Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Neill Wilkins, head of the migrant workers programme at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about human rights risks in recruitment, particularly for women migrant workers. They discuss the challenges in responsible recruitment and how initiatives such as IHRB's responsible recruitment register can help.   Click here to read IHRB's report on respons...

This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks about what to expect at this week's responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London. He introduces this year's focus on the practical implications of evolving legislation, and highlights key speakers who will be joining over the two days.   Plus: Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares further updates on the upcoming sustainable apparel and text...

This week: Gerard Barron, CEO of deep sea mining exploration company The Metals Company, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh on the challenges and environmental impacts of traditional extraction methods and what the future demand for critical metals and minerals is going to look like. They discuss the latest innovation in extracting vital resources from the sea floor with significantly less h...

Please note that this is an audio recording of a webinar containing slides and presentations. To view the video recording,  click here.   On 12th March, Innovation Forum and Nestlé hosted a webinar sharing Nestlé's 2023 climate progress update Nestlé has pledged to reduce absolute emissions by 20% by 2025, and by 50% by 2030. This live virtual event featured updates of its progress in 2023, with c...

Pilar Cruz, chief sustainability officer at international food business Cargill, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about where corporate efforts should be focused over the coming months and through to the COP30 climate meetings in Brazil at the end of 2025. They discuss the drivers for multi-stakeholder collaboration in tackling climate challenges and to produce food sustainably.

This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which is due to be officially approved by the EU. They also discuss what to expect at the Energy Transitions 2024 event, focusing on the disruption of the traditional "energy trilemma".   Plus: Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares updates on the upcoming future of food and beve...

This week: Max Dougherty, carbon business development lead at Bayer Crop Science, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about why a farmer-centric approach to regenerative agriculture is essential, and some of the potential routes to funding for agricultural transition. They also discuss the markers for effective stakeholder collaboration, when it comes to implementing regenerative farming in pr...

On 5th March, Innovation Forum and Bayer Crop Science hosted a webinar exploring the best practices for soil regeneration At the root of some of the most urgent challenges facing agriculture today is the global threat to soil health. Challenges such as soil erosion, compaction, salinization and water retention are compounded by the impacts of the evolving climate crisis, threatening the resilience...

René Groot Bruinderink, head of climate solutions for the UK and Netherlands at South Pole, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the latest trends in corporate environmental impacts, as highlighted in South Pole's recent annual net zero report. They discuss the corporate drivers in climate change, the rise of “greenhushing" and the challenges for business to deliver on climate targets.

Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks about free-to-join webinars coming up, including a discussion on soil health and carbon farming on Tuesday 5th March at 2pm CET, supported by Bayer Crop Science.  Join the conversation  alongside representatives from RAGT Seeds, the French ministry of agriculture, a farmer and Bayer Crop Science.   And then on Tuesday 12th March, Innovation Forum will host in par...

This week: Neill Wilkins, head of the migrant workers programme at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the ongoing challenges in responsible recruitment including worker fees. They discuss the current business impact on human rights and efforts to tackle human rights risks specifically for women workers.   Plus: Forest 500 report highlights de...

Mura Technology's head of sustainability Geoff Brighty talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about innovations in waste plastic recycling that can help decarbonise the plastics and chemicals sectors. They discuss the role of new EU legislations in crafting the technology's future and, in turn, how chemical recycling will support in delivering a more circular approach to plastic use.

This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the upcoming World Trade Organisation’s ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi with the International Institute for Sustainable Development's sustainability hub alongside, focusing on the challenges of building cooperative trade policy to deliver sustainable development. They also discuss the 6th session of the United Nations Enviro...

This week: Pilar Cruz, chief sustainability officer at international food business Cargill, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the role of big business in driving the climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda. They discuss the trends of widespread corporate accountability and transitioning towards multi-stakeholder collaboration to tackle climate issues.   Plus: Institute for Huma...

Muhammad Affan, factory manager at industrial safety products manufacturer Midas Safety in Pakistan, talks with Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque about what's needed to ensure worker protection and what can help improve livelihoods. They discuss the importance of collaboration with organisations such as the UN Development Programme and the International Labour Organisation to train supervisors a...

Jonathan Schuldenfrei, managing director of the risk and financial advisory practice at Deloitte, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about impact and opportunities from carbon markets for businesses on the route to net zero. They discuss the current changes in the regulated and voluntary carbon markets and share guidance on practical next steps for business in engaging with them.

This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the severity of current global air pollution levels, ahead of the climate and clean air conference taking place in Kenya this week. They also discuss what to expect at the Asia-Pacific forum on sustainable development in Thailand as stakeholders review progress on 2030 sustainability agenda.   Plus: Innovation Forum's Catie Ball...

This week: René Groot Bruinderink, head of climate solutions for the UK and Netherlands at South Pole, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the company's latest annual net zero report and what is driving corporate action on climate change. They discuss the rise of “greenhushing” for businesses and the implications of this.   Plus: Amazon rainforest could reach tipping point by 2050; palm...

Footprinting and circularity expert at Quantis Matthew Hawthorne, and the company's fashion and goods lead Luca Mosca, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the growing circular economy models developing in the apparel sector and what these transitions will look like in practice. They discuss sector-specific barriers to success and share step-by-step guidance on how business can lead the tr...

In the next in the factory spotlight series, Rimsha Naaem, assistant factory manager at Pakistan textiles business Crescent Bahuman, talks with Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque about the company's initiatives and policies to support female workers in the factory. They also discuss how to develop labour conditions to enhance the well-being of female workers.

On 8th February 2024, Innovation Forum and Agmatix hosted the webinar, Data-driven farming: tools and technologies for sustainable sourcing. Listen to the audio version of the recording here. As challenges mount within the food and beverage sector, the need for enhanced visibility at the field level has never been more crucial. Companies are grappling with the complexities of fluctuating crop yiel...

This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the upcoming Indonesian elections and potential impact on energy transition commitments,  being facilitated by a Just Energy Transition Partnership. They also discuss the impact of climate change for migratory species as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is due to take place in Smarkand, Uzbe...

This week: Geoff Brighty, head of sustainability at Mura Technology, talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the capabilities of advanced chemical recycling for breaking down plastics. They discuss the role of new EU legislation in shaping the technology's future.   Plus: Human Rights Watch calls out big carmaker brands' failure to minimise risks of forced labour in Xinjiang aluminium; t...

Sime Darby Plantation's chief financial officer, Renaka Ramachandran, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the challenges in net zero target setting and shares guidance on how to effectively develop short- and long-term targets. They discuss the importance of addressing transparency, considering environmental impact in making financial investments, and collaboration across the supply cha...

Part of the factory voices series, apparel manufacturer Maxport's deputy compliance manager, Huong Do, talks with Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque about the company's work improving working conditions and livelihoods of its workforce. They discuss the importance of brand-manufacturer collaboration and share how brands can provide support to make in-factory progress.