Our thinking

Sustainability Leaders Panel

14 June, 2024

Feeling busy at the moment? You’re in good company! 92% of sustainability leaders say the amount of time they spend on compliance with sustainability regulation has increased in the past year. This is one of the findings gleaned from our Sustainability Leaders panel, a collection of in-house sustainability professionals spanning financial services, consumer goods, tech, hospitality and transport industries.  

Teaming up with our good friends at Echo Research, we kicked off the Sustainability Leaders panel in May 2024 to provide insights into the sustainability landscape in the UK and elsewhere, exploring different themes and emerging trends. What issues do sustainability teams spend their time addressing? How do they work with other parts of the business? What are the characteristics of an effective team? 

So why now? We think sustainability is at an inflection point. Over the three decades that we’ve worked with companies to support them in turning the dial on social and environmental impacts, there has never been so much debate about what the future will look like, or scrutiny over the role of the sustainability function. This is driven – in large part – by new regulations and by the need to take action to address enormous challenges including climate, nature and biodiversity, privacy, and human rights. The regulatory landscape certainly presents challenges to hardworking sustainability teams but may well in the end prove to be their best and most useful tool in the quest for change, as boards are finally required to sit up and take notice.  

With the results of the first panel survey now in, we are excited to be discussing the key insights on Tuesday 18th June at 5.30pm at The Conduit in London. We’re hoping this meetup will provide an informal space for sustainability leaders to have a chat over a drink, learn from their peers, and maybe even find solace during this turbulent time for sustainability professionals. 

Currently there are still a couple of places available, so if you’re a leader in sustainability and keen to attend, please let us know by emailing kerry@good.business. We’d love to see you there! And of course, we’ll be sharing the insights with Friday 5 readers in due course.  

By Charlotte Pounder