State of Sustainability

In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed explores how artificial intelligence is moving beyond simple chat tools and into agentic systems and AI native services, with major implications for sustainability teams.  He breaks down the difference between traditional AI use, agentic AI connected to tools and context, and service models built around AI plus humans in the loop. The core th...

This time, Saif Hameed dives into the new corporate net zero standard from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This isn’t just another regulation; it’s a pivotal moment for companies looking to thrive in a sustainable future. SPTi has seen explosive growth, especially in Asia, where businesses are stepping up to meet climate compliance. This shift isn't just about numbers, it’s about...

In this episode of State of Sustainability, we explore the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), one of the most significant developments in climate policy, carbon pricing and international trade. As the European Union begins implementing CBAM, businesses around the world are assessing what the new regulations mean for imports, exports, supply chains and decarbonisation strategies. We break d...

Assets under management in the impact and ESG space are close to an all-time high, somewhere between $1.5 and $1.6 trillion. So why is capital actually leaving the sector? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed takes a detour from resilience and volatility to dig into what's going wrong, and where the genuine opportunities still exist. The short answer: the industry...

What if the secret to unbreakable supply chain resilience isn't squeezing your suppliers for the lowest price, but actively paying them to heal the planet? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed is joined by David Croft, former sustainability lead at Reckitt, Diageo, Waitrose, and Cadbury, to explore the critical shift from short-term agility to long-term resilience...

Just 25% of industry experts believe the standalone sustainability function will exist in five years. So what is the next great frontier for sustainability leaders? In this episode, host Saif Hameed asks a provocative question fresh from hosting the Chicago State of Sustainability Summit: Will corporate sustainability functions still exist in five years? To help answer, Saif breaks down the three...

Are sustainability teams about to be automated out of existence, or will they lead the food industry's next big shift? Saif Hameed records this episode on the road ahead of the State of Sustainability Summit in Chicago. His argument: traditional sustainability workflows are increasingly vulnerable to AI automation or absorption by procurement and finance. To stay relevant, sustainability prof...

"If you were to calculate all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste, it would be the third largest country after the US and China."   In this episode of The State of Sustainability , Saif Hameed sits down with Catherine David , CEO of WRAP , for a "vibe check" on the global food sustainability landscape. From the shift toward "Resilience" in the US t...

Are global geopolitical crises derailing your sustainability targets, or creating unexpected opportunities? As the Iran War sends shockwaves through global markets, sustainability professionals must urgently recalibrate their strategies to navigate volatile supply chains, fluctuating commodity prices, and shifting corporate financial pressures. In this episode of the State of Sustainability podcas...

This time we dive into the shifting landscape of corporate climate regulation, focusing specifically on the robust new rules emerging from New York State. Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq, discusses a recent conversation with Anthony Scaramucci, highlighting how California and New York are forming a regulatory "pincer" that captures major American businesses. Because these two...

While the corporate world remains laser-focused on decarbonisation and Net Zero targets, a critical component of climate strategy is being overlooked: Adaptation.  In this episode, we sit down with Mekala Krishnan, partner at McKinsey Global Institute, to discuss why the world needs to simultaneously "walk and chew gum", managing the transition to a low-carbon economy while urgently prep...

If 90% of sustainability professionals believe their department won't exist in five years, where does that leave your career? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed tackles the "sustainability bear market". With roles increasingly absorbed into procurement and finance, professionals must go beyond resilience to become "anti-fragile" - a concept fr...

In this episode, Saif Hameed is joined by Shannon Bouton, CEO of Delterra, for a wide-ranging conversation about waste, climate and the systems that govern how materials move through our economy. Speaking from snowy Michigan, Shannon brings a global perspective shaped by years of hands-on work designing waste management systems across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and increasingly, the United Sta...

On the latest episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed discusses the "wholesale functional shift" and organisational overhaul that defined 2025, where sustainability teams were frequently moved under procurement or legal departments to address supply chain resilience and compliance.  Saif also highlights a "general demotion" of the Chief Sustainability Officer (...

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.  This time Saif speaks with Buffy CEO Leo Wang about how the bedding brand successfully built a sustainable product while pivoting its market message away from environmentalism toward consumer concerns about safety, comfort, and performance...

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif takes the mic solo to dive into a topic that - according to former Starbucks CSO Michael Kobori - is about to become everyone’s priority: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. In this episode, Saif unpacks his &quo...

In this episode, host Saif Hameed takes a deep dive into Bill Gates‘s controversial COP 30 memo. Saif is joined by Faisal Tajdar, head of projects at Acasus.  Acasus is an impact focus consultancy that partners with governments around the world on public sector reform. Across his time at Acasus, the Gates foundation and Mackenzie, Faisal has been involved in healthcare reform work in several count...

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif takes the mic solo for another short-form content byte, and he’s tackling one of his long-standing bugbears: ESG. Or more specifically, why it’s the end of ESG as we know it (and why that might not be a bad thing). In this e...

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif takes the mic solo for a special short-form episode - part of a new series of “content bytes”, where he shares quick insights on what’s new and topical in the sustainability space. In this episode, Saif tackles one of the dr...

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif is joined by David Sykes. David is an independent consultant on Data Science and AI, and was formerly Global Head of Data Science, Analytics and Engineering at Octopus Energy Group, where he spent the better part of a decade...

"Keep in mind, we have IPCC 2019 telling us about the last decade, those words still ring in my ears loudly and clearly: we read in 2019 dear friends, you have one decade to go, if we are not managing to turn around climate change in the next decade, we're going to be shooting past 1.5 and even past two degrees." The State of Sustainability podcast is where we unpack the topics and...

" What we're going to see over the next probably 20 to 30 years is a profound value shift but it's not necessarily going to come where we most expect it. So Europe for example, I think is being left behind. It's doing a lot of regulation and all the rest of it but in a sense that's old order approach to the sustainability agenda." The State of Sustainability podcast i...

We've spent the last few months working on improvements to the podcast, lining up a fantastic selection of guests to help us discuss a wide range of topics in the sustainability space.  Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach

We've been hearing whispers about this trend for months, and now it's time to address it head-on: sustainability teams across major corporations are being restructured, downsized, or absorbed into other departments. In this episode, we dive into this critical shift that's affecting sustainability professionals worldwide. We cover: The dramatic shift from the sustainability hiring bo...

What does “sustainable agriculture” look like from a farmer’s perspective? Saif Hameed sits down with Adam Henkel , a 7th-generation farmer and 3rd-generation conservationist from Illinois. They break down: The true meaning of sustainability on the farm Bridging the farmer-corporate gap Easy wins vs real challenges in practice How corporations and sustainability professionals can help