In this episode, Saif Hameed is joined by Shannon Bouton, CEO of Delterra, for a wide-ranging conversation about waste, climate and the systems that govern how materials move through our economy. Speaking from snowy Michigan, Shannon brings a global perspective shaped by years of hands-on work designing waste management systems across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and increasingly, the United States.

The discussion explores the often-overlooked connection between waste and climate change, particularly the role of organic waste and methane emissions. Shannon challenges the idea that waste, climate and environmental issues can be treated separately, emphasising instead that they are tightly interconnected parts of a single planetary system. Together, Saif and Shannon unpack why waste has become more visible to consumers and companies alike, and why it has largely avoided the political polarisation seen in other sustainability debates.

A significant portion of the conversation digs into what makes a waste system “leaky,” why certain materials like PET bottles are more likely to be recovered than sachets or thin films, and how economic incentives shape what actually gets recycled. Shannon explains why designing packaging for recyclability, not just recycled content, is critical, and why simplification for consumers may be one of the most powerful levers companies have.

The episode also tackles complex topics like waste-to-energy, extended producer responsibility, and emerging innovations—from advanced recycling to biological solutions for organic waste. Throughout, Shannon offers a clear takeaway for sustainability professionals: there is no silver bullet, but thoughtful system design, material simplification, and aligning economics with environmental outcomes can drive meaningful change at scale.

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

On the latest episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed discusses the "wholesale functional shift" and organisational overhaul that defined 2025, where sustainability teams were frequently moved under procurement or legal departments to address supply chain resilience and compliance. 

Saif also highlights a "general demotion" of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), noting that many of these roles have transitioned from reporting directly to the CEO to sitting deeper within the executive chain. This structural change is accompanied by a growing demand for harder technical skills - such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and data science - as companies move away from generalist roles to focus on carbon as their primary, and often solitary, metric.

Looking toward 2026, Saif offers a "cynical realist" outlook, predicting a continued "sustainability freeze" and "green hushing" where companies talk less about their achievements while reducing budgets and incremental initiatives. He anticipates a massive vendor shakeout among distressed software and consultancy providers, alongside a significant "retrenchment" of 2030 climate targets as businesses realize many of their original goals were aspirational rather than achievable. 

Despite these challenges, Saif emphasises that supplier-specific carbon data is becoming "table stakes" for procurement and that actual progress is being made at a much larger scale than a decade ago.

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

We've spent the last few months working on improvements to the podcast, lining up a fantastic selection of guests to help us discuss a wide range of topics in the sustainability space. 

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach

We've been hearing whispers about this trend for months, and now it's time to address it head-on: sustainability teams across major corporations are being restructured, downsized, or absorbed into other departments. In this episode, we dive into this critical shift that's affecting sustainability professionals worldwide. We cover:

• The dramatic shift from the sustainability hiring boom of 2-3 years ago to today's restructuring wave
• Which sustainability roles are most vulnerable (hint: it's not who you might think)
• Where sustainability functions are being relocated within organisational structures
• Whether this integration is actually good for sustainability's long-term impact
• Practical advice for navigating your career during this transition

We're going on a season break and will be back with you in June.

What does “sustainable agriculture” look like from a farmer’s perspective?

Saif Hameed sits down with Adam Henkel, a 7th-generation farmer and 3rd-generation conservationist from Illinois. They break down:

• The true meaning of sustainability on the farm
• Bridging the farmer-corporate gap
• Easy wins vs real challenges in practice
• How corporations and sustainability professionals can help

In short… yes. But is that really a bad thing?

In this week’s episode, we ask whether the hype around sustainability is deflating, and what that means for progress.

We dive into the latest headlines:

• Is the UK on the brink of scaling back its climate ambitions?
• Are we stuck in a loop of ever-rising energy demand?
• What's next for sustainability-linked executive pay?

PLUS: A climate tech reality check.

Is climate tech entering its "trough of disillusionment"? Saif unpacks why corporate budgets are tightening, which solutions are struggling, and what climate tech founders need to hear.

This week’s headlines:

• Trump’s Tariff’s and the climate fall out
• Soaring commodity prices and what to do
• Just Stop Oil to disband - victory or retreat?

PLUS: Our how-to segment tackles a question many of you have asked: how to run a board meeting that secures sustainability buy in.

Got a question for the next ‘How-To’ segment? Join and drop us a message in the State of Sustainability Community: https://altruistiq.com/state-of-sustainability/community

What does it take to build a successful coral reef restoration program? In this episode, Saif Hameed dives into SHEBA®’s groundbreaking coral restoration program with Mars’ Chief Marine Scientist Prof. David Smith and SHEBA®’s Global VP of Marketing Mindy Barry. Points covered:

• Business + Science = Impact: How applying process engineering to conservation created unprecedented restoration scale
• Project set up: Why success starts with understanding local needs, empowering communities, and tailoring interventions to context
• Measuring what matters: Beyond basic coral counts, why and how the team tracks ecosystem health, skills transfer, and ROI.
• Practical takeaways: Consumer insights, cross-team collaboration, and stakeholder alignment strategies

Read more about the SHEBA® Hope Program here: https://www.shebahopegrows.com/uk

Plastic: The Most Sustainable Packaging?

In the high-stakes world of sustainable packaging, incremental change isn't enough. Join Saif Hameed and Melissa Brice, Senior Sustainability Manager at Amcor, a global leader in sustainable packaging as they unpack the complex landscape of plastic decarbonisation.

Key Insights:

• The true carbon impact of plastic vs. other packaging materials
• The hidden trade-offs between recyclability, emissions, and functionality
• Why recycling systems struggle and how EPR can help
• Innovations transforming packaging, from light-weighting to full recyclability
• How businesses can navigate legislation and consumer expectations

Listen now to rethink your approach to sustainable packaging.

In today’s episode we tackle two critical market signals:

• The SEC's dramatic climate disclosure rollback and what it means for corporate transparency
• The Net Zero Banking Alliance's retreat from 1.5°C commitments and if financial institutions are losing their climate ambition

Then we break down the EU Deforestation Regulation essentials:

• Who's affected and compliance timelines
• Geolocation data requirements and verification challenges
• Implementation strategies across different commodity sectors
• Navigating smallholder farmer relationships
• Leveraging compliance data for strategic advantage

If you’re navigating EUDR, sustainability reporting, or just trying to keep up with shifting regulations, this one’s for you. Tune in!

Tired of "supply chain engagement" programs that generate more surveys than carbon reductions?

In our latest episode, Saif Hameed and Beth Jones (Supply Chain Decarbonisation Lead, Altruistiq) cut through the hype to outline a framework for real impact:

• Align before action: Bridge internal agendas and make procurement central—they understand the supplier relationships.
• Evolve data, don't overhaul: Progress from compliance surveys to product carbon footprints - without specific PCF components, you're collecting numbers, not insights.
• Integrate commercials: Embed carbon into procurement metrics (e.g., “The Three C’s: Cost, Cash, Carbon), rather than treating as a side issue.
• Prioritise ruthlessly: Focus on suppliers with the highest emissions, strategic value, and collaboration potential.

Tune in below

Emission Factors (EFs), as we know them, are over. Bold statement? Maybe. True? Absolutely (in our opinion).

In this episode, we break down why traditional emission factors are rapidly being replaced by Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and what this shift means for businesses.

• The limitations of traditional emission factors
• Why PCFs provide more accurate, supplier-specific data
• Where businesses need to focus their efforts as PCFs scale up
• Key considerations when transitioning from EFs to PCFs

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. 

This time Saif speaks with Buffy CEO Leo Wang about how the bedding brand successfully built a sustainable product while pivoting its market message away from environmentalism toward consumer concerns about safety, comfort, and performance.

Key Takeaways:
• Initial Intent vs. Market Reality: Buffy began around 2017/2018 with the idea that the mass consumer was ready for bedding informed by sustainability values, but mass distribution quickly showed that leading with this message alienated customers.
• Safety and Trust as the Wedge: For many North American consumers, "sustainability" often translates to concerns about safety and trust, focusing on whether a product is safe for the household and family, rather than purely environmental impact.
• The Sugar Pill Strategy: Buffy intentionally "architected" its product to be highly sustainable (the "medicine") but prioritized performance and comfort messaging (the "candy") so the broad audience would unknowingly buy the ethical product.
• Performance is Paramount: Consumers often exhibit weariness toward sustainability claims, worrying that ethical products will be less soft, "crunchy," or defective compared to traditional alternatives, making performance an overriding purchase criterion.
• Sustainability as Table Stakes: Deep sustainability has become "table stakes" for D2C brands - a basic check mark that assures the consumer they are not a bad person by buying the product, but not a primary purchase differentiator.
• Distribution Demands: Distribution channels, including mass retail and digital advertising, force businesses to appeal to the "least common denominators" of consumer criteria, making financial stability and consistency critical over expensive, deep-seated ethical claims that customers rarely absorb.

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

In this episode, Saif Hameed and Kathryn McLeod, Head of ESG Reporting at The HEINEKEN Company, discuss practical approaches for transforming sustainability commitments into funded realities. They explore how to:

Improve finance - sustainability collaboration:

• Strategic governance frameworks that drive effective reporting and collaboration
• Battle-tested approaches for building credibility with finance teams
• Practical tools for embedding sustainability expertise in finance operations

Master sustainable finance:

• Success factors for securing and maximising sustainability budgets
• How to handle budget cuts and mid-year financial reviews
• Proven metrics and tools that make the business case stick - even without immediate returns

Who needs this:

Essential listening for sustainability professionals seeking financial backing and finance leaders stepping into ESG. McLeod unpacks HEINEKEN's approach to transforming sustainability from a cost centre to a value driver.

In today’s episode, we dive into the shifting world of sustainability and its clash with capitalism. We’ll cover:

• Sustainability & Capitalism: Can they coexist in today’s unapologetic capitalist system?
• Why Sustainability is Under Fire: Criticisms and confusion—what’s fuelling the backlash?
• The Business Case: Why sustainability is essential for business—resource scarcity, regulation, and more.
• Reframing for Leaders: How can sustainability leaders better align with business goals?
• Strategic Priorities: What should CSOs focus on over the next 5 years to ensure long-term success?

In today’s episode, we discuss the future of Science Based Targets (SBTs) - whether they’re still relevant, what’s going wrong and what alternatives are out there. Tune in as we explore:

• What’s really happening with the Science-Based Targets Initiative
• What changes are needed to restore confidence in SBTs
• Alternatives to target-setting that are gaining traction
• Predictions for the future of SBTs in 2025. Companies that are most likely to pull out

In this episode, Saif Hameed is joined by Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale and former COO of Under Armour, for a no-nonsense conversation on the apparel industry's sustainability shift. Colin shares key leadership and collaboration strategies for driving this change.

What you'll learn:

• Effective leadership principles: Tips for preparing to meet with your CEO on sustainability — what to consider and how to get buy-in.
• Decarbonise manufacturing: The optimal brand partnership approach to accelerate decarbonisation with manufacturers, without bogging them down with excessive audits.
• The new supply chain: How to rethink sourcing and supply chain design with smart, sustainability-driven criteria, like renewable energy reliability.
• Monetise sustainability: Easy ways to turn decarbonisation into a business opportunity, enhancing brand equity and capturing market share.

As 2025 approaches, the landscape of climate data management is evolving rapidly. In this episode, we unpack two big bets and two red herrings that sustainability professionals need to know about:

Big bets for 2025:

• Emission factors will become commoditised: Expect new databases to emerge as EF providers overprice their offerings.
• Data security will drive siloes: As accuracy improves, stricter data sharing policies will fragment data access.

Red herrings to avoid:

• Generative AI will fix everything: Don’t buy the hype.
• Real-time data is a must: Weekly or monthly data is far more practical.

Shownotes:

• State of Sustainability Food & Bev Summit Chicago, March 19th 2024: Register here.

In this episode, we sit down with Maia Reed, Global Climate Data Lead at Mars Petcare, to explore how one of the world's largest companies is tackling carbon reduction within agriculture supply chains.

What you’ll learn:

• Setting Up Carbon Reduction Projects: Insights into leveraging supplier relationships to overcome implementation challenges.
• Bridging Data Gaps: Tackling data scarcity with tailored management approaches and grassroots solutions.
• Balancing Compliance vs. Impact: Navigating the trade-offs between inventory and intervention strategies.
• Empowering Farmers: Using carbon insights to improve livelihoods and inform sustainable sourcing.
• Innovation in Action: Embedding sustainability into R&D, with a focus on alternative proteins.

Saif Hameed explores the biggest announcements, trends, successes and failures of 2024. He breaks down:

• The explosive growth of Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and their impact on supply chains
• Why PCF exchange is lagging behind PCF generation and what this means for businesses
• The return of secondary data in emissions reporting and how to balance it with primary data
• Packaging as the new zone of collaboration for emissions reductions
• Why procurement teams need more support to meet increasing sustainability requirements

Tune in to get to grips with these trends and learn how to get ahead for 2025.

Related resources:

• How to Set Up a Useful Product Carbon Footprint (Guide)

In this episode, Saif Hameed explores how businesses can credibly deploy and account for Scope 3 emission reductions. He breaks this down into five key steps:

1. Setting up data
2. Identifying interventions
3. Implementing projects
4. Measuring and tracking progress
5. Validating and verifying results

Along the way, we tackle challenges like mass balance measurement, avoiding double counting, and preparing for frameworks like Land Sector Removals Guidance (LSRG). Tune in for actionable insights to navigate Scope 3 reductions with confidence.

Join Saif Hameed and John Lee, Director of Nature and Mission Sustainability at Danone, as they discuss the best approach to prioritising and scaling farm-level reductions for carbon and crucially, nature. In this episode, we explore:

• Empowering Procurement: How to effectively engage procurement teams and align behind shared sustainability initiatives
• Collaborating with Suppliers: The role of Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and supplier-centric emission sharing in fostering collaborative partnerships.
• Accelerating Innovation: The process of testing pilot programs and prioritising those with the greatest potential for scale-up.
• Leveraging Customer Demand: How to harness growing consumer interest in sustainability to reduce emissions through collaborative efforts.

Paul Goff, Traceability and Sustainability Product Manager at H&M shares how the fashion giant is using technology to unlock transparency, decarbonise its supply chain, and set a new standard for sustainability in the apparel industry. From navigating global supply chain complexities to fostering lasting partnerships with suppliers, Paul dives deep into the practical steps H&M is taking to drive change. In this conversation, we discuss:

• Managing apparel supply chain complexities: How H&M manages the complexities of a global supply chain and what companies can learn from their approach
• Supply chain engagement: The key to successful supply chain engagement—what works for both H&M and their suppliers, and how to make these partnerships last
• Production decarbonisation: How to approach decarbonisation at the factory level and on a larger scale
• Digital tech: How H&M is using technology to increase supply chain transparency, improve traceability, and hold suppliers accountable for sustainability goals
• Innovation: How H&M prioritises finances and scales innovation to meet their sustainability goals

Links & resources:

• Early-stage innovation at H&M
• Green investment in a low-carbon textile industry

Get the transcript here: https://altruistiq.com/state-of-sustainability/resource/h-ms-big-bet-on-sustainable-supply-chains-and-why-its-working

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.
This time, Saif takes the mic solo to dive into a topic that - according to former Starbucks CSO Michael Kobori - is about to become everyone’s priority: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.

In this episode, Saif unpacks his "hot takes" on EPR that you won't find in standard reports. He explores:

• The rise of EPR: How a concept once dismissed by the "Jesuits of capitalism" as fantasy has evolved into hard law across Europe and the US.
• The hidden drivers: Why cash-strapped municipalities and visceral consumer concerns about waste are accelerating these schemes faster than traditional ESG regulations.
• The compliance headache: The complexity of navigating fragmented global schemes and the "who watches the watchers" problem regarding Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) and their conflicts of interest.
• The market reaction: How the "fruit flies" of the corporate ecosystem (consultancies and software providers) are swarming to solve the data burden.
• The opportunity for circularity: Moving beyond the "tax" mentality to a model where brands actually get their materials back - improving durability and reducing costs.

Rather than viewing EPR simply as a cost of doing business or a funding mechanism for waste collection, Saif makes the case for a strategic shift - where forward-thinking companies use these schemes to close the loop on their own products, driving true additionality and system change.

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Where does the result of the US election leave corporate sustainability? In this episode, we cover:

• Big bets: How the Trump administration will impact corporate sustainability efforts

• Policy Shifts: Key policy changes to watch and their implications

• Budgets: Tips for managing sustainability budgets amidst shifting priorities

• Team Dynamics: Changing structure and priorities for corporate sustainability teams

• Global Perspectives: New emerging global hubs driving sustainability innovation
• Expert Advice: Strategies for maintaining ambition and commitment to sustainability goals despite political uncertainty.

Transcript here: https://www.altruistiq.com/state-of-sustainability/resource/what-does-trump-mean-for-corporate-sustainability

Who is the "sustainable consumer," and what drives their choices? In our first-ever consumer insights survey, we uncover:

• The profile of the sustainable consumer
• How consumers prioritise what they put in the shopping basket
• What “sustainability” means to them
• The most trusted sustainable brands—and why they stand out

In this episode, we reveal the key findings and share actionable strategies for professionals to incorporate these insights into their sustainability efforts.

Who were the respondents?

Our survey spanned a diverse demographic:

• Age: 50% were aged 25–34, followed by 28% aged 35–44
• Gender: 58% male, 42% female
• Geography: The majority hailed from the US (23%) and UK (23%), with representation from India (10%), France, Canada, and Australia (6% each), and others (26%)
• Living Environment: 70% resided in urban areas
• Income: 70% reported household incomes between $40–99k
• Dietary Habits: 65% had no dietary restrictions, while 19% identified as vegetarian

We'll be scaling this survey in 2025. Keep an eye out!

We’re joined by Fran Haycock, Head of Sustainability at Greencore, to discuss the key considerations when leading a successful sustainability transformation.

We cover:

• Strategy alignment: How to ensure your sustainability transformation aligns with the broader business objectives
• Sustainability team set-up: The priority qualities and skills to consider when recruiting and developing your sustainability team.
• Leadership style: How to evolve your leadership style as your sustainability program matures.
• Budget management: Effective strategies for developing, securing and scaling a sustainability budget.

Collaboration may not be a silver bullet for solving sustainability challenges, but when executed effectively, it becomes a powerful tool. In this episode, we cut through the buzzwords and focus on practical steps for scalable collaboration, exploring:

• Types of collaboration: Challenges and opportunities associated with within-value-chain collaboration, across-value-chain collaboration, and pre-competitive collaboration.
• When, where and who to collaborate with (and not): How to identify the right opportunities and partners—and when it’s best to go solo.
• Creating collaborative initiatives that scale: Key components for setting up partnerships that can scale (not just multiply).
• Who takes the credit? Innovative tools and accounting practices like differentiated product carbon footprints to verify reductions in collaborative efforts.
• Budgeting, resources and incentives: Monetary (price premiums, 3rd party financing) and non-monetary incentives (long off-take agreements) to sustain collaboration.

Links/ resources :

• A guide to supply chain engagement

In this episode, we discuss the surging popularity of Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs). We cover:

• The PCF Boom: The rapid growth of PCF generation
• PCF value: Where PCFs deliver value and where they fall short.
• PCF challenges: The key challenges to be aware of when generating and sharing PCFs.
• Data readiness: How to balance PCF demands with data accuracy and confidence
• PCF set up: Practical guidance on generating and sharing meaningful PCFs

The majority of businesses calculating baselines use less than >10k emission factors (crazy).

What does this mean?

It means emission calculations aren't accurate and decarbonisation efforts remain invisible.

In this episode we get to the bottom of this and discuss:

• EF Recap: what is an EF and how is one developed
• Current State of Play: Understanding the current landscape of EF usage and challenges.
• The EF Dilemma: Balancing consistency and accuracy in EFs.
• EF Types: Deciphering the differences between supplier-specific and secondary EFs
• Primary Data: The role and need of primary data collection in EF development.
• Solutions and Trends: Discovering innovative approaches to accurate EF calculation and future trends in the field.

In the second part of this two part series, we discuss essential leadership strategies to supercharge your sustainability team. We cover:

• Team retention: How to retain and motivate top talent in a competitive market
• Skill development: Where and when to invest in upskilling
• Performance metrics: What metrics and bonus schemes are useful to track and implement
• Headcount budget and resource management: How to optimise team resources
• Team culture: Observed tactics for building team culture from Nando's and Starbucks

In this two-part series, we dive deep into the essential components of creating and managing a world-class sustainability team.

In part one, we discuss:

• Core characteristics: The key attributes contributing to a well-structured and effective sustainability team.
• Must-have roles: The indispensable positions that every sustainability team needs to function optimally.
• Internal vs. external: When to prioritise internal hiring and when to seek external expertise through consultants or software.
• Budgeting: How to secure the necessary headcount budget for your sustainability team.
• Attracting talent: The best strategies to attract top talent

Saif Hameed and Piers Cooper, Senior Sustainability Research Manager (LCA) at Altruistiq discuss FLAG, what it is, if you should prioritise it, and if you do prioritise it, how to maximise your ROI. They cover:

• A recap: What is FLAG and the measurement requirements
• Strategic importance: When and why should a company prioritise FLAG over other sustainability initiatives
• Measurement challenges: The primary FLAG challenges and solutions to overcome them
• Commercial opportunities: How to leverage FLAG to create competitive advantages and unlock commercial opportunities
• Trend watch: The upcoming changes to FLAG and trends to be aware of.

In this episode, we explore current agricultural supply chain risks and mitigation measures. We cover:

• Emerging threats: The macro and micro risks and specific commodities most vulnerable to climate-related disruptions.
• Building resilience: Strategies to strengthen your supply chain.
• Environmental data impact: The impact on your environmental data and the role of technology to mitigate these risks.
• Business case: How to value and communicate risk to bolster your sustainability business case.

In this episode, host Saif Hameed takes a deep dive into Bill Gates‘s controversial COP 30 memo. Saif is joined by Faisal Tajdar, head of projects at Acasus. 

Acasus is an impact focus consultancy that partners with governments around the world on public sector reform. Across his time at Acasus, the Gates foundation and Mackenzie, Faisal has been involved in healthcare reform work in several countries and multiple continents. 

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Saif Hameed and Jesica Sansom, Sustainability Director at Huel discuss how to set up product carbon footprints (PCFs) to deliver real business value.

We cover:

• Data collection: The challenges and workarounds in collecting the granular data needed for reliable PCFs
• Actionable insights: Best practices for using PCF to inform sustainable product design
• Supplier collaboration: How Huel are fostering innovative solutions with suppliers e.g., rethinking ingredient production methods & running field trials with oat farmers
• Claims & comms: How to communicate and demonstrate sustainability progress and why product labelling is not the silver bullet solution.

In this episode, we highlight the common mistakes that sustainability professionals make and sound out the solutions. We discuss:

• Market insight: Is SBTi still credible?
• Mistake trends: The most common pitfalls that sustainability professionals face.
• Root causes: The underlying reasons behind these mistakes.
• Data challenges: The limitations of working with aggregate data and best practices for overcoming them.
• GHG to PCF: How professionals can effectively gather and manage supplier data for greenhouse gas emissions reporting.
• Commercial opportunities: Understand the benefits and competitive advantages

Camilla Riddiford, Head of Sustainability at Arla UK, shares her advice on how to turn colleagues from bystanders to sustainability champions (without breaking the bank or your sanity).

In this episode, we discuss:

• Tailored communication strategies for diverse audiences
• Effective content formats that resonate
• Balancing data and narratives for a compelling business case
• Prioritising upskilling, and training programs for key teams

Link to event: https://www.altruistiq.com/events/women-in-sustainability-summer-garden-mixer

The complex structure of supply chains can make tracking the impact of sustainability-related interventions a challenge. Supplier-specific information is often lacking and/or hard to come by. However, a lack of traceability shouldn’t deter companies from efforts to drive progress.

There's a solution: supply sheds.

This episode dives deep into:

• What is a supply shed, and how can it help you overcome challenges in reduction tracking
• The benefits of using supply sheds include incentivising traceability and enabling collaboration.
• Challenges to consider, like changes in your supplier base and attribution of reductions.
• Recommendations for companies, from identifying key suppliers to monitoring interventions.
• Is the supply shed here to stay?

Does the world on-pack green claims make you nervous?

We get it. Green claims are a minefield.

Today, we're bringing in a veteran of bold sustainability messaging to help us navigate the dark and somewhat dangerous world of sustainability comms. Shaunagh Duncan, Head of Sustainability at Oatly EU & I walks us through making strategic green claims, teaching us when to push boundaries and when to play it safe.

We cover how to :

• Define a bold and impactful communication style
• Walk the line between “greenwashing” and “green hushing”
• Approach on-pack PCFs
• Capitalise on the commercial opportunities of carbon labelling

Show notes:

According to a recent study, Oatly Barista sold in the UK has a 58% lower climate impact than comparable cow’s milk.

From: Blonk Consultants (2022), LCA of Oatly Barista, and comparison with cow's milk. Gouda, the Netherlands. Stages include raw material to the point of sale and packaging waste management for average L *produced in the Netherlands and sold in the UK. Findings are subject to assumptions, limitations, conclusions, and critical review statements. See full report here.

We bust the 3 of the biggest sustainability myths in the industry:

• Myth 1: We should be fazing out plastic
• Myth 2: Feed supplements are the silver bullet to methane reduction
• Myth 3: The future of ‘green transportation’ should be electrified.

P.S. Don't forget to rate and review our podcast to help others discover tactics for corporate sustainability change transformation.

This episode dives into the 20+ year career of Saif Hameed, an activist, government official, NGO co-founder, flower farm owner, and now CEO of Altruistiq, a sustainability data management platform.

We explore how his experience equips sustainability professionals to engage stakeholders across sectors for change. We discuss:

• Saif's Journey: Lessons from activism, government work, NGO experience, and business ventures inform a robust approach to sustainability
• Engaging Stakeholders: Collaboration techniques across activists, government officials, NGOs, and suppliers to accelerate change.
• Why Altruistiq: The inspiration behind Altruistiq and what makes it different

Saif Hameed and Patrick Shewell, Global Director of Packaging at Mondelēz, discuss balancing an iconic brand image with bold sustainability packaging goals. In this episode, we dive into:

• Balancing trade-offs between product functionality and sustainability
• EPR policy inconsistencies and how to manage these across 150+ markets.
• Prioritising packaging initiatives: no brainer vs higher cost initiatives
• Strategies for collaboration with packaging suppliers
• Investing in innovative packaging solutions

Show notes:

• Consumer Goods Forum Packaging Design Guidance

• Extended Producer Guidance: All you need to know about EPR Policy Pulse

In this episode, Saif Hameed and Isobel Wild discuss:

• How different companies are approaching CSRD
• Which team(s) should own the CSRD reporting process
• Double materiality assessment best practices
• What to do with all the data that you're not ready for
• How to move beyond compliance and make CSRD impactful

In this episode, Saif Hameed and Isobel Wild discuss:

Market Highlight: Sustainability Linked Bonuses: Company-wide vs leadership (learnings from LEGO Group)

Topic Deep Dive: Internal Sustainability Training Program

• Success Characteristics: The characteristics that distinguish a good training program from a transformative one.
• Prioritising Teams: Which teams will benefit most from sustainability training and how to prioritise
• Creating Compelling Content: How to tailor content to resonate with specific team needs whilst making it scalable.
• Engagement Levers: The most effective tools. initiatives and experiences to engage leadership teams and company-wide.

Show notes

• Tim Brooks, VP and Head of Sustainability at The LEGO Group. Lessons from setting up Sustainability Linked Bonuses.
• Internal Sustainability Education: How Kerry Achieved 91% Engagement

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.

This time, Saif takes the mic solo for another short-form content byte, and he’s tackling one of his long-standing bugbears: ESG. Or more specifically, why it’s the end of ESG as we know it (and why that might not be a bad thing).

In this episode, Saif unpacks why the term “ESG” has always bothered him - and why it might be time to finally retire it. He explores:

• The origins of ESG as a concept designed for financial institutions, not operating businesses.
• How the framework became overloaded with hundreds of unconnected KPIs that can’t meaningfully be compared.
• Why “brand ESG” has lost its meaning - and how its politicisation (particularly in the US) has turned it into a cultural flashpoint.
• The path forward: focusing on what actually matters to each business, by breaking the ESG basket into specific, strategic priorities owned by the right teams.

Rather than treating ESG as a checklist or reporting exercise, Saif makes the case for a return to fundamentals - where companies define what truly drives value, resilience, and impact for them, and commit to doing fewer things, better.

Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

In this episode, we cover:

• QUIZ: guess the lowest emitting ingredient
• Strategic Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) generation
• The trends catalysing supplier asks for PCFs
• Using PCFs to re-engineer your product
• How to pitch your PCF internally to R&D, Marketing, and commercial teams
• How to pitch your PCF externally to customers and consumers

In this episode, we discuss:

• Key regulatory reporting trends: the evolving landscape, AI and what it means for your business.
• How to optimise your reporting team: best practices for setting up a high-performing, reporting team.
• Collaboration tips: strategies for working effectively with finance and legal on reporting.
• How to streamline your approach: tools, data infrastructure and ways of working to improve your reporting process.

Saif Hameed and Audrey Leduc, North American Director for Planet Friendly Practices at McCain Foods unpack how to scale regenerative agriculture. They discuss:

• Measuring impact: the key indicators and data points needed to track and demonstrate progress against regenerative agriculture
• Building strategic partnerships: principles for identifying and developing partnerships (that will last)
• Farmer engagement toolbox: how to successfully engage farmers and make regenerative agriculture attractive
• Financial solutions: innovative financing solutions to tackle upfront costs
• Communication strategy: compelling B2B and B2C communication techniques to drive engagement and commercial value.

*Please note that the activation initiatives mentioned (time stamp: 34:12) in the franchises in Canada are with A&W, not Burger King.

Off the back of our flagship sustainability event in Chicago, where we hosted 70+ F&B sustainability professionals working on sustainability data challenges in the agri value chain, a few key trends emerged. In this episode, we dig into:

- “Action first - reporting second”.

- Qualities of the “best” kind of decarbonisation initiatives

- Data transparency is very different between B2B vs B2C