Sustainability 🌍 The truth still hurts
The green economy is booming, but the planet is still burning
March in London carried the first real hints of spring, where I joined hundreds of business leaders, policymakers, and sustainability experts for the 10th anniversary of The Economist’s Sustainability Week. But while the sun was shining outside, the conversations inside carried a sense of urgency.
Sustainability isn’t exactly a political favourite right now, as one Canadian speaker summed it up bluntly, referring to “the orange man in the south”. But despite the political headwinds, billions are pouring into sustainability from every angle: finance, energy, food, supply chains, AI. Businesses are working to balance profits with climate goals, yet the scale of the challenge is undeniable.
The reality? We’re not moving fast enough. The people looking at the big picture — the ones tracking emissions, climate tipping points, and economic shifts — know this. And the hardest part is still ahead. Many companies have made progress on cutting emissions, but scope 3, the impact of their entire supply chains, remains largely untouched. That’s where the real fight begins over the next decade.
Does that leave me optimistic? To a point. The level of passion and expertise in these rooms was hard to ignore. But are we, as consumers, ready to change our lifestyles in a way that actually moves the needle? That’s the bigger question.
One thing is clear: no single company, country, or industry can tackle this alone. Collaboration is the only way forward. Progress in one place won’t be enough if economic interests elsewhere undermine it.
Over the next 9,000+ words, I break down the key discussions and solutions shared at the thought-provoking event, split into 12 sections for easy navigation. You can use the table of contents on the left to jump between topics (if you’re reading online), and if you download the Substack app, you can listen to a narrated version of this feature.
And there’s more! An entire day was dedicated to The Economist’s Energy Transition Summit, which I’ve covered in part two: Energy shift 🪫 Burning through excuses.
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1. Decarbonisation vs. dividends
Business leads, politics lags
John Kerry, former US secretary of state and special presidential envoy for climate, doesn’t mince words: the political back-and-forth on climate policy is frustrating, but it’s not what will decide the future.
“Do you really think that because Donald Trump was elected President, that the CEOs of Mercedes or Volkswagen or Porsche or General Motors/Ford, are suddenly going to say, ‘Oh, we have a new president. So let's forget about the billions we spent retooling our factories. We'll go make internal combustion engine cars.’ That’s not going to happen,” he said.
Now co-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, Kerry argued that the private sector has already committed to the transition, and market forces are stronger than any single administration.
Kerry pointed to Dubai’s COP28 agreement, where nearly 200 nations formally recognised the need to transition away from fossil fuels. But emissions are still rising. “We know what we have to do, folks. We're just not doing it.” he said. The challenge isn’t technology; it’s political will and investment. “If we deployed everything we promised in Paris, Glasgow, and Dubai, we’d still hit 1.7°C warming. We need to accelerate.”
Subsidies are only part of the problem: Kerry wants a full accounting. “What's the cost of black lung disease? What's the cost of 7 million people who die every single year around the planet because of that air quality that we have now, because of coal particulates that are travelling around the planet?”
The numbers don’t lie, and for him, the solution is clear: “Modern technology beats old commodities, and the old commodities and the price alone stayed pretty much the same over the last 100 years. But what's going down are the new technologies. We're headed to a low-carbon future; the only issue is, when will we do it in time to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis?”
No half-measures: Real zero, not net zero
Andrew Forrest isn’t one for half-measures. The Fortescue Metals Group billionaire chairman, dubbed on stage as Australia’s Elon Musk, wasted no time dismantling what he calls “weasel words” – offsets, credits, and carbon trading. For him, the only credible path to sustainability is real zero, eliminating fossil fuels entirely, not just balancing them with offsets.
Fortescue is overhauling its mining operations, replacing diesel-guzzling trucks and diggers with fully automated, emissions-free alternatives. “You'll see the trains, the first trucks, the first diggers – the biggest in the world – fully automated and, by 2030, running at zero emissions,” Forrest said. Electrification and green hydrogen are at the centre of the transition, with rapid charging tech reducing downtime.
The financial commitment is significant. “It’s costing $6.2 billion, but we’re stopping the burn of 1.2 billion litres of diesel annually. That’s $1.2 billion in avoided costs every year,” Forrest explained. “That repays the investment, and we end up with a green energy company that will serve shareholders for generations.”
Forrest is blunt about political realities. “I don’t care if you believe in climate change. I don’t care if you hate green. I don’t care what turns you on, baby. But I know this – you’re going to be driven by economics.” He sees policy uncertainty as a risk, but believes market forces will ultimately dictate the shift. “Drill, baby, drill?” It’s going to get wiped out. Instead? “Build, baby, build!”
Mining’s dirty secret: Fuelling the green revolution
Anna Krutikov, Head of Sustainability at Glencore, tackled a tough truth head-on: the global energy transition hinges on mining, and we can't avoid it. Rather than gloss over challenges, Krutikov acknowledged them openly. "We've closed six coal mines since 2020 and will close another six by 2030," she explained, signalling Glencore’s genuine shift toward sustainability. But she stressed that rapid, unilateral shutdowns cause more harm than good, advocating instead for a carefully managed phase-out.
Krutikov also addressed mining’s broader responsibilities, citing initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo aimed at raising standards and tackling child labour. For her, responsible mining and global decarbonisation are closely linked — achievable through transparent practices and collaboration across the entire value chain.
Her message was clear: mining must be smarter, more transparent, and genuinely collaborative if it’s to become a driving force behind, rather than a barrier to, a low-carbon future.
Oil’s green paradox: Funding the transition
Louise Kingham, Senior Vice-President for Europe and Head of Country UK at BP, said oil giants can — and must — lead in the energy transition, but admits BP has learned hard lessons along the way.
"We've learned the lesson of, we went too fast, too broad. You've got to balance the risk and reward," she explained. BP is now strategically investing smarter, increasing oil and gas output temporarily to fund their green ambitions effectively.
Yet, the short-term increase in oil and gas output raises eyebrows. Kingham defended the move, highlighting it's essential to generate sufficient cash flow for reinvestment in clean energy projects. “I don't think we can do this in terms of delivering the transition without being able to work in that way," she noted. By focusing investments on bioenergy, EV charging networks, and renewable projects, BP aims to use its scale for genuine progress.
Addressing critics directly, Kingham said that companies like BP have substantial capabilities needed for large-scale decarbonisation projects, provided they maintain transparent dialogue with stakeholders. For her, collaboration, not confrontation (alluding to protesters outside the conference), is how real progress happens.
2. Scaling net zero
Where’s the money? Mind the $4 trillion gap
Chief executives often pledge billions towards net zero, but cash alone won’t get us there. The real battleground is whether private capital, public policy, and smart innovation can join up fast enough to plug a $4 trillion-a-year funding gap for clean energy.
Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, called out the big challenge: great tech but messy politics. Solar and battery breakthroughs have smashed expectations, making renewables more affordable than ever. But political setbacks, especially recent turbulence in the US (namely Trump) threaten to slow global momentum just when acceleration is needed most.
Heather Zichal, Global Head of Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase, put numbers behind the ambition. She highlighted JPMorgan’s bold $1 trillion green investment target by 2030, saying that banks must step up earlier and fund riskier, breakthrough projects rather than waiting safely at the finish line.
On the insurance front, Bernice Lee of Chatham House delivered a reality check: insurers must get serious about climate risks and back prevention measures — now. With disasters increasingly uninsurable, governments are being forced to step in, highlighting the urgency of aligning finance and policy to prevent future crises.
Christopher Kosloski from FM Renewables wanted practical solutions. He urged businesses and investors to bake resilience into green projects upfront, ensuring clean tech isn’t just affordable but tough enough to survive in a changing climate.
The big takeaway? Net-zero financing isn’t just about the money — it’s about smarter policies, gutsier innovation, and collaborative action. Time for companies and governments alike to stop chasing targets and start investing strategically to drive real-world change.
Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: The cost of inaction
The world is still on track for a catastrophic 3°C rise in temperature, despite growing awareness of climate risks. But how much will it cost if we don’t act fast enough?
Wendy Woods, Vice-Chair for Social Impact, Climate and Sustainability at BCG (Boston Consulting Group), broke down the numbers: “By 2100, around 34% of cumulative global GDP is at risk if we don’t move much more aggressively.” This is based on new research from BCG and Cambridge University, which models the difference between a just-below 2°C scenario and a 3°C scenario.
But here’s the key takeaway: most of this economic damage is still avoidable. “Probably only about 4% of that GDP loss is unavoidable,” Woods explained. “We can protect close to 30% of GDP if we start moving more aggressively now.” That means ramping up both mitigation and adaptation efforts — urgently.
The problem? “More of the costs are upfront, and more of the benefits come later.” This misalignment means many businesses downplay their exposure to climate risks. Public climate disclosures suggest a 2% impact on industries like infrastructure, but deeper analysis shows the real number is likely closer to 15% when factoring in supply chain risks, lost productivity, and capital damage.
When asked why companies aren’t moving faster, Woods was blunt: “That is the central problem.” Many CEOs see climate action as a socialised cost, one they can afford to delay while maximising short-term profits.
But businesses that move early can gain a competitive edge. “The world is transitioning to a green economy. The destination is not uncertain, only how much damage we allow along the way.” Woods pointed to the cost-saving potential of decarbonisation and the growing opportunities in green markets.
How to break the deadlock? Faster progress, Woods argued, requires companies to fully account for climate exposure in supply chains, assets, and operations. Then there’s policy support, as governments need to align incentives to push businesses past their reluctance.
The bottom line? Climate inaction is the costliest choice and businesses that ignore the risks won’t just pay later, they’ll pay bigger.
3. The race for new energy
Hydrogen: The missing piece?
Hydrogen is often hailed as the next big thing in green transport, but is it truly the answer to decarbonisation, or just another overhyped technology?
For James Budgett, CEO of Metier Ventures, the key is simple: cost. “We don’t believe that anything is worth doing [unless] it is commercially viable. People just won’t do it,” he explains.
The promise of hydrogen lies in its potential to replace diesel for heavy-duty transport, but only if businesses can switch without disruption. His focus? Hydrogen combustion engines, which could repower existing vehicles with minimal change, using cheaper, less pure hydrogen than fuel cells require. “We can scale up large volumes of vehicles very quickly,” he said. “It’s the quickest and best way to convert vehicles.”
Julia Wall-Clarke, director of communications and impact at Extreme H, takes a different angle: hydrogen needs a PR boost. Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen racing series, aims to show the fuel’s capabilities in extreme environments.
“We need to make hydrogen sexy again,” she said, arguing that motorsport can do for hydrogen what Formula E did for electric vehicles. But behind the show, there’s a deeper challenge: supply. Extreme H will produce its hydrogen in Saudi Arabia, using renewables and methanol transport. “If you leave Saudi Arabia out of the conversation and don’t work with them, we won’t find progress,” she insisted.
Yet, for all its promise, the biggest barrier isn’t technology, it’s regulation. Budgett is blunt: UK policy is holding hydrogen engines back. “We have a great industry here… but we’re going to have to go abroad because [the UK] is stopping people,” he said. Meanwhile, other nations, particularly in Europe, are pushing ahead.
Whether fuel cells or combustion engines win, one thing is clear: hydrogen won’t scale without policy support and infrastructure investment. The race is on.
4. The net-zero commute
Making clean transport work
Transport is key to achieving net zero, but decarbonising mobility requires electrification, infrastructure, and multimodal solutions.
Vanessa Butani, Head of Global Sustainability at Volvo Cars, stressed: “We know the future is electric.” She acknowledged concerns over heavy EVs and Volvo’s focus on reducing weight: “With every electric car that we produce, we also create a carbon footprint report… despite having a battery that accounts for 17% of the carbon footprint, [the EX90] actually has a lower carbon footprint over the life cycle than any of the other comparable cars that we have.”
Andrew Savage, VP of Sustainability at Lime, highlighted how shared e-bikes and scooters have scaled: “We’re now providing more than six trips every second around the globe, and we’ve delivered over a billion kilometres of trips.” Lime has also tackled fleet sustainability, extending vehicle lifespan beyond 40,000 km and eight years by making parts replaceable. Savage pushed for better urban infrastructure, saying: “Cities won’t invest in bike lanes unless they know people will use them. More riders mean safer streets and more investment in infrastructure.”
Jonas Bruenig, Lead for Sustainability Relations with Volkswagen, outlined VW’s expansion into mobility services: “We need to offer the consumer a seamless product… You can lease a bike, you can rent or lease a car… and we have ride-pooling in Hamburg and Munich.”
But charging infrastructure remains a hurdle: “57% of charging points are concentrated in Germany, the Netherlands, and France… and incentives for infrastructure build-out are only in five countries.” VW is partnering with IONITY, Electrify America, and others to close the gap.
Friederike Kienitz, Senior Vice-President at Nissan Motor Corporation AMIEO, shared an insight automakers can't ignore: younger drivers value sustainability, but affordability, safety, and convenience remain top priorities. Nissan's research with Economist Impact showed that air quality also significantly influences consumer choices, especially in highly polluted cities like Delhi.
Kienitz showcased the promise of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology: using parked electric cars as mobile energy storage. “In the UK, as we move forward, we'll have a storage capacity of two gigawatts — that equals two nuclear plants, enough electricity for 200,000 households,” she explained. For consumers, the financial appeal is compelling: “You have the possibility to reduce 50% of your electricity bill.”
But Kienitz flagged a critical obstacle: urban infrastructure. Without smarter city planning and proactive policies, many apartment-dwellers could be left behind in the EV revolution. For her, solving the EV puzzle is about redesigning cities to ensure every consumer can truly benefit.
The consensus? A net-zero commute needs electrification, smarter infrastructure, and industry-wide collaboration.
5. Fixing food to feed the world
Is regenerative agriculture a real business model?
With climate change hammering traditional farming and a rising global population, regenerative agriculture is being touted as a game-changer. But can it scale fast enough to meet food demand, or is it just another buzzword? Who stands to win (or lose) if farming undergoes a radical shift?
Andy Cato, musician-turned-farmer and co-founder of Wildfarmed, is clear on one thing: scaling regenerative agriculture isn’t optional. “There will be no mobile supply if we don’t scale properly applied regen farming quickly,” he warned. His concern? Greenwashing. “We need to make sure it doesn’t get greenwashed away.”
Wildfarmed has been working to set measurable standards, going beyond definitions to track outcomes like water quality, biodiversity, and carbon impact. “What you can measure, you can value,” he said. His goal? A market where farmers get paid for more than just yield; where clean water, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity count towards their bottom line. “We can’t live in a world where those grains and those fields are sold in a market that doesn’t recognise that value.”
For Lucinda Langton, head of sustainability at M&S, the challenge is bringing regenerative practices to everyday consumers. “For us, value is a function of price and quality,” she explained. M&S has already integrated higher sustainability standards into its UK supply chain, with 100% of its British produce now meeting their “farming with nature” standards. But customer behaviour matters. “Our sourdough loaves, made with Wildfarmed flour, sell brilliantly,” she noted, showing that consumers will choose sustainable options when positioned right.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Meagan Kaiser, a U.S. soybean farmer and soil scientist, argued that data-driven farming is key. “Every farmer that I’ve worked with in the United States is a scientist in the field because every year is a new science experiment.” She pointed out the key role of soil testing and precision farming in making regenerative agriculture viable. “When we’re really focusing on making the soil healthy, we have a more resilient crop… not only for me and my husband, but for our children that we’re raising on the farm.”
So how do you convince farmers to adopt new methods when one bad harvest could wipe them out? Sonia Thimmiah, senior director of global sustainability at Heineken, is tackling that question head-on with the company’s Transitions programme in France. “It’s one of the first large-scale, landscape-based approaches,” she explained. Rather than working with individual farms, Heineken is coordinating entire agricultural regions, bringing together breweries, governments, and farmers to shift entire supply chains towards regenerative practices.
However, the elephant in the room is money. “The reality is, there’s a period of time, between three to eight years, when yields go down,” Thimmiah admitted. “You can’t ask the farmer to take a pay cut.” Heineken’s solution? Blended finance, covering losses through a mix of corporate premiums and government subsidies. “Once you go through that period, yields get better and input costs go down. The economics actually work.”
Regenerative agriculture is a long game, but one worth playing. Cato pointed out that UK wheat yields are already falling due to extreme weather. Kaiser added that younger farmers are eager to embrace tech-driven solutions. “We love data-driven decisions. We’ve got our yield maps in our phones — we like a challenge.”
So, what’s the missing piece? Collaboration. Thimmiah put it bluntly: “It’s like a jigsaw. You need the right economic incentives, the technical know-how, the digitalisation, the financing, the insurance support. No one can do this alone.”
The path forward is clear: build financial models that reward farmers for sustainable practices, get businesses to invest in the long-term supply chain, and use data to ensure real impact.
Regenerative agriculture is often framed as an environmental necessity, but for many of the world’s biggest food companies, it’s increasingly a business imperative. At the heart of the debate is how to make regenerative agriculture work for businesses, farmers, and consumers alike.
McCain Foods has built its business on agriculture. The company’s founders believed that “if we don’t get the agronomy right, nothing else matters,” said Charlie Angelakos, VP of Global External Affairs and Sustainability. But the climate is shifting, and so is the business model. The transition isn’t easy for farmers, so McCain has set up financial programmes covering about 50% of its 3,900 growers worldwide. The company also launched Farms of the Future, testing regenerative methods under real-world conditions. Early results are encouraging. Compared to conventional farms, emissions are 30% lower, and yields continue to rise.
McDonald’s also sources vast quantities of ingredients from farms worldwide. Regenerative agriculture offers long-term benefits, but scaling it while maintaining product consistency is the real challenge for them. “Every farm is different,” said Beth Hart, Chief Sustainability & Social Impact Officer at the fast food chain. “The approach needs to be tailored, but the end product has to be the same.”
Some regenerative practices boost efficiency, which helps offset costs. For example, improving soil health can increase drought resistance and reduce input costs. Better feed and grazing management can shorten beef cattle lifespans, lowering emissions while maintaining quality.
As a supplier of cocoa, coffee, and nuts, ofi operates behind the scenes of the global food system. The company sees regenerative farming as a business necessity, beyond just a sustainability goal. “If we don’t get this right, we won’t have a business,” explained Rishi Kalra, ofi’s Executive Director & CFO.
One of ofi’s most successful initiatives has been seed innovation. The company developed low-water onion seeds, reducing irrigation needs and transport costs. “Sustainability doesn’t have to be expensive,” Kalra said. “Smart innovation proves that the right practices can lower costs and improve yields.”
Patrick Sheridan of Kraft Heinz also believes that stable farmer incomes and resilient farms matter more than adding another certification. The company has spent decades refining its approach, prioritising long-term stability over short-term gains. One of its biggest successes is a cover crop programme for tomato farmers, which boosted yields by 45% over 15 years and led to the development of custom tomato varieties suited for regenerative conditions. What began as a single pilot farm is now standard practice across an entire supply region. For Sheridan, the focus is on proven outcomes: healthier soil, higher yields, and farms that can withstand climate shocks. “Farmers won’t change unless they see results,” he said.
While consumers care about sustainability, few are willing to pay more. So this puts pressure on companies to absorb costs or find efficiencies elsewhere. The revolution is growing. The question is, will the world move fast enough to harvest the benefits?
A new era: Technology for food security
By 2050, the world’s population will exceed 9 billion, requiring a 50% increase in food production. But conventional farming isn’t keeping up, especially in regions hit hardest by climate change. Can technology, biological solutions, and regenerative practices deliver a breakthrough?
Petra Laux, Chief Sustainability Officer at Syngenta Group, tackled the challenge head-on. “If you get your farming practices right, you can store carbon in soil and mitigate up to a quarter to a third of all man-made emissions.” Yet agriculture remains underfunded, receiving just 5% of climate transition funds, despite being the second-largest source of emissions.
Despite decades of investment, the gap between the most and least productive farms remains vast. “We need to triple the rate of productivity increases to feed the world,” Laux stressed. Syngenta is betting on biologicals like nitrogen-fixing microbes and drought-resistant crops to boost yields without harming the environment.
With one-third of global soils already degraded, and up to 90% at risk by 2050, solutions must come fast. While biologicals help, they’re “only one part” of the answer. Education, finance, and supply chain collaboration are equally critical.
Agriculture could be a carbon sink, but concerns over soil carbon permanence have stalled progress. Laux dismissed the hesitation: “We need to get over this. We don’t have much time.” With better satellite monitoring, she argued, regenerative practices can deliver real, measurable impact.
An audience member asked about vertical farming and precision agriculture. Laux was direct: “It’s a very welcome complement, but not a solution for field crops at scale — for now.” However, in land-scarce regions like China and the Middle East, investment in tech-driven farming is growing fast.
The message was clear: innovation isn’t optional — it’s essential. But without urgent investment and policy support, the food system won’t be ready for what’s coming.
The last drop: Can pubs afford to go green?
The pub industry is also changing. Heather Gardner, Policy Manager at the British Beer and Pub Association, highlighted how economic pressures are making it harder for pubs to prioritise sustainability. “They want to do the right thing, but everything is becoming more expensive just to maintain the status quo.” Energy costs, water use, and packaging waste are constant struggles.
Then there’s the challenge of supply. Will Rogers, Group Technical Director at Charles Faram and a member of 4HopsUK, painted a stark picture of British hop farming: “We were once the biggest hop-growing country in the world. Now we’re down to 1,500 acres and just 45 families growing hops in the UK.” The demand for locally sourced ingredients exists, but cost and efficiency dictate choices.
So what’s the way forward? Breweries are innovating, from zero-alcohol options to smart inventory management that reduces waste. Some, like Asahi, are working directly with pubs to optimise energy efficiency. “It’s about working together,” said Drahomira Mandikova, Chief Sustainability Officer at Asahi Group Holdings. “Understanding the whole ecosystem and finding solutions that are both sustainable and profitable.”
For some businesses, protecting nature is about survival. “If nature can’t produce raw ingredients, we’ll be out of business,” said Pierre Decroix, CEO of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe. The company is already facing supply chain threats from climate change, particularly with oranges and blackcurrants. In Spain, Suntory is restoring water sources in drought-hit areas through its Guardians of Tajo project. “Water stress isn’t a future problem, it’s happening now,” said Decroix. The company aims to become water-neutral by 2030.
From farm to fork: Logistics matter
While sea shipping is the most carbon-efficient way to transport goods long distances, the challenge is finding scalable, sustainable fuels without increasing emissions elsewhere in the supply chain.
Øistein Jensen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Odfjell SE, highlighted the challenges of decarbonising deep-sea shipping, which today represents about 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. “There’s no commercially viable alternative to combustion engines for long-haul routes,” he said.
Odfjell recently retrofitted a large tanker with sails, reducing fuel use by up to 15%. But alternative fuels remain a key issue. “The future fuel has to be green. Biofuels can bridge the gap, but scaling green ammonia or hydrogen is a major challenge.”
Ports are also under growing pressure to cut emissions and improve efficiency. Guy Janssens, VP of Corporate Affairs at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, made it clear: “We see ourselves as an accelerator. Our licence to operate in the future will depend on how fast we transition.” The port is investing in onshore power, hydrogen, digital twins, and AI-driven vessel traffic optimisation to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
Ports are preparing for this shift. “We’re ready for ammonia, methanol, and LNG (liquefied natural gas),” Janssens said. But infrastructure alone won’t solve the problem. AI-powered traffic management is also key. “Our digital twin helps optimise port operations in real time, reducing congestion and emissions.”
Meanwhile, each year, 1 billion tonnes of food are wasted, while 733 million people face hunger. It’s a staggering disconnect, and one that supply chain innovation could help solve.
Sean Vanderelzen, President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Lineage (cold storage and warehousing) in Europe, believes smarter logistics, better cold-chain infrastructure, and sustainable solutions can cut waste while improving efficiency.
While sustainability efforts often face financial scrutiny, investments in green infrastructure are proving to be commercially viable. “A decade ago, the cost difference was huge,” Vanderelzen noted. “Now, if we can get a DHL or Amazon on board, it becomes competitive. They’ll lease faster, stay longer, and benefit from greener operations.”
E-commerce is also pushing for faster, hyper-local delivery, increasing pressure on sustainability efforts. But smarter regional distribution models and electrification can help. “By optimising supply chains, Amazon has cut 20% of touches and 20% of delivery miles,” Vanderelzen explained. “Replacing diesel trucks with electric ones and investing in green buildings makes last-mile delivery far more sustainable.”
Encouraging consolidated deliveries could reduce emissions, but changing consumer habits is tough. “We need to educate people: slower, smarter delivery is better,” Vanderelzen said. “The infrastructure is there. Now we have to push for adoption.”
And let’s not forget the last mile to your door: Adam Park, UK chief executive at Hello Fresh, highlighted a simple yet powerful climate solution: smarter meal planning at home. “We help customers cut meal-related carbon footprints by over 20%,” Park explained.
Inefficient grocery shopping in countries like Britain leads directly to significant household food waste, responsible for a major slice of greenhouse gas emissions. Hello Fresh’s model delivers precisely measured ingredients directly to homes, reducing unnecessary purchases and waste. It’s an approach that tackles sustainability right at the dinner table, showing how small, practical changes in shopping and meal preparation habits can collectively drive substantial environmental benefits.
6. Eating the carbon elephant
Tackling scope 3 emissions without killing profits
Scope 3 emissions are the hardest to measure, the toughest to cut, and often the biggest slice of a company’s carbon footprint. They include everything outside direct operations: supply chains, transport, product usage, even business travel, making them a regulatory and investor headache. But ignoring them isn’t an option. Companies that crack the scope 3 challenge future-proof their businesses, secure supply chains, and stay ahead of customer expectations.
Dairy farming is carbon-intensive, but Hanne Søndergaard, EVP of Agriculture, Sustainability & Communications at Arla Foods, is making it profitable for farmers to go green. “For us, scope 3 has been about working with farmers. It’s all about data, making sure they know where they are. It’s about incentives; bringing together the economy of the farm and the climate performance of the farm.”
Farmers invest 10% of their own milk price into the programme, and Arla tracks emissions through its FarmAhead system: “It’s a flywheel… we bring customers in, which brings money back into the wheel, which means we can get more reductions.” The big shift? Sustainability as a strategy for future-proofing dairy farming.
Flowers aren’t exactly low-carbon either, they’re perishable, travel long distances, and require careful timing. But Aron Gelbard, CEO of Bloom & Wild, is rewriting the playbook: “In our industry, waste can be as high as 40%. We’ve driven it to single digits using data and AI.”
The biggest sustainability win? Ditching air freight for sea shipping: “A heated greenhouse in Northern Europe has six times the emissions of growing flowers near the equator and flying them in. If we switch from air to sea, that turns into a 100–150 times advantage.” Not every flower can survive the journey, but smarter sourcing and supply chain tweaks are making the cut.
Most of Sky’s emissions come from customers using their products, so Marianne Matthews, Group Head of Responsible Business & Sustainability at Sky, is focused on energy efficiency and product longevity: “Our direct emissions are only 2% of our footprint. The vast majority comes from electronic products: routers, set-top boxes, mobile devices.” Sky’s secret weapon? Real-time telemetry: “We design our products with longevity in mind. The bill of materials is understood in carbon terms, allowing us to iterate and improve.” This data-driven approach means Sky can build lower-carbon products without compromising on performance.
For Gabrielle Ginér, Group Head of Environmental Sustainability at BT Group, the fastest way to cut scope 3 emissions is to force suppliers to step up. “77% of our carbon footprint comes from our suppliers. The lever we have is our purchasing power.” BT, alongside 29 telecoms giants, is pushing strict sustainability standards: “One company asking for change is interesting. Twenty-nine companies asking? That’s different. We’re creating a sufficient marketplace for suppliers to act on.” When sustainability starts affecting contracts, suppliers suddenly get serious.
Fabien Chene, Head of Sustainability Business at Schneider Electric, explained how the company is halving emissions from its top 1,000 suppliers by 2025: “When we set that target in 2021, we didn’t know exactly how we’d do it, but we’ve already hit 40%.” Schneider’s solution? Group suppliers together so they can buy renewable energy at scale: “Many small suppliers lack procurement power. But when they join forces, they can buy renewable energy at scale.” Sometimes, collaboration beats competition.
7. Closing the loop
Circularity is the future, but can it scale?
E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally, expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. In the UK, only 30% of tech waste is recycled, compared to 74% in Norway.
“Many consumers don’t know what to do with old tech,” said Alex Baldock, CEO of Currys. “There are 580 million electrical devices sitting unused in UK homes, often due to concerns over data security.” He criticised the flood of low-quality, disposable electronics from the likes of Amazon and Temu which contribute to the problem.
But retailers can drive change. “We process 3 million devices a year in Europe’s largest tech repair centre [in Nottinghamshire],” Baldock said. “Refurbished tech isn’t just good for the planet — it’s good business.” Refurbished iPhones, for example, can be 30% cheaper than new models while generating strong margins.
eBay’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Renée Morin, also highlighted how re-commerce is driving circularity. “Forty percent of items sold on eBay are used or refurbished,” she said, explaining how this reduces demand for new products and avoids carbon emissions. eBay tracks this impact using life cycle assessments, though there’s no universal standard yet.
Beyond tech, circularity is transforming industries like jewellery and luxury goods. Mads Twomey-Madsen, SVP at Pandora, highlighted the company’s shift to 100% recycled silver and gold jewellery, cutting emissions by 20%. He argued that businesses must drive sustainability without expecting customers to pay extra. “If you put your business bet on everybody paying a premium for it, it’s just not going to happen,” he said. “Our entire financing is tied up in sustainability-linked arrangements,” he added, highlighting that investors increasingly reward circularity.
At The Royal Mint, sustainability is now about survival. As Inga Doak, Head of Sustainability, put it: “We faced a pretty terrifying ‘diversify or die’ moment post-COVID.” With cash usage in decline, the 1,100-year-old institution is now recovering gold from e-waste and turning it into luxury jewellery. “We’re building a world-first facility to recover gold from printed circuit boards at room temperature,” she explained. The company is investing £17 million into scaling this technology, with plans for global expansion.
Consumer perception remains a challenge. Many assume lab-grown diamonds and recycled metals are inferior. “Some customers believe they should pay less for recycled gold,” Doak noted, despite it being chemically identical to mined gold. Twomey-Madsen echoed this on diamonds, stating: “What we think is ‘natural’ isn’t always best.”
And there’s another crucial point: circularity isn’t new. “In emerging markets, repair and reuse have always been part of life,” said Courtney Savie Lawrence, Global Innovation Advisor at the UN. “In the West, we’ve only recently ‘rediscovered’ it, and now we call it circular economy.” She shared how companies in India and Indonesia are turning air pollution into ink, repurposing palm oil waste into textiles, and creating high-value products from discarded materials. “Circularity is not just about ethics — it’s a massive business opportunity.”
For Pandora, The Royal Mint, and Currys, that opportunity is already paying off. “The future is circular,” Baldock said. Not because they’re being forced into it, but because it’s good business.
8. Plastic’s reckoning
End of the plastic age?
Plastic waste is at a breaking point, and the Global Plastics Treaty is set to force a major industry shake-up. Stricter limits on virgin plastic, tougher recycling rules, and ambitious waste reduction targets mean businesses must adapt fast or risk being left behind.
Thomas Philipon, CEO of TotalEnergies Corbion, believes the answer lies in bioplastics. His company produces Luminy plastics made from renewable materials like sugarcane, designed to degrade in industrial composting environments or be recycled. But despite their potential, bioplastics remain a fraction of the market.
“We put 400–500 million tonnes of plastic on the market every year. 80% of it ends up in landfills or polluting the environment.”
The biggest barrier is cost. Bioplastics are still more expensive than traditional plastics, though scaling up production is driving prices down. Lack of awareness is another issue. Many businesses don’t realise viable alternatives exist or don’t know how to integrate them. And then there’s regulation. Some regions, like China and Italy, have pushed strong policies that drive adoption, but globally, the landscape remains patchy.
Philipon points to food and beverage packaging, printing, and semi-durable goods as areas where bioplastics are making real inroads. China’s five-year plan has accelerated adoption, while Italy’s extensive composting infrastructure has provided a working model for integrating biodegradable plastics.
Philipon was honest — bioplastics alone won’t solve the crisis. Instead, they should be part of a broader shift towards smarter material choices, where businesses select materials based on recyclability, impact, and performance. Plastic isn’t a single problem with a single solution.
The future is about using the right materials in the right places. One such example is LEGO. Annette Stube, Chief Sustainability Officer of LEGO, addressed the company’s decision to abandon recycled plastic for bricks after finding that it had a higher carbon footprint than virgin plastic. “It was one out of 600 different materials that was tested and is still being tested. The search continues.”
She explained that LEGO’s private ownership allows for long-term sustainability investments without needing immediate financial returns: “The family that owns LEGO is deeply committed to sustainability. That means we can absorb innovation costs ourselves rather than passing them onto consumers.”
With the Global Plastics Treaty poised to change the rules of the game, companies have a choice: get ahead of regulation and innovate — or wait until compliance becomes a costly scramble.
9. Can we clean the past?
Making carbon removal a real solution
Most corporations focus on cutting emissions first, offsetting second. Carbon removal has shifted from a climate buzzword to a necessary tool in net-zero strategies. With the IPCC confirming that reaching global climate targets will require removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, companies are beginning to invest in technologies that can scale. But what does that actually look like?
JPMorgan Chase is taking a bold step, committing $200 million to engineered carbon removal, with the goal of neutralising its scope 1 emissions by 2030. “The goal is that all of our scope one emissions will be covered by engineered removal by that time frame,” said Brian DiMarino, deputy director of global sustainability at JPMorgan Chase. “The idea is to have long-term contracts, continue building that portfolio and grow it to support more companies and more technologies.”
The bank is backing direct air capture, biochar, ocean capture, and other engineered solutions, while still using nature-based solutions for its scope 3 footprint. But DiMarino made one thing clear: this isn’t just about ticking sustainability boxes. “The moral case alone is not going to solve the problem. It just won’t. Unfortunately, I know we all want it to, but…” he quipped. “Companies are moving now because they know they’ll need this supply later.”
Beyond climate commitments, there’s a strategic financial play here. Investing early helps lock in removal capacity before demand skyrockets, ensuring better prices and reliable supply when carbon removal becomes essential for corporate net-zero targets. “We’re very conscious not to be the big buyer forcing down prices,” he explained.
Despite the momentum, questions remain about long-term risks. The market still lacks clear liability structures for what happens if removal projects underdeliver. DiMarino believes insurance could play a key role in filling that gap.
While JPMorgan is financing the future of carbon removal, Carbonfuture is ensuring that the removals companies pay for are real, trackable, and permanent. “We act as the operating system for carbon removal,” said Dominic Lüdin, chief growth officer at Carbonfuture. “We make sure that the right data is inserted transparently, track the carbon from production to where it rests, and make sure it’s verified, so that a tonne removed is a tonne removed.”
The biggest challenge in carbon removal today is actually trust. The voluntary market is still young, and without rigorous tracking, verification, and transparency, companies may hesitate to commit at scale. “Durable removals are quantifiable and compared maybe to other parts of the carbon market, or even to land accounting factors, it’s easier to make sure you can calculate that transparency,” Lüdin explained.
Another major hurdle is price volatility. With emerging technologies, there’s no clear benchmark for how much a tonne of carbon removal should cost. Some companies, like Microsoft, have paid over $1,000 per tonne to help build the market, while others hesitate, unsure of the right price point. “This market needs to grow quicker than TikTok on an annual basis,” Lüdin said. “Building the infrastructure for scale is key.”
Locking in carbon removal before prices soar
Scaling carbon removal is essential as 10 billion tonnes are needed annually by 2050, yet today’s capacity is less than 0.01%. Offtake agreements, where companies commit to purchasing future carbon removals, could accelerate investment and stabilise wildly fluctuating prices, which range from $10 to $1,000 per tonne.
“Offtake agreements allow suppliers to secure financing,” said Michelle You, CEO of Supercritical. “It’s a way to get out of the chicken-and-egg problem. We need demand to create supply, but supply can’t scale without demand.” With biochar prices rising 29% annually, committing early ensures availability and lower costs.
Convincing leadership can be a challenge. “You don’t just wake up in 2050 and have 10 gigatonnes to buy,” You stated. Upcoming guidance will help firms phase in removals gradually instead of waiting until net-zero deadlines. “Even if just 10% of SBTi companies start buying, global capacity must grow 25x.”
To help smaller buyers, Supercritical partnered with Xylo, offering aggregated purchasing power and a 20% discount on offtakes. “This gives smaller buyers the same terms as a Microsoft-sized deal.” For companies serious about net zero, acting now locks in supply before demand surges.
Beyond the compliance trap
Sue Lloyd, ISSB vice-chair at the IFRS Foundation, is tackling the "alphabet soup" of sustainability reporting head-on. She wants fewer confusing standards and clearer data companies can actually use. Reporting shouldn’t just be voluntary — it needs to be standardised and mandatory. “It's a legislative requirement, it's a stock exchange listing requirement. It has to be subject to assurance. This is serious business,” Lloyd stressed.
Claire Dorrian, head of sustainable finance at LSEG Markets, highlighted the practical side: reporting shouldn't bog companies down in compliance, but rather drive genuine action. Investors are already onboard: “Eight out of ten investment managers now incorporate sustainability criteria into their portfolios,” she pointed out. But Dorrian recognised a tension: companies are increasingly bogged down by detailed reporting rather than focusing on meaningful sustainability progress.
Both agreed: sustainability reporting needs streamlining, clarity, and purpose, not just endless paperwork.
10. Sustainability can’t be a side project
CSO, the new boardroom power player
Sustainability has moved from a compliance function to a core business strategy, and the role of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is rapidly evolving. CSOs are now strategic leaders, working closely with CFOs and other C-suite executives to integrate sustainability into long-term corporate planning.
Virginie Helias, CSO of Procter & Gamble, shared how she pitched her role to the CEO 15 years ago, at a time when sustainability was seen as a separate department rather than a business imperative. “My 15-year journey has been to turn sustainability into a business strategy. It’s now embedded in brand building, innovation, and all business processes.”
One challenge for brands is consumer willingness to pay for sustainability. Helias noted: “For 15% of consumers, sustainability is worth a premium. For the rest, it isn’t. So the product must deliver irresistible superiority first, then sustainability becomes an added benefit.”
She gave a practical example: “You will pay for not having to rewash your clothes. And by the way, that is more sustainable. So you can use lower temperatures, you don’t have to add additives, that’s more sustainable. But consumers pay for the first part, which is, ‘I want clean clothes’.”
Anke Ehlers, Managing Director of International Sustainability at Aldi, highlighted how a discount retailer with razor-thin margins can still lead on sustainability. “We’re making sustainability affordable for all. It’s about efficiency: reducing energy use, packaging, and supply chain waste.”
Aldi’s lean product range helps keep waste down: “We sell one mayonnaise, not 15. That means fewer unsold products and lower waste.” On food waste, Aldi tracks store-level waste data and uses apps like Too Good To Go to sell surplus food. “Internal competition between stores has driven waste down massively. In the UK, we have overachieved our target, eight years ahead of schedule.”
Mika Nabeshima, CSO of Tokio Marine Group, explained how insurance plays a critical role in sustainability, not just by covering losses, but by building resilience. “Only about 30% of global disaster losses are covered by insurance. The remaining 70% is not covered, we call that the protection gap. We need to close that gap.”
She described Tokio Marine’s efforts in disaster prevention, including a new consulting arm focused on risk mitigation and adaptation: “We provide flood risk analysis and resilience planning. It’s difficult to measure prevention, but we are working on new ways to quantify that.”
Upskill or get left behind
Companies love to shout about net-zero goals, but here’s the reality: only 3% have the skills to back them up. Without proper training, sustainability targets stay stuck in boardroom PowerPoints.
Henry White, CEO of Sustainability Unlocked, put it bluntly: “The skills gap is wide, significantly wide.” Too many businesses still treat sustainability as a tick-box exercise rather than something that drives real value. That’s a mistake because done right, sustainability isn’t a cost centre, it’s a business advantage.
A Morgan Stanley study found that 85% of organisations now see sustainability as a major value driver, ranking it above regulatory pressure and even moral responsibility. Yet, many businesses are still getting it wrong. Without leadership buy-in, training efforts stall. If executives don’t back sustainability, it rarely gains traction.
Employees are already drowning in mandatory training, making it hard to engage them in yet another programme. And short-term thinking is holding companies back, with sustainability too often seen as a cost rather than a long-term investment that drives competitive advantage.
Catharina Bening, Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich, says leaders need a different approach: “We take executives on a journey, give them a view from the mountain, then bring them back with real skills.” ETH’s programmes track whether participants actually drive change inside their companies. With AI already reshaping sustainability training, Bening says companies should embrace it, not fear it: “We need to educate people on AI, not just how to use it, but how to apply it to strategy.”
A 40% gap exists between demand for green skills and the available workforce. Nicky Morgan, Chair of Santander UK’s Responsible Banking Committee, believes that businesses must step up: “Employers are often the most trusted people in someone’s life. If businesses say sustainability skills matter, employees and customers will listen.”
Morgan, who also served as Conservative Secretary of State for Education from 2014-16, called for policy stability to accelerate business action: “If the government commits to net zero by 2050 and provides a stable framework, businesses can step up, innovate, and guide employees and customers through the transition.”
With action needed now, businesses must educate, upskill, and lead the shift to a sustainable workforce. If there’s one lesson here, it’s this: companies that invest in upskilling will lead the future of business. The rest? They’ll be left behind.
11. The hidden cost of AI
AI’s promise vs. its footprint
Artificial intelligence is being pitched as a sustainability game-changer, but can it actually deliver? AI can optimise supply chains, cut waste, and drive better decision-making, but it also demands huge energy consumption. The question is: does AI’s potential outweigh its carbon footprint?
David Croft, Group Head of Sustainability at Reckitt, argued that AI is already transforming sustainability by making sense of complex data. “We’ve shifted from directional data to actionable insights,” he said, explaining how AI helps pinpoint emissions hotspots and unlock strategic investment in decarbonisation.
But does the tech’s own footprint make it part of the problem? Croft dismissed the idea of a contradiction, saying that AI’s ability to identify and reduce emissions across industries outweighs its own impact — as long as companies are transparent about its energy use.
For Sarah Schaefer, VP at Electrolux, AI’s power lies in changing consumer behaviour and extending product lifespans: “Most appliances get thrown out before they should. AI-driven predictive maintenance can help consumers take better care of them, increasing their lifetime and reducing waste.” But are consumers on board? “They’re already using AI,” Schaefer pointed out. They just don’t realise it, it’s baked into their washing machines.
Charlotte Degot, CEO of CO2 AI, was blunt about how AI can cut through inefficiencies in corporate sustainability teams: “I’m so tired of seeing sustainability teams crunching data manually in Excel spreadsheets. AI can streamline reporting, improve Scope 3 emissions tracking, and reduce errors, making sustainability action faster and more effective. “If we can use AI for good in these areas, let’s do it, while keeping an eye on energy consumption and impact.”
Yet JoAnn Stonier, Mastercard Fellow for Data & AI, raised a broader challenge: AI’s impact on the global economy. “We’re in the middle of a transformation,” she said. AI could drive efficiencies or widen the digital divide between developed and emerging economies. Its energy consumption could be offset by smarter systems, or make climate action harder if left unchecked.
Daniel Hengeveld, Vice-President of Investment Attraction at Toronto Global, brought a different lens to the AI and sustainability debate — “If I’m looking for a job in the next two, three years, am I competing against my colleagues, or am I competing against the cloud?” He pointed out that AI’s role in remote work could disrupt financial centres and economic structures, with workers no longer tied to high-cost cities and businesses rethinking how (and where) they operate.
The real challenge? Companies must stop chasing AI for AI’s sake and start using it strategically, or risk falling for a solution that creates as many problems as it solves.
Beware tech bros on tech steroids
Artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership, amplifying decision-making, and disrupting traditional roles. But as AI advances, how do we ensure leadership remains human-centred and ethically grounded?
Jon Miller, Partner at Brunswick Group, argued that AI forces a redefinition of leadership itself. “The number of societal issues that have become urgent, critical business issues… it’s just completely different,” he said. AI adds to this complexity, and Miller warned of an AI-driven “corporate mind”, where companies act as self-organising, intelligent systems. “We need a revolution in board management… how do we make sure that what this system is doing is aligned with the outcomes we’d like to see in the world?”
Mansoor Soomro, Future of Work researcher at Teesside University, believes AI favours generalists over specialists. “If AI can take specialist roles, there’s a new demand… the rise of generalists as compared to specialists.” In a study, human CEOs were outperformed by AI-led decisions (2.5x productivity increase), but the most effective model was human-AI augmentation, which boosted productivity by seven times. “The key here is augmentation,” Soomro explained.
Maddy Cooper, CEO of Flourish, argued AI should accelerate change, not just optimise existing systems. “Big business is very, very slow. How can AI enable that radically faster decision-making?” Her company is already using AI to bridge sustainability, marketing, and compliance, a process that would be impossible manually.
But there are risks. Miller warned of power centralisation, saying: “It’s not at all clear that the big tech bros understand what they’ve got.” Cooper agreed: “Tech bros on tech steroids… we do not need them en masse and at scale.”
Ultimately, as AI transforms leadership, human qualities like trust, critical thinking, and ethical oversight will become even more valuable. “The more pervasive AI becomes, the more of a premium we’re going to see on human factors,” Miller concluded.
At Lush, technology is applied selectively. Ruth Andrade, Earth Care Strategy Lead, explained the brand’s tech ethics stance, including withdrawing from Meta platforms over concerns about AI algorithms harming young users. Lush also developed an AI-powered app that identifies packaging-free products, allowing regulators to approve naked products on retail shelves.
Yet, AI has limits. Andrade noted concerns about AI reducing creativity and critical thinking. Beyond AI, blockchain is proving useful in supply chain traceability. Lush uses it to track frankincense sourcing from Somaliland, ensuring it comes from sustainably harvested trees. eBay also applies blockchain for authenticity guarantees on high-value resale items.
12. Entertainment’s climate remix
The road to net-zero touring
Touring, streaming, and festival production present major sustainability challenges for the music industry. Alice James, head of product at AEG, noted that “one of the largest impacts is audience travel to events.” Meanwhile, Stephen Down, production director at Only Helix, highlighted the reliance on diesel trucks and the slow transition to “battery trucks… we’re probably five years at least away from having trucks that we can actually use in a touring world.”
On the streaming side, Hannah Graham, co-head of sustainability and climate action at Spotify, detailed the platform’s dual focus: reducing its own carbon footprint and using its reach to engage audiences. “Today, creativity and artists have such a powerful voice,” she said, explaining how Spotify adapts climate content to audience interests: “globally, everyone loves true crime… so we took that and made climate content with a true crime vibe.”
Artist Dominic Harrison (Yungblud) sees his role as both an advocate and a student. “I think fundamentally within my platform… Youngblud as a community became a voice for change,” he said. “We wanted to start a festival that represented a new idea, in terms of ticket pricing, what I was hearing from my base, and what we care about.” While acknowledging he still has much to learn, he believes “the biggest first step is using my platform, saying, ‘this is what I believe in, this is what I want to do.’”
Sustainability efforts in the live music sector are growing. AEG’s Lido Festival is set to be the first fully battery-powered festival, a model they hope to expand. Meanwhile, audience expectations are shifting. “The younger generation… they are more than willing to take a trade-off,” said James, citing their acceptance of sustainable food and travel options at events.
Harrison summed up the industry’s challenge with urgency: “Gigs will change. People can be pissed about it, but the past didn’t make an effort, and now we’re more f****d, so we have to.” His advice? “Communicate. Even if it gets you into an argument, it’s fun.”
How to make climate content actually work
Media has immense cultural influence, yet audiences often tune out overt climate messaging. So how can sustainability stories be woven into content in ways that engage rather than alienate?
At ITV, the key is subtle integration. “When we try to be too on the nose, people switch off,” said Jeremy Mathieu, head of sustainability at ITV. Instead, sustainability is embedded in Coronation Street storylines, Love Island’s eBay partnership, and even contestant choices, such as featuring a climate activist on Big Brother. “It’s about making it feel normal, not like preaching.”
For Sky, scripted content is trickier. “It’s about modelling behaviour, showing both climate believers and sceptics, and letting audiences engage with the debate,” explained Meghan Lyvers, Sky’s executive director of original scripted. Their upcoming drama, set in a real Welsh town being decommissioned due to rising sea levels, uses climate change as the backdrop for a murder mystery, keeping the message implicit.
The Economist’s Katherine Stewart noted the challenge of overcoming climate fatigue. “We can tell people the risks, but how do we move from awareness to action?” The answer? Show solutions that empower rather than overwhelm.
For brands, authenticity is key. “Sustainability storytelling is emotional, not just logical,” said Chris McCafferty, sustainability partner at Woodrow. Campaigns succeed when sustainability feels aspirational, like Puma’s shift to zero virgin polyester football shirts, made compelling by their connection to Manchester City and AC Milan.
Across news, scripted content, and branding, the goal is the same: normalise sustainability, avoid lecturing, and give audiences a reason to care.
13. Sustainability: Bold talk, slow action
After three days of conversations, one thing was clear: sustainability isn’t slowing down, but neither is the climate crisis. The urgency is growing, the gaps are widening, and the biggest challenges — like funding, supply chain emissions, and global collaboration — are still ahead of us.
Businesses are making bold commitments, but real impact will depend on whether they can align profit with action, ambition with execution. AI promises efficiency, but it also raises new risks. Circularity is gaining traction, yet we’re still producing waste at record levels. The money for net zero exists, but getting it to the right places remains a battle.
What struck me most was the tension between optimism and reality. The solutions are there, but the scale and speed of change are still far from what’s needed. Governments, businesses, and consumers all have a role to play — but will we move fast enough?
There was no single answer at Sustainability Week, but one takeaway was undeniable: collaboration, accountability, and persistence will determine how this decade unfolds. And in an era where political tides are shifting, the business world might just have to lead the way.
— Also read part two: Energy shift 🪫 Burning through excuses
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A effective overview of three very intense days of talks and discussions!!