Our thinking

Earthfest

26 April, 2024

Last Friday, the Good Business team ventured over to Earthfest 2024, dubbed London’s flagship sustainability event. The event brought together industry experts and thought leaders to inspire positive climate action through panels, workshops, and interactive demonstrations.

Not everyone was convinced the event would adequately contribute to halting climate change. Specifically, Just Stop Oil protesters interrupted the first panel discussion to deliver a powerful message: We need decisive and effective action, not just empty words that lead us nowhere.

We, and the panellists, agreed. We do need decisive action – but what does that look like? By this definition, are these types of events no more than a talking shop to make everyone feel better about themselves, rather than a means to inspire widespread corrective action?

The value in these events isn’t always a headline policy or initiative, it’s the conversations and connections they enable, which lead to action. If these events don’t happen, those opportunities are missed. It’s cliché but it’s going to take action on multiple levels, and we think events like this play an important role in driving that.

That’s not to write off the practical outputs of these events completely – our highlight of the day was Innocent Drinks and Forest joining Climate Perks to discuss how employee benefits can be leveraged to inspire climate action. We aren’t going to solve the climate crisis in one afternoon, and some panel discussions might not inspire or challenge us – but that’s part and parcel.

To demonstrate our commitment to this belief, the Good Business Climate Team will be at Innovation Zero next week too: the UK’s largest net-zero congress. Let us know if you’ll be there, and we can grab a coffee and share our thoughts and ideas.

By Budd Nicholson