustainability is not going away.
So I feel like those arelinked with what we do,
even with being able to grow a business.
If we look at our newand recon parts business,
what can we do at the end of life forour products so that we can continue
to grow that space and grow that business?Because that's a big
(13:56):
opportunity.
And then you look at theinnovation within our employees,
because sustainability isn't going away.
We need people to comeup with brilliant ideas,
and how are we going to adjust?
We're going to have climatechange here causing wildfires.
We're going to have floods, we're goingto have all different sorts of things.
(14:18):
How do we ensure that our products andour facilities and things like that are
continuing to thrive in thosespaces? Do we need new technologies?
Do we need to thinkabout things differently?
So it really helps to spurinnovation, I believe,
within our employees and our workforce.And then it tracks talent as well.
These days,
(14:39):
I think it's maybe a little bit ofa prerequisite to people who are
looking for companies to work for,to see whether they have a purpose,
whether they do careabout the environment,
whether they do careabout the communities.
I personally vet out thosethings. What are your company.
Values? What do you care about?
And I've seen that even fromquestions from interns I've gotten,
(15:00):
and they're challenging questions,they put me on the spot,
and I have to think about thoseand answer those and actually take
those in and see what can wedo? This is how people feel,
and let's make sure we'redoing the right thing.
Let's make sure we're driving towardsthis purpose that we have so that we can
get the best talent. We need.
(15:21):
That. And they're alreadydedicated to the cause. Exactly.
They're not new to this,they're true to this.
And they're here to help usget to that goal as well.
Exactly. Exactly.
So Tara, what gives you hope right nowwhen you think about your kid's future,
the planet's future, what keeps you going?
I would say young people with conviction.
(15:43):
I don't know whether I'm classifiedas a young person anymore.
We're always young.
Forever.
Young at heart.
But the people that I talk to these days,
the awareness that they havethat wasn't there maybe 25
years ago or so,
I am so encouraged because theywant to do something and they
(16:05):
want to make a difference, and they pushyou. What are we doing in this space?
So I think that is very, very encouraging,
and it does push me. And thenI guess on a lighter note,
just being out in nature.
Yeah, 100%.
Being out, nothing.
Like it.
And then knowing that people areworking towards preserving stuff like
(16:28):
this, that I'm working towardspreserving this, it helps keep me going.
I think that's what really encourages me.
I want my kids to be ableto walk through this forest,
or I want my kids to beable to go on this lake,
make sure the lake is still there in 20years. So that's really what helps me.
So when we talk aboutsustainability at Cummins,
(16:49):
there are so many projects out therethat we're doing, just simplifying it,
even for everyday employeesin their everyday life.
Some of the things that we've just donethrough June environmental month a while
back were really fun. So wehad a no new clothes challenge,
and that's still goingon, and that's basically,
(17:10):
you can't buy any new clothes for 90 days,
and we're tracking what that means forthe environment. How much water have
we saved, how much issaved from a landfill,
and how much energy is saved? Andthat's really exciting to see.
And I think it's somethingthat gets people who aren't normally involved in this
space to ask questions and to say, oh,
(17:33):
how can I get more knowledge in this area?
How can I get more involved in thisarea? What else are you guys doing?
And so it's kind of like a gateway.It is a gateway to sustainability,
but things like that,
I encourage other people to andto put on projects like that,
it's great.
And it really feeds into kindof like a circular economy
(17:56):
aspect of things as well. I'm.
Glad you brought that up because in themidst of this no new clothes challenge,
I had to buy one thing. Mypartner and I decided to elope,
so I had to buy a wedding dress,but that was the one thing I bought.
But we'll get into that another time.There was also a clothing exchange,
a clothing swap. So I think that goesinto your circular economy bit as well,
because we were, not that wewere fending for new clothes,
(18:19):
but it was a really great way to exchangeCummins gear, like different hats,
different shirts. We allcollect things at trade shows,
we stuffed them in our tote, andnow we're exchanging our totes,
exchanging our cups and drinkware.It was a really fun project.
And it's still going on. I think it'sgoing on until I think September 3rd.
So it really makes you think, I said,oh, I want to buy something for this day.
(18:41):
And I'm thinking, oh, wait, I'mnot allowed to buy any new clothes,
but we are allowed to buy secondhand,which again, keeps it out of landfills.
And when you look at circular economy,that is a way to think about it.
But then there are other aspects ofcircular economy within Cummins that we're
starting to grab hold of.
It's really a new initiativethat we have within the company.
(19:02):
And it's exciting because it'sreally complex that we're trying
to make simple. That's always achallenge and a fun challenge.
So we're trying to make sure that webring people along for this journey and
relate it to where theyare and what they can do.
And so I'm really,
really excited about that initiativethat we've started this year.
(19:25):
And now I'm really excited. Should be,
you always have a greatway of every white paper,
in case that I've ever worked on withyou. There's so much to look forward to.
Yeah. Yeah. So there'sjust, if you look at it,
there's so much thatcan be done. But again,
what are those things that we can do now?And then how do we get others engaged?
That's another one that I'llprobably just go on and on.
(19:46):
But employee engagement is a big onethat we've started our sustainability
influencers a few years back,And now we're getting to the
point of action and mobilization.
So we went from awareness andlearning to spreading the word,
and now we're getting our employees,our influencers mobilized,
(20:07):
and that means they're out there helpingwith progressing our goals and doing
projects. Though people cansign up for things and they're,
we have extra arms and legs to dothis because you're always thinking,
we don't have enough people. Howdo we move faster? And now we can,
because people are getting involvedin these sorts of projects,
and so we can do more. So thatreally, really excites me.
(20:29):
Well, Tara,
thank you so much for such an inspiringand insightful conversation knowing that
the strategy that we are working on makespace for planet and profit feels like
a bold statement, but it's honest,it's raw, it's true, and it matters.
Yeah, I completely agree.
And if we can get more peopletalking about it in that way,
(20:49):
I think we would getmore help, more advocacy,
more everything to just getus there faster. So yes.
Thank you for your time today, Tara.
Thank you so much. Itwas great talking to you.
Likewise. Alright, so what'sthe big idea for this episode?
Sustainability is both along-term goal and a daily choice.
Tara reminded us that clean air andwater start with design decisions,
(21:13):
smarter strategies and business modelsthat make room for both purpose and
profit. If you work inbusiness, start asking,
how are we building for thefull life of what we make?
Because sustainability doesn't happenlater, it happens now or not at all.
Power onward.
(21:37):
Thank you for listening to Power Onward.Your support means the world to us.
If you enjoyed this episode,please don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review on yourfavorite podcast platform.
If you want to dig deeperon what we covered today,
check out the show notes foradditional links or go to
cummins.com/podcast. Until next time,
(21:58):
power onward.
We are from Cummins,
the company that's been innovatingtoward the future for more than a hundred
years. We're no strangers to rapid change,
global shifts and economic uncertainty.
We want to be your constant duringthe energy transition whenever,
(22:19):
wherever, forever Power onward.
This is Power Onward,
the podcast that wheels how powertechnology shapes your everyday life.
Transform the area you arelistening to, power our work.
What is power in your world? Onward.
(00:26):
This is Power Onward,
the podcast that unveils how powertechnology shapes your everyday life.
You're out for a walk on a crisp,clear morning. It's peaceful,
but the world is alreadyhumming with activity.
What powers our worldisn't always visible,
but it's everywhere it feels.
(00:46):
The things we rely on and shapesthe world will leave behind.
At first it might feel simple, but behindit all are the complexities of power,
technology and evenmore complex decisions.
Decisions about how we designpower and build for the future.
Decisions about what we protect andwhat we're willing to change. For Tara,
(01:07):
this is far from abstract, it'spersonal. As a mother of two,
she's thinking aboutsustainability. Long-term.
Tara grew up believing you should choosethe work that makes an impact today.
That means pushing forcleaner air, cleaner water,
and a strategy that makes space forboth planet and profit. I'm Kim.
(01:28):
And I'm Tara.
Tara,
when did sustainability become the workyou wanted to dedicate yourself to?
I remember when I wentto college, I said, oh,
I'm going to be an environmental engineer,
and I was convinced to be a mechanicalengineer because it broader,
but I never lost that passion.
And after however many16, 17 years at Cummins,
(01:52):
I finally wanted to diveinto that sustainability area
more, and I got the opportunityto do that. And I interviewed,
called my mom and said, I gotthe job. And she said, well,
you always said you were goingto save the rainforest one day.
It's something that's been really,
really a passion for me at theforefront of what I do and who I am.
(02:14):
I love to help people,
and so I feel that helpingpeople physically is a
big thing that we can do.
And then if we can help peoplementally as well, that's even more so.
And then the environmentkind of overlaps them both.
And so I feel like the easiest way forme to help people and impact people
(02:34):
is to help the environment.
You say that so lightly,
but it is really impactful and all ofthese things are intertwined. Tara,
I've seen a lot of updatedmessaging around Destination Zero.
Can you tell our audiencewhat Destination Zero is?
Sure. Yeah.
So we have just gone through ourmidpoint review of our goals,
(02:55):
and we did a rebranding ofour sustainability strategy,
which is now called Destination Zero.
So really when you lookat Destination Zero,
it's our commitment tosustainability and then helping our
customers navigate this energy transitionall while growing our business.
And so that's really where wemarry the purpose of our company,
(03:16):
mission of our company withthe profitability and growth.
Now at Cummins, we always talkabout simplifying sustainability.
What exactly does that mean?
That's a good one, because when youthink of sustainability, climate change,
it can be intimidating, debilitating,even. I mean, even for me.
So really when I think ofsimplifying it for Cummins,
(03:39):
it's about three things I focuson. It's let's figure out,
when we talk about sustainability,what it means to us.
When I'm thinking aboutsimplifying it, it's like, okay,
let's clarify whatsustainability means to us.
Let's explain what we're doing andthen let's connect it to people's work.
So when we clarify it, it's not just, oh,
(04:02):
I'm going to go out and hug a tree.
How are we sustaining our company?
How are we sustaining our employeesand pulling them along through this
energy transition as well,
and making sure they still feelrelevant with their skills,
and then they can adapt tothis changing environment.
How do we sustain our communitieswhere we operate? That's huge.
(04:25):
And then how do we continue to help ourcustomers and sustain our customers and
their growth that's going to help us as a.
Company. Exactly.
So sustainability is,
it's simple when youput it in those terms,
and then you think about explaining whatare our goals and aspirations in this
space,
and then making sure we connectthose things with people's work and
(04:49):
so that they can feel a part of thestrategy so that we can bring them along.
And that's what I've been pushingfor in the sustainability.
Space. That's a big part.
I recently participated in a e EEC wherewe were helping to garden and harvest
some different cropsin Indianapolis. To me,
it's so impactful to see that Ithink 61,000 of our employees are
(05:10):
participating in volunteering within thecommunities to make it a better space.
And it all starts with thosethree goals that you laid out,
which understandably it is, yousaid debilitating. And to me,
I felt that same way whenmy parents had asked me,
what is Cummins doing for sustainability?
Because.
There's so many things youdon't know where to start.
(05:31):
And identifying those three pillarsreally does lay it out in a simple way.
Let's talk about decarbonization.Why does decarbonization matter?
And what are we doing atCummins to work towards that?
Oh, well, that's a big questionbecause we're doing so much,
which is amazing. So I'm notgoing to list everything,
(05:53):
but decarbonization does matter.We want to see our communities,
our company, our employees thrive.
So how do we do that from anaspect of making sure where we
provide healthy communities, a healthierplanet to allow that to happen,
even when you look atour company's mission,
making people's lives better bypowering a more prosperous world.
(06:14):
And in order to do that,you need a healthier planet.
So decarbonization is thecatalyst to be able to
make that happen, to makethat healthier planet.
And some of the ways thatwe're doing that at Cummins,
when you look at our products,
we have fuel agnostic enginesthat we're working on.
And what does that mean forour audience that may not know?
It's where you just keep the base engineand then you change all the bits on
(06:38):
top, basically. And then you canuse different types of fuels,
and that helps our customers.
And if they want to uselower carbon fuels or
wherever they are in their sustainabilityjourney, we can help them along.
Meeting them where they.
Are. Yeah, exactly. So it'sreally customer focused.
And we have hybrids where we haveour diesel mixed with the electric.
(07:01):
We have some of the things that we'redoing with fuel economy projects.
So those are making sure,
even for those customers thatwe have out in the field,
how can we improve their fuel efficiency?So how did they use less fuel?
Very cool.
Very cool. Which saving money,less carbon. Yeah, yeah,
I was going to get to that. Right? For us,
(07:22):
it's a win-win because it's less carbonemissions for us from the use of our
products, but also for our customers.
They spend less money on the fuel that'sneeded to carry out their everyday
truly a win. So there's that.
And then we have renewable energies,which we focus on with our facilities.
So solar arrays that we haveat different plants that
(07:45):
help us to power our facilities andour manufacturing and manufacturing
facilities. So.
Very cool.
There are a lot of times where we seecommercials and we see all these things in
action,
but knowing that they're in place atthe locations that we work in is really
inspiring. It's here, it's real life.
This is not something that'sfuture casted, something that's far along the way.
(08:08):
It's here now for us.
Exactly. And it works. Yes. And it'sgreat to see it at work saying that, oh,
we've provided this customerwith an engine that was built
on renewable energy and helping togreen that grid. So it's really,
it's encouraging.
It's fulfilling, and I cansee the pride in your face.
We're just excited about it.Yeah. Oh, I am. I'm earlier.
(08:30):
You mentioned fuel economy,
but I've also heard you mentionsomething about circular economy.
Can you walk us through what that means?
Yes. So circular economy is also very big.
It's something like sustainability canbe big If you Google circular economy,
I think there are over 200 definitionsof what circular economy could be.
(08:51):
So for Cummins, what circulareconomy is is really simple.
It's just how do we use less,use better and use again?
So when we're looking at even making ourproducts, how do we use less material?
How do we extract less from the earth sothat we're not ending up having to put
more into landfill or ruiningthose natural resources?
(09:13):
How are we're using our materials better?
So when we look at theproduction of our products,
the design of our products,can we say, oh, you know what?
I probably don't need this muchmaterial to be able to make this part.
So how do we continue toimprove our engines and our
dependability in there whileusing less and using the material
(09:37):
in a better way?
So not interrupting or ruiningthe structural integrity of our
components,
but continuing to make them strongerand use them better as we move forward.
When we look at materialswithin our products,
how do we say, okay, at the end of life,
this can be used again, thiscan go to remanufacturing,
(10:00):
or this can be recycled. What do we doat the end of life with those parts?
It's really those three simplethings like how do we use less?
How do we use better? And how do we use.
Again, there is a lot of thought andintention in each of those actions,
and this feels like a morecorporate version of reduce, reuse,
recycle the things that we've learnedwhen we were kids in implementing them
(10:22):
Now. Exactly. Earlier you had alsomentioned the energy transition,
and now we all know there'sno perfect playbook.
There's no step-by-step planfor this energy transition.
So in a space full of unknowns, howdo you stay focused and continuing to.
Move forward? That's areally important question.
So every year we havea session with our CEO
(10:44):
to talk about our sustainability strategyand other key stakeholders within
leadership, what we are currently doing,what we have planned for the future,
make sure we're aligned withthe business. And this year,
she said something thatreally resonated with me,
and it was focus on your sphere of
influence and not your sphere of concern.
(11:05):
And that is really criticalin this sustainability space,
because I've said before, Imean, it can be debilitating.
You can just be a deer in a headlightsbecause there's so much to do and you're
constantly worrying, oh, am Idoing enough? Am I going too slow?
Am I too far in front? Isthis going to way too many.
(11:26):
Complexities that just continueto layer upon each other?
So really focusing on what we can control.
And so that makes methink forward to, okay,
so let's remember our purpose.What is our mission as a company?
So how do I help createthat healthier planet?
What can Cummins do in that space? Youjust keep going layer by layer. Okay,
(11:49):
what can we do? What can we influence?
99% of our footprint is fromthe use of our products,
so let's make sure we haveinitiatives around that space,
and we're pushing forward therebecause that's going to help us,
help our customers, help ourcommunities, help our employees.
So things like that just helpkeep me focused. It's like, okay,
(12:10):
let me make sure I'm just looking at mysphere of influence and doing what we
can here.
That's very powerful.
And I can see that focusing right therein your influence can help you move
forward with confidence because you arevery aware of all the things that we can
influence. Indeed.
We know Cummins has made a long-termcommitment to sustainability.
(12:30):
What does that look like in practice,
especially when so manyothers are pulling back?
I have always thought thatsustainability is linked with
business. And I've said before,
I think people sometimes talk aboutsustainability in a way that's just, oh,
it's great. We can savetrees and we can save water.
But when you're in corporate America,
(12:52):
when you're in a business andyou talk about sustainability,
it's great to talk about it in dollarsigns and monetary because it can be very
financially lucrativeif you do it correctly.
So when you look at the growth strategy,
what can we do within that spaceto help with the life of our
products? What do we do atthe end of our product life?
(13:15):
When I look at the business strategy,
we have to make sure thatwe are aligned with it.
And I think that when you lookat how we are going forward,
how the world is moving forward, how issustainability playing a part in that?
And you see,
regardless of the geopoliticalatmosphere across the world,
(13:35):
sustainability is not going away.
So I feel like those arelinked with what we do,
even with being able to grow a business.
If we look at our newand recon parts business,
what can we do at the end of life forour products so that we can continue
to grow that space and grow that business?Because that's a big
(13:56):
opportunity.
And then you look at theinnovation within our employees,
because sustainability isn't going away.
We need people to comeup with brilliant ideas,
and how are we going to adjust?
We're going to have climatechange here causing wildfires.
We're going to have floods, we're goingto have all different sorts of things.
(14:18):
How do we ensure that our products andour facilities and things like that are
continuing to thrive in thosespaces? Do we need new technologies?
Do we need to thinkabout things differently?
So it really helps to spurinnovation, I believe,
within our employees and our workforce.And then it tracks talent as well.
These days,
(14:39):
I think it's maybe a little bit ofa prerequisite to people who are
looking for companies to work for,to see whether they have a purpose,
whether they do careabout the environment,
whether they do careabout the communities.
I personally vet out thosethings. What are your company.
Values? What do you care about?
And I've seen that even fromquestions from interns I've gotten,
(15:00):
and they're challenging questions,they put me on the spot,
and I have to think about thoseand answer those and actually take
those in and see what can wedo? This is how people feel,
and let's make sure we'redoing the right thing.
Let's make sure we're driving towardsthis purpose that we have so that we can
get the best talent. We need.
(15:21):
That. And they're alreadydedicated to the cause. Exactly.
They're not new to this,they're true to this.
And they're here to help usget to that goal as well.
Exactly. Exactly.
So Tara, what gives you hope right nowwhen you think about your kid's future,
the planet's future, what keeps you going?
I would say young people with conviction.
(15:43):
I don't know whether I'm classifiedas a young person anymore.
We're always young.
Forever.
Young at heart.
But the people that I talk to these days,
the awareness that they havethat wasn't there maybe 25
years ago or so,
I am so encouraged because theywant to do something and they
(16:05):
want to make a difference, and they pushyou. What are we doing in this space?
So I think that is very, very encouraging,
and it does push me. And thenI guess on a lighter note,
just being out in nature.
Yeah, 100%.
Being out, nothing.
Like it.
And then knowing that people areworking towards preserving stuff like
(16:28):
this, that I'm working towardspreserving this, it helps keep me going.
I think that's what really encourages me.
I want my kids to be ableto walk through this forest,
or I want my kids to beable to go on this lake,
make sure the lake is still there in 20years. So that's really what helps me.
So when we talk aboutsustainability at Cummins,
(16:49):
there are so many projects out therethat we're doing, just simplifying it,
even for everyday employeesin their everyday life.
Some of the things that we've just donethrough June environmental month a while
back were really fun. So wehad a no new clothes challenge,
and that's still goingon, and that's basically,
(17:10):
you can't buy any new clothes for 90 days,
and we're tracking what that means forthe environment. How much water have
we saved, how much issaved from a landfill,
and how much energy is saved? Andthat's really exciting to see.
And I think it's somethingthat gets people who aren't normally involved in this
space to ask questions and to say, oh,
(17:33):
how can I get more knowledge in this area?
How can I get more involved in thisarea? What else are you guys doing?
And so it's kind of like a gateway.It is a gateway to sustainability,
but things like that,
I encourage other people to andto put on projects like that,
it's great.
And it really feeds into kindof like a circular economy
(17:56):
aspect of things as well. I'm.
Glad you brought that up because in themidst of this no new clothes challenge,
I had to buy one thing. Mypartner and I decided to elope,
so I had to buy a wedding dress,but that was the one thing I bought.
But we'll get into that another time.There was also a clothing exchange,
a clothing swap. So I think that goesinto your circular economy bit as well,
because we were, not that wewere fending for new clothes,
(18:19):
but it was a really great way to exchangeCummins gear, like different hats,
different shirts. We allcollect things at trade shows,
we stuffed them in our tote, andnow we're exchanging our totes,
exchanging our cups and drinkware.It was a really fun project.
And it's still going on. I think it'sgoing on until I think September 3rd.
So it really makes you think, I said,oh, I want to buy something for this day.
(18:41):
And I'm thinking, oh, wait, I'mnot allowed to buy any new clothes,
but we are allowed to buy secondhand,which again, keeps it out of landfills.
And when you look at circular economy,that is a way to think about it.
But then there are other aspects ofcircular economy within Cummins that we're
starting to grab hold of.
It's really a new initiativethat we have within the company.
(19:02):
And it's exciting because it'sreally complex that we're trying
to make simple. That's always achallenge and a fun challenge.
So we're trying to make sure that webring people along for this journey and
relate it to where theyare and what they can do.
And so I'm really,
really excited about that initiativethat we've started this year.
(19:25):
And now I'm really excited. Should be,
you always have a greatway of every white paper,
in case that I've ever worked on withyou. There's so much to look forward to.
Yeah. Yeah. So there'sjust, if you look at it,
there's so much thatcan be done. But again,
what are those things that we can do now?And then how do we get others engaged?
That's another one that I'llprobably just go on and on.
(19:46):
But employee engagement is a big onethat we've started our sustainability
influencers a few years back,And now we're getting to the
point of action and mobilization.
So we went from awareness andlearning to spreading the word,
and now we're getting our employees,our influencers mobilized,
(20:07):
and that means they're out there helpingwith progressing our goals and doing
projects. Though people cansign up for things and they're,
we have extra arms and legs to dothis because you're always thinking,
we don't have enough people. Howdo we move faster? And now we can,
because people are getting involvedin these sorts of projects,
and so we can do more. So thatreally, really excites me.
(20:29):
Well, Tara,
thank you so much for such an inspiringand insightful conversation knowing that
the strategy that we are working on makespace for planet and profit feels like
a bold statement, but it's honest,it's raw, it's true, and it matters.
Yeah, I completely agree.
And if we can get more peopletalking about it in that way,
(20:49):
I think we would getmore help, more advocacy,
more everything to just getus there faster. So yes.
Thank you for your time today, Tara.
Thank you so much. Itwas great talking to you.
Likewise. Alright, so what'sthe big idea for this episode?
Sustainability is both along-term goal and a daily choice.
Tara reminded us that clean air andwater start with design decisions,
(21:13):
smarter strategies and business modelsthat make room for both purpose and
profit. If you work inbusiness, start asking,
how are we building for thefull life of what we make?
Because sustainability doesn't happenlater, it happens now or not at all.
Power onward.
(21:37):
Thank you for listening to Power Onward.Your support means the world to us.
If you enjoyed this episode,please don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review on yourfavorite podcast platform.
If you want to dig deeperon what we covered today,
check out the show notes foradditional links or go to
cummins.com/podcast. Until next time,
(21:58):
power onward.
We are from Cummins,
the company that's been innovatingtoward the future for more than a hundred
years. We're no strangers to rapid change,
global shifts and economic uncertainty.
We want to be your constant duringthe energy transition whenever,
(22:19):
wherever, forever Power onward.
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