Sebastian Leape is the CEO of Natcap, a UK-based nature intelligence company which helps businesses measure, report and act on their nature-related impacts and dependencies. In this episode, we discuss why "nature intelligence should be integrated into business decisions", the role collaboration can play in helping companies develop a nature-based strategy, and why Sebastian decided to focus his career on nature-based solutions.

In this special crossover episode of Let's Talk Sustainable Business and Let's Talk Global Business, hosts Sara Murray and Barbara Mendez-Jorge delves into the complexities of ESG reporting with The Conference Board's Anuj Saush and Andrew Jones. The conversation highlights the challenges of managing complex ESG data, the role of ESG controllers, and the cultural differences in ESG adoption between the US and Europe. 

In the first episode of Season Six, Bárbara Mendes-Jorge interviews Paula Byrne (Program Director at the ESG Center) and Manali Paranjpe (Program Director at the ESG Center, Europe) on the key areas they are focusing on this year and how the ESG Center supports The Conference Board members on their sustainability journeys. We discuss how companies need to urgently familiarise themselves with the EU's CSRD legislation - which is already transforming sustainability reporting - why human rights, biodiversity and circular economy are three of the main topics the ESG Center is focused on this year and, continuing on from discussions had last season, why it is so important for companies to avoid greenwashing.

As Season Five draws to a close, the Conference Board's ESG Center Leader Anuj Saush joins host Barbara Mendes-Jorge to discuss the lessons learned and insights gained from our guests in this series. This season focused on greenwashing and how companies should tackle ESG issues, and our guests provided a lot of advice for those seeking to improve their sustainability communications and better incorporate sustainability into their corporate strategy. We'd like to thank our guests who contributed their time and expertise: Marilyn Waite, George Harding-Rolls, Louise Ayling, Malgorzata Golebiewska, Mari Granstrom, Genica Schaefgen and Guy Jubb.

Professor Guy Jubb, Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh Business School, talks about how sustainability reporting standards have developed, what he believes legislators should prioritise in corporate governance policy, the role of assurance in reporting, as well as why private equity and management and internal controls are two important governance-related issues for companies to consider.

Professor Guy Jubb is an Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh Business School and Co-Director of the Conference Board's European Corporate Governance Council. A chartered accountant, Guy is a corporate governance pioneer, having worked on investor stewardship and ESG issues since the early 1990s. 

In this episode, Guy talks about being one of the first people in the UK to have 'governance' in his job title, why he feels 'stewardship' as a concept is a sustainability cornerstone, and why remuneration and greenwashing are two important governance-related issues for companies to consider.

Genica Schaefgen from Ecosia talks about how customers' privacy is at the core of the business, how Ecosia is the official "planting partner" of debit card company TreeCard - which dedicates 80% of profits earned from merchant transaction fees into planting trees, why the company is very careful who it partners with, and Genica's work with the Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany, which helps raise the visibility of socially-focused companies to politicians and other stakeholders.

Genica Schaefgen is Head of Ecosia Germany, a Berlin-based tech company best known as the "search engine that plants trees". In this episode, Genica explains how using Ecosia contributes to its global tree-planting projects, enabling a tree to be planted "every 1.3 seconds", why Ecosia positions itself as a social business and takes a holistic approach to its biodiversity projects, and how the company aims to hold itself accountable by publishing their financial reports every month.

Mari Granström from Origin by Ocean talks about scaling up and reimagining an algae processing value chain, how she feels about EU and global climate and oceans policy, developing collaborative partnerships, and the advice she would give to anyone thinking of setting up a company with a bio-based focus.

Mari Granström is the CEO and Founder of Origin by Ocean, a Finnish start-up building a business ecosystem based on farmed and harvested algae, which is turned into ingredients used in the production of everyday consumer goods including in food, cosmetics, detergents, agriculture, textiles and packaging. In this episode we discuss why Mari decided to focus on the processed algae market, how Origin by Ocean uses biorefinery technology to tackle the problem of marine eutrophication and the company's partnership with Finnish brand Marikmekko.

The European Commission's Małgorzata Gołębiewska talks about how the EU Green Claims Directive aims to "level the playing field" for companies, the recent amendment to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the important role independent verification will play in the future, and also answers a question she often receives - what will the cost be for companies needing to adhere to the EU Green Claims Directive?

Małgorzata Gołębiewska is Team Leader for Environmental Footprint & Green Claims, DG Environment, at the European Commission. She leads the preparation and negotiation for the EU Green Claims Directive, a proposal to help combat greenwashing which sets out requirements on how to substantiate environmental claims and introduces rules on environmental labelling schemes. In this episode, we discuss the extent of greenwashing in the EU, how important it is to rebuild consumer trust and help consumers make more sustainable choices, and the role of labels such as the EU Ecolabel.

Marie Brueser is Senior Corporate Venture Manager at EIT Food, an organisation co-founded by the European Commission which is focused on driving innovation in the food and agricultural sectors. In the second part of our conversation, she outlines the EU's 'Farm to Fork Strategy', discusses how companies and policymakers can use EIT Food's Consumer Observatory as a database full of consumer insights, and talks about how food is at the heart of so many UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Radley Yeldar's Louise Ayling talks about how reporting standards such as the ESRS can help bridge the 'communications gap' prevalent in sustainability and how they provide an opportunity for companies to talk about their impact in a more transparent and compelling manner. We also discuss some of our favourite sustainability communications campaigns and whether 'greenwashing' remains a useful term.

Louise Ayling is Director of Sustainability and a board member at Radley Yeldar, a creative consultancy specialising in brand, corporate and sustainability communications. In this episode, Louise talks in-depth about Radley Yeldar's practical guide 'Words that Work: Effective Language in Sustainability Communications", which reviewed the sustainability webpages from 50 of Forbes' '100 most valuable brands' and compared their communications style with ten leading 'sustainable brands'. We discuss the importance of spotting and avoiding 'Stock Sustainability' and whether she feels greenwashing is still prevalent among most brands.

Eco-Age's George Harding-Rolls talks about the greenwash.com website he helped set up and its aim to help consumers better identify greenwashing. We also discuss whether companies should become advocates for legislative change in sustainability to "change the rules of the game", rather than focus too much on creating "the perfect green product".

Experienced corporate campaigner and sustainability professional George Harding-Rolls is Fossil Fuel Fashion Campaign Lead and Director of Policy & Advocacy at Eco-Age, having previously worked on Fashion, Plastics & Circular Economy at the Changing Markets Foundation.

In this episode, George joins host Bárbara Mendes-Jorge to discuss the need for improved greenwashing regulation, whether greenwashing should be seen as anti-competitive and how important it is for different departments within companies to openly discuss sustainability issues in order to prevent greenwashing.

The Climate Fund's Managing Director Marilyn Waite talks about the European Commission's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the related European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and how this will impact companies with more than 50,000 employees on sustainability reporting.

Marilyn also talks about her book 'Sustainability at Work: Careers that Make a Difference' and outlines how individuals can balance having a successful career with a more sustainable professional life that makes a positive difference to society.

Sustainable finance and investment expert Marilyn Waite leads The Climate Finance Fund, a philanthropic platform which helps mobilize capital for climate solutions, focusing on capital domiciled in the US, Europe and China.

In this episode, Marilyn sits down with host Bárbara Mendes-Jorge to talk about how the ESG sector is developing, what regulators should consider when designing climate-friendly policies and the importance of addressing the intersections of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

ESG Center Leader Anuj Saush introduces the new host of ESG-focused Season 5: Brussels-based sustainability communications expert Bárbara Mendes-Jorge. 

The ESG Center continues to experience remarkable expansion as companies are increasingly interested in prioritising corporate responsibility and integrating ESG strategies within their organizations. 

This season provides advice on how companies can prioritise ESG and avoid greenwashing, helps demystify and break down confusing sustainability-related words and gives practical tips on improving sustainability within your organization. 

We will also be discussing the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which will soon impact companies with more than 50,000 employees on their sustainability reporting.

For the last episode of Season 4, guest host Claudia Lee reflects on the key insights she learnt from her guests about how to implement and execute corporate sustainability strategies effectively. The episode is broken down into two parts 1) building a strategy 2) implementing and executing the strategy. 

Special thanks to our guests this season, including: Agrosustain, Xampla, Lush, Ikea, Maersk and Danone 

Note: Maersk accelerated their goal to reach net-zero by 2050 by a decade. The firm now aims to reach net-zero by 2040. 

In this episode, Danone’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Regenerative Agriculture Policy, Chris Adamo, shares examples of the firm’s sustainability strategy in practice. We get insights on their keystone regenerative agriculture program and how Danone works with dairy farmers to track and mitigate climate impact. We also hear about the firm’s efforts to reduce GHG in their operations via their Methane emissions initiative. 

During this episode, Claudia speaks to Chris Adamo, Danone’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Regenerative Agriculture Policy. Danone is a multi-national food corporation headquartered in Paris. The firm’s North American branch recently became one of the largest certified b-corps in the world.

Chris shares the three key pillars of Danone’s impact journey. This includes the firm’s sustainable business operations, its vision of nutrition and health and how they collaborate with value chain stakeholders. Chris also discusses US environmental policy, and breakdown the key facets of his role at Danone N.A.

Marie Brueser is Senior Corporate Venture Manager at EIT Food, an organisation co-founded by the European Commission which is focused on driving innovation in the food and agricultural sectors. In this episode, we discuss EIT Food's focus areas, 'Healthier Lives Through Food', 'Net Zero Food System' and 'Reducing Risk for a Fair and Resilient Food System', Marie's work connecting start-ups with bigger corporates to help scale up solutions, and the impact EU policy is having on companies' approach to sustainability.

Head of Corporate Sustainability & ESG at A.P Moller-Maersk Lene Serpa discusses how sustainability is ingrained into the shipping firm’s business model. She talks about how to implement an ESG strategy that ensures accountability and shared vision in their 95,000-employee strong company. Lene also reveals key insights learnt as a sustainability leader, including how risk, responsibility and opportunity can be balanced to create strategic value.

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Lene Serpa, Head of Corporate Sustainability & ESG at A.P Moller-Maersk. Lene breaks down Maersk’s plan to reach net-zero by 2040, explaining how the firm can decarbonize shipping by leveraging tech and offering low-carbon solutions to clients. Their conversation covers green fuel use-cases in the shipping industry and the importance of a global carbon price for the shipping industry.

In this episode, Claudia continues her conversation with Karen Pflug, the Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Ingka Group. She discusses Ikea’s goal to reach zero-emission deliveries by 2025. She also highlights their efforts to bridge consumers’ ‘worry-to-action’ gap through pop-ups, take-back schemes and education. As CSO, Pflug offers some valuable advice to sustainability leaders on the same journey, reminding leaders to act with ‘optimism, driven by action and empowerment’.

Relevant links: 

• Ikea’s zero-emissions deliveries
• Ikea’s renewable energy program
• Buyback & Resell Program

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Karen Pflug, the Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Ingka Group. Karen introduces Ikea’s People and Planet Positive Strategy and shares how it’s implemented throughout the company. She highlights Ikea’s ‘democratic design principles’, plus how traceability is observed in the value chain. Pflug also discusses their transition to renewable energy and the plan to become fully renewable by 2030.

Relevant links:

• Sustainability | Ingka Group
• Climate positive by 2030 | Ingka Group
• Ikea’s Democratic Design Principles 
• Buyback & Resell Program
  
  

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Ruth Andrade, who leads the Giving, Regenerative Impact and Organizational Development team at LUSH. Ruth shares LUSH’s regenerative business model via three case studies: 

1. Sumatra Patchouli Project 
2. Bring Back Scheme 
3. The Cork Pot project

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Ruth Andrade, who leads the Giving, Regenerative Impact and Organizational Development team at LUSH. Ruth breaks down the ‘giving strategy’ at LUSH, which includes change campaigns and grassroots initiatives. She also shares key pieces of advice for businesses wanting to transition to a regenerative supply chain.

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Simon Hombersley,  CEO of Xampla, a company that has developed natural alternatives to single-use plastics. Simon tells us about the importance of reaching price parity with traditional plastics, minimizing negative externalities and why business and policy are critical to achieving net-zero.

In this episode, Claudia Lee sits down with Simon Hombersley, CEO of Xampla, a company that has developed natural alternatives to single-use plastics. Simon shares Xampla’s mission, the lengthy R&D process and the product’s versatile applications.

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Olga Dubey, co-founder of Agrosustain, a company that manufactures natural coatings that can extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Olga explains the science behind Agrosustain's key product - ‘breathable’ coating that can be sprayed onto crops after harvest to keep crops fresh for longer.  The founder also shares challenges in R&D and certification that the startup has faced. 

In this episode, Claudia speaks to Olga Dubey, co-founder of Agrosustain, a company that manufactures natural coatings that can extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Olga explains the key challenges behind commercial farming and food supply chains. She also discusses the process of developing the product  and launching Agrosustain. 

Marco has worked in the plastics space for over 20 years and is currently Chief Commercial & Public Affairs Officer at Avantium. This conversation was recorded during Marco's previous role, as Business Director Biopolymers EMEA Advocacy & Sustainability Director Europe & Asia at Braskem. In this episode, we talk about Braskem's clients and collaborators - including Allbirds, Tetra Pak and the Olympics, why Braskem is choosing to prioritize game-changing technologies worldwide, as well as the role plastics should play in creating a circular economy, including food preservation.

Introducing a special season of Let’s Talk Sustainable Business with host Claudia Lee, Sustainability and Governance Research Fellow at The Conference Board. Every week Claudia will speak to guests from global corporates and SMEs about how they integrate sustainability into their business models and company values. Tune in to the series upcoming episodes. 

Shamini Harrington Vice President: Climate Change at Sasol and Presidential Climate Change Commissioner for South Africa in discussion with Uwe Schulte explains what the challenges managing for a Just Transition imply. Moving away from the fossil fuel base requires helping employees to make the transition to new jobs by skills and capability building, working with suppliers to help them to adjust their business model to the renewable energy conditions and more. Shamini explains how Sasol is forging collaborative networks and what benefits they bring in jointly managing the change. Going beyond the company approach she shares the importance of the impact governmental policies have, to create a good base for developing just solutions to the climate challenge. 

Shamini Harrington Vice President: Climate Change at Sasol in conversation with Uwe Schulte explains how a fossil-fuel based company plans to do their part towards the goals of the Paris agreement. Shamini explains how they are going to use their technology know-how to use sustainable sources of carbon and hydrogen to produce for example sustainable aviation fuel in the future. She shares the uncertainties of the technological transition and how the company plans keep option open by working with business partners on a variety of solutions. 

Jacob A. Sterling, senior director and head of ocean decarbonisation and innovation at A.P. Moller-Maersk joins Uwe Schulte to discuss the existing challenge of converting sea freight from fossil fuels to e.g., green methanol, and how this fuel choice provides the necessary flexibility. They explore why without having secured the supply, yet Maersk has chosen to go ahead with ordering 12 new vessels running on green fuel. Together they explore what it takes to become a leader in the field of decarbonization. 

Jacob A. Sterling, senior director and head of ocean decarbonisation and innovation at A.P. Moller-Maersk, shares his experience of moving from an NGO, the WWF Denmark, to work for a multinational company. He explains their ambitions for sustainability, and how being family owned, and implicitly looking for a basis for a long-term striving existence has helped the organization decide to take the risk of changing the business to net-zero by 2040.

In this episode Thomas Udesen, Chief Procurement Officer at Bayer, explains how Bayer Procurement is supporting the company’s sustainability efforts.  Small hold farmers are an important partner for Bayer and the procurement team has developed an engagement process to help farmers to adopt sustainable farming methods.

Another important issue is the reduction of Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. As for many companies 80% of the total GHG comes from scope 3 emissions. Bayer has started with a spend based approximation and is now focusing on the contributors and encouraging them to report via CDP. Thomas is also one of the founders of The Sustainable Procurement Pledge. More information can be found in the LinkedIn group here.

Continuing the conversation Cyril Giraud, Senior Vice President Performance Minerals, APAC gives examples of minerals helping customers to improve their sustainability performance. Imerys is for example providing a coating for paper to replace laminating with Polyethylene film and making products recyclable. IMERYS is also providing vital components for batteries for electric vehicles in form for example of graphite improving conductivity. He explains how they achieve externally audited life cycle analysis for their products and their projects to reduce their carbon footprint.

Cyril Giraud, Senior Vice President Performance Minerals, APAC at Imerys in conversation with Uwe G. Schulte explains how IMERYS is approaching the consequences of their impact by quarrying. They approach it in three phases preparation, exploitation, and rehabilitation with minimizing biodiversity losses at every stage. Imerys is engaging with external partners to join forces for ecosystem restoration.

Thomas Udesen, Chief Procurement Officer at Bayer talks about the role of procurement in the large merger / demerger transition Bayer went through in the last years.  

In this episode Ken Bowles, Chief Financial Officer at Smurfit Kappa Group talks to Uwe Schulte about collaborating for Sustainability. Ken explains several amazing achievements e.g., replacing polystyrene in thermal packaging and helping customer to reduce their carbon footprint significantly. As a CFO Ken is convinced that companies not addressing the social aspects of ESG inside their own operation and their extended value chain, will face serious stakeholder (customers, communities etc.) issues negatively affecting their business going forward.

Marco has worked in the plastics space for over 20 years and is currently Chief Commercial & Public Affairs Officer at Avantium. This conversation was recorded during Marco's previous role, as Business Director Biopolymers EMEA Advocacy & Sustainability Director Europe & Asia at Braskem. In this episode, we discuss the origins of Braskem's 'I'm green' bio-based PE plastic, made from sugarcane sourced from Brazil, the sustainability benefits to using Braskem's products - and how they differ from fossil-based plastics - as well as why Braskem joined the Renewable Carbon Initiative to support the company's journey toward a net-zero circular economy by 2050.

Guest speaker, Chever Voltmer, Plastics Initiative Director for Ocean Conservancy continues discussing the ocean pollution challenge, especially that of plastic waste contamination. She explains that the first approach we all should take is to avoid using and make sure that we recycle plastic. Building a good recycling structure and aiming for circularity are actions that companies can play an important role in. Chever, discusses how they help corporations to engage with the vast global resource of low-income waste collectors to improve their livelihood and their effectiveness. A new initiative is to engage all cities to tackle the plastic waste issue at the source. The corporate sector can also play an important supportive role in this initiative.

Chever Voltmer, Plastics Initiative Director for Ocean Conservancy joins Uwe Schulte to explore the organization’s extensive activities to fight negative influences threatening the ocean’s ability to stabilise climate change and support marine life. Chever, discusses their annual Ocean Clean-up efforts and the useful database ‘Tides’ which has resulted from these initiatives. Sustainable fishing and the negative effects of ocean acidification are topics discussed as well as the looming threat of plastic waste pollution. Chever, shares first experiences with a scalable technology to clean rivers from plastic waste.

Continuing the discussion with Uwe Schulte, David Hone, Chief Climate Change Adviser at Shell, now describes the implications of the three climate change scenarios. They discuss the need to find alternative pathways out of the global economy’s heavy dependency on fossil resources as well as the timing challenges involved. David expresses the need not just for the oil and gas industry to change but for all business sectors. The changes required cannot be limited to just the types of energy purchased.