Businesses face challenges and opportunities in adapting to climate change regulations and sustainability reporting. Linking sustainability strategies to performance and progress is a crucial aspect of this journey.

In this episode, Felicia talks to Stuart McLachlan, chief executive of sustainability firm Anthesis, about the shift from traditional business models to sustainable practices, emphasising the need for organisations to take responsibility for their externalities and adopt circular economy principles.

Adaptability and collaboration are fundamental, as seen in sustainable agriculture and pre-competitive collaboration during the pandemic - in the end, so much of what we need to address comes down to the health of the soil. The conversation touches on the role of investors and regulators in driving sustainability, the urgency of transformation, and how we can shift to a low-carbon, nature-positive world through collective action.

Stuart's book, The Adventure of Sustainable Performance, is available on all major platforms.

Don't forget to subscribe for future episodes, sign up to receive our weekly newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this week's episode, Felicia talks to Pablo Fernandez, chief executive of global climate solutions company EcoSecurities.

The carbon markets are a contentious, but effective, tool for leveraging finance for action on climate change. Carbon offsets, an important tool within these markets, allow companies to invest in emissions reduction projects, often in developing countries, as a cost-effective way to meet climate goals. However, issues such as weak demand, inconsistent pricing, and trust in project quality have challenged the effectiveness of carbon markets.

What matters is understanding which credits are appropriate for your industry and business, and the pathway you're choosing to cut emissions and transition towards a net zero world - demonstrating a transparent and robust strategy for action on climate change.

In this episode, we discuss the history of the climate negotiations, how the carbon markets developed and why offsetting has an important role to play in transforming the world.

Don't forget to subscribe for future episodes, sign up to receive our weekly newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.

This week, Giulia interviews Helen Clements, director, innovation & behaviour change lead at GoUnpackaged, a UK-based consultancy that helps retailers switch to refill systems. It’s not just about the individual piece of packaging that ends in the hands of the consumer: there is a whole supply chain behind it to revolutionise.

GoUnpackaged is behind the Refill Coalition, an initiative to create a standardised solution for supermarkets. Its current members are Aldi and Ocado, which are both undergoing trials that Helen says are very successful. However, there are challenges in encouraging other retailers to take part: Waitrose, which was a founding member, left the coalition last year.

In the podcast episode, we discuss GoUnpackaged’s “charmingly ugly” containers and how its system differs from the traditional bulk refills, how consumers can be encouraged to change their habits, the challenges retailers are facing, and the need for stronger policies to enforce a truly circular economy. With powerful lobbying groups pushing the government to keep the status quo, we need every actor in the economy to play their part – especially retailers.

Don't forget to subscribe for future episodes, sign up to receive our weekly newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.