The Sustainability Circle

Sustainability Transition Pathways 🌍 Sustainability maturity evolves in stages. Each stage strengthens how a company operates, competes and creates long term value. This evolution begins with risk management. Companies first respond to regulatory pressure, exposure to penalties and rising expectations that influence their license to operate. As capabilities grow, sustainability improves efficiency. Better resource management, reduced waste and streamlined processes translate into lower costs and stronger operational performance. Once the basics are in place, sustainability starts to influence competitiveness. Companies improve products and services, build trust with stakeholders and reinforce their market positioning. The next stage unlocks innovation. Sustainability becomes a driver of new business models, circular solutions and technology partnerships that expand growth opportunities. At the highest level of maturity, sustainability becomes a strategic differentiator. Companies shape standards, strengthen long term resilience and access markets that competitors struggle to enter. This progression shows that sustainability is not a static commitment. It is a capability that improves with structure, investment and integration across the organization. It also demonstrates that the business case is cumulative. Efficiency gains support competitiveness. Competitiveness supports innovation. Innovation supports market leadership. Companies that advance through these layers build clarity in decision making, reduce exposure to volatility and position themselves for long term value creation. The challenge is knowing where the company sits on this pathway and what capabilities are required to move forward with discipline. Understanding the sequence helps teams focus on actions that reinforce strategy rather than isolated initiatives that fail to create momentum. This framework and the visual diagram were developed in collaboration with The Sustainability Circle. #sustainability #esg #sustainable

How do you move sustainability from a compliance topic to a true business priority? For Liz Brown at Inchcape plc, it starts with a strategic mindset. Sustainability, like strategy, is about making choices. With limited time, focus, and investment, impact comes from knowing where you can truly make a difference. In this episode of our podcast, Jonas Wiedenhorn, co-founder of The Sustainability Circle, sits down with Liz Brown, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer at Inchcape, to explore how the world's leading independent automotive Distributor is bringing strategy and sustainability together to drive real business impact. Topics covered include: > Making sustainability a core part of business strategy and investment decisions > Identifying initiatives that deliver both impact and commercial value > Building sustainable routes to market and accelerating EV adoption > Tailoring sustainability narratives for different internal stakeholders > Accelerating the mobility transition across diverse global markets 🎧 Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dpEMdNhm

Getting others on board: the hardest part of driving change Driving sustainability alone, without your organization and key stakeholders truly on board, is nearly impossible. Yet it’s one of THE recurring themes in our community sessions: “Finance doesn’t hold up their end of the bargain.” “Procurement says they care, but nothing really changes.” “How do I get leadership to actually buy into the strategy?” Many sustainability leaders feel like they’re the only ones carrying the mission. The weight starts to show and with it, the realization that activating others and building real momentum is the only way to create lasting change. In our recurring Leadership Mindset sessions, we’ve explored this from many angles: asking better questions, understanding where others are coming from, and tapping into the values and incentives that truly drive them. Next up: a 60-minute interactive workshop on creating alliances with executive coach Alexandra Wicksell. Alex has helped some of Silicon Valley’s most agile scale-ups navigate deep transformation. She’ll share practical techniques on: > Mapping and understanding key stakeholders > Building bottom-up influence strategies > Creating alliances and coalitions that last 🗓️ Date: 20 November 🕔 Time: 17:00 CET Who can join? This is a member-only session with very limited capacity. However, we’re offering one complimentary seat for a non-member in-house sustainability leader who signs up before Monday. 👉 Register your interest via the Luma page. https://lnkd.in/d-wGgmcf (Note: only in-house sustainability leaders will be considered.)

Getting Finance, Procurement & Operations to Actually Care Other teams often say they care about sustainability. But when priorities compete, it tends to lose out to financial goals, cost pressures or delivery timelines. Many sustainability leaders struggle to navigate this reality and get other functions to genuinely support the sustainability journey. This session brings together peers to share what has actually worked in practice. Real examples of how they built traction with finance, procurement and operations, and helped turn good intentions into concrete action. We will discuss: > When other functions finally allocated budget and why > What arguments resonated with finance, procurement and operations teams > How to embed sustainability across functions in a way that actually works 🗓 5 November 2025 🕛 12:00 CET (virtual session) A last-minute guest seat has opened up for a non-member. If you want to join, grab it via the event page: → https://luma.com/aa6kgckw

Good Morning from Copenhagen 🇩🇰☕️ We can’t wait for 18:00 today — when our invite-only event, exclusively for in-house sustainability leaders, finally kicks off. It’s going to be an evening of real peer exchange and fresh connections. Very much looking forward to connect with the Copenhagen community. And to spent a fun evening with our chapter ambassador Jamieson Saab in his new bar 🙌 If you happen to be in Copenhagen and want to join us tonight — we’ve made sure there’s still a way in. 👉 Link in comments

ESG Reporting: Preparing for the Busy Season Across our community, sustainability leaders are entering a decisive stretch. While reporting has become a year-round effort, the pace is picking up now. The first CSRD reporters have closed the loop on FY2024 and are refining their systems after assurance. Many others, now operating under the EU’s delayed timelines, are using this time to prepare for their first cycle — while managing tighter budgets and shifting business priorities. To help navigate this moment, this Wednesday we’re hosting a peer-to-peer Roundtable for in-house sustainability leaders: 👉 ESG Reporting: Preparing for the Busy Season 🗓️ Wednesday, 8 October | 5 pm CET We’ll explore three questions shaping the 2025 reporting season: Regulation: What’s actually changed, and what can safely wait Engaging teams: How to keep collaboration strong across functions Turning compliance into strategy: Concrete examples that create ROI and inform 2026 planning Participation is limited to ensure focused peer exchange. A few guest seats are available for non-members. You can request to join here: https://luma.com/qzdlzxe7 As the new reporting cycle gains momentum, this is a chance to learn from peers, compare approaches, and turn compliance into clarity.

Sustainability Integration 🌎 Sustainability must be embedded across every business function to deliver measurable value and impact. Sales and business development can integrate ESG criteria into tenders and client offerings, creating advantage and opening new markets. Operations teams advance efficiency by adopting low carbon processes, reducing energy and water use, and strengthening logistics, cutting costs and emissions. Legal and compliance enhance the license to operate through ESG disclosures, responsible conduct, and human rights due diligence. Innovation and R&D contribute by designing renewable, circular, and inclusive products and services, ensuring future proof solutions and stronger positioning. Human resources embed sustainability through training, incentives linked to ESG goals, and workplace well being, improving retention and culture. Marketing and communications reinforce trust by ensuring transparent ESG messaging, credible certifications, and avoiding greenwashing. Procurement drives resilient supply chains by applying sustainability criteria in supplier selection, auditing, and collaboration, improving efficiency and reducing risk. Finance enables access to green capital with carbon pricing, ESG risk assessment, and sustainability linked instruments, lowering financing costs. Product and service delivery incorporates eco efficiency, recyclability, and stewardship, improving customer satisfaction while reducing impact. Risk management and investor relations integrate climate, social, and governance factors into frameworks and disclosures, building resilience and attracting sustainable investors. Customer service reinforces engagement through sustainability training, responsible practices in after sales support, and stronger loyalty. This framework was developed in collaboration with The Sustainability Circle. #sustainability #business #sustainable #esg