State of Sustainability – Details, episodes & analysis

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!