19 June, 2026

Earlier this week, we brought together friends, clients, collaborators and business leaders to celebrate 30 years of Good Business.

It was, in many ways, a birthday celebration. But as our founder and Chairman, Giles reflected in his welcome remarks, birthdays are not only a chance to look back. They are also a chance to look forward.

Over the past three decades, we have seen the sustainability agenda move through many different phases: from corporate social responsibility to corporate citizenship, to corporate responsibility, corporate sustainability and, now sustainability and (in some cases) regenerative business. The language changes, expectations shift, and the challenges have grown more complex. But one belief has been foundational to us over the past three decades: if you want to change the world, do it through business; and if you want to change your business, do it by changing the world.

That belief was brought to life by the people in the room. We were joined by sustainability leaders from some of the world’s biggest companies, alongside entrepreneurs, authors, an Earthshot Prize winner and some of our partners. Over the afternoon, we heard a series of thoughtful, challenging and energising reflections on what it really takes to create change through business.

Richard Reed, co-founder of innocent drinks and JamJar Investments, reminded us that big companies do not automatically mean bad, and small companies do not automatically mean good. Impact depends on intention, effort and scale, and when impact is intrinsic to the product, growth can become a powerful lever for change. He also spoke about the importance of sincerity. When a commitment runs through the core of a business, it shapes culture, identity and the way people show up.

We then heard from Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, co-founder of Notpla and winner of the Earthshot Prize, about the company’s extraordinary innovation to remove plastic from the food supply chain by using seaweed. Now scaling through major partnerships, including with our brilliant client Just Eat Takeaway, Notpla is a powerful example of what happens when imagination, science and commercial ambition come together. Rodrigo also shared how Notpla has grown by knowing where to partner, tapping into supply chains, working with the right specialists, and scaling innovation where it can have the greatest impact.

Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Bramble Partners and Leon Restaurants, shared a frank and fascinating perspective on the challenge of creating healthier, more sustainable food systems. He reflected on the feedback loops that keep the current system in place: the money in less healthy food, the lack of value we place on nature, and the incentives that too often work against long-term resilience, and his thoughts on the likely impact of GLP1s on the food system. His message was not about blaming individual companies, but about recognising that real change needs system-wide action across business, government, regulation and investment.

We also heard from Pamela Dow, COO of think tank Civic Future, and Julia Hobsbawm, entrepreneur, author and broadcaster, who explored how organisations can better mobilise their people. Their discussion challenged some of the assumptions that sit behind modern workplace culture, from the rise of process and risk management to the uncertainty leaders face in a rapidly changing world of work. A clear theme emerged: people should not be treated as the problem to be managed, but as a source of meaning, motivation and change.

Sir Charlie Mayfield, former Chair of John Lewis and co-chair of Keep Britain Working, led a powerful discussion on alternative ownership models and the importance of keeping people in work. He reflected that whilst ownership models are not always the perfect solution for every business, they can help create alignment between owners, employees and stakeholders. He also spoke about the urgent challenge of health, disability and work, and the role employers must play in building more supportive systems that help people stay in, and return to, work.

Turning back to our own work, Larissa shared Good Business’ perspective on 2030 and beyond, exploring how futures thinking can help organisations sit with uncertainty rather than resolve it too quickly. By opening up alternative futures, challenging assumptions and asking better questions, businesses can build more resilient strategies and shift away from the short-termism that so often limits sustainability progress.

That theme carried into the launch of our latest Sustainability Leaders Panel report, which explores what the next five years hold for sustainability. The findings point to a landscape where sustainability is becoming more risk-led, more integrated into business decision-making, and more dependent on governance, data and long-term thinking. Sustainability may sometimes appear to be slowing, but often it is becoming embedded into core processes, less visible as a standalone activity, but more central to how organisations operate.

We closed with some reflections from our wonderful CSO panellists: Michelle Norman from Suntory, Dana Haidan from Virgin Media O2, David Schofield from Aviva and Kirsty Britz from NatWest. They shared reflections on the drivers of change shaping the next 30 years, and the enabling factors they hope to unlock. From the energy transition and supply chain resilience, to governance, system-level transition plans, people, and place-based transformation, the discussion was a reminder that the next phase of sustainability will demand both pragmatism and ambition.

Most importantly, the day was a reminder that Good Business’ impact has always been through its clients and partners. So, to everyone who has been part of that journey: thank you.

We’ll be sharing more reflections, stories and highlights from the event next week. For now, we’d love to invite you to read our latest Sustainability Leaders Panel report: What do the next five years hold for sustainability?

And if you are a sustainability leader who wants to be part of future conversations, we’d love you to apply to join the panel.

By Emma Lindsay