Four steps to ensure corporate sustainability programs are actually sustainable
Unfavourable political winds were no match for the determined optimism among attendees at London’s 2025 Sustainability Live Net Zero Conference, held in early March.
Sustainability professionals are confident but realistic about continued progress towards a low-carbon environment in the face of pushback around the world. There was a marked emphasis on actions that companies should take to maintain momentum towards sustainability goals, with strategies falling under four main takeaways:
Communicate the value of sustainability in commercial language
Speak to corporate stakeholders in their native tongue, framing sustainability in terms of cost, revenue, and resilience.
For example, the UK National Grid’s investment in TS Conductor’s enhanced wire technology has doubled the capacity of existing lines. The high-performance cables have improved energy efficiency, halving technical line loss and decreasing forest fire risk, all without costly structural change. Meanwhile, both Siemens and Schneider Electric have seen an increasing number of clients focus locally and onshore operations to mitigate the impacts of geopolitical crises on their supply chains. They are also investing in renewables to achieve energy independence, reducing their reliance on resource-rich countries and steadying the shocks of fluctuating gas prices.
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Our own research provides some context: Working in collaboration with HP, we found that organisations advancing sustainability and community initiatives report that those efforts have helped increase revenue (61%), drive expansion into new markets (57%), and improve customer satisfaction (57%).
Take everyone on your journey
Organisations must keep stakeholders—customers, investors, suppliers, and employees—informed with clarity and transparency. This means updating them on strategic shifts and ensuring they understand the benefits of sustainability initiatives. BT’s “return your kit” campaign, promoting the reusability and recyclability of their products, exemplifies this. The company encouraged customers to return old devices by ensuring the security of private data and highlighting the financial benefits of the transaction (as well as the fine for non-compliance). This allowed BT to improve emissions—for example, by reducing the energy requirements of suppliers from whom they now buy fewer raw materials.
Think ahead to embed sustainability into operations….
Sustainability needs to be core to operations not a separate activity or an afterthought. One strategy is to work with finance and planning teams to ensure long-term plans consider climate impacts on the business and inform all operational decisions. Plans should also consider the costs of inaction, such as increased resource prices or regulatory fines for non-compliance. Conducting scenario analysis can help with this by de-risking decisions and investments made today that will shape real world activities for years to come. (Oxford Economics just released a relevant webinar, which you can access here.)
…but always seek quick wins
Organisations should focus on what they can achieve now and deliver it, even if the benefits are less than world-shaking. For example, E1—the premier e-motorboat league—retrofitted their buoys with electric motors, alleviating the need for noisy, resource-intensive course setups and anchoring, leading to less disruption on the marine environment. The new buoys’ autonomous or manual positioning allow them to be seen much more frequently by both spectators and TV cameras, increasing advertising opportunities for E1. Realising such gains requires preparation and getting the basics right—fundamentals like acquiring data, establishing baselines, implementing robust corporate governance and modelling steadfast executive leadership. By focusing on what can be achieved now, organisations build a foundation for the future while keeping the bottom line front of mind.
Sustainability is a long game, and though the conference speakers seemed as committed as ever, they recognise the hard work needed to transition as companies navigate the practical realities and trade-offs of the current political climate.
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