5 June, 2026

Not many in sustainability can say they have a 30-year view on the evolution of the industry, and that they had a hand in that change. We’re lucky enough to be in that position.

Every so often we revisit and update an old diagram that still tells the story well.

Back in 1996 there was philanthropy or community investment. The nice thing on the side. But from that point things began to change.

The process was a combination of carrot and stick. On the stick side: scandals such as the Nike supply chain, Deepwater Horizon and Enron catalysed emerging pressure on businesses to consider their broader impacts in a transparent way, alongside growing NGO activism for change and mainstream headlines around business behaviour. On the carrot side: growing consumer interest in the good guys, a new generation of employees pushing internally for change, and the growth of challenger brands using sustainability and purpose as competitive advantage.

The sustainability industry both drove and reflected this evolution, and the terminology changed too. As we moved from CSR, through CR and into sustainability, social and environmental issues started being taken more seriously and moving gradually further towards the strategic centre of the business. And in leading companies today sustainability impacts, opportunities and risks are integrated into every aspect of the business and flow naturally from its purpose. In the early days, our clients were mavericks and changemakers, and in many cases this spirit remains. But today they do it from the C-Suite.

This story makes it look linear and deterministic, which of course it isn’t. But despite many, and ongoing, setbacks, the direction of travel over three decades has been positive. The role of sustainability in businesses has become more vital, more senior, more commercial, more serious. All of which makes us excited for the next 30 years.

By Ben Wood