Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Digitalisation is no longer a side enabler — it’s becoming central to system-wide acceleration, efficiency and optimisation. At the same time, questions remain around scalability, cost, and how quickly the sector can realistically move.   We’ve asked the panel to explore: • Where digital tools and AI are already delivering tangible value in the energy transition • How digitalisation can help addre...

This week: Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s ocean transport business, talks with Ian Welsh about the decarbonisation challenge facing global shipping. They explores fuel choices, energy efficiency, customer demand, regulation and why policy clarity is critical to scaling low and zero carbon solutions in a highly competitive sector. Plus: Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar highlights how the ene...

As scrutiny of sustainability claims rises, NGOs are under growing pressure to communicate impact clearly, explain complexity, and be transparent about challenges — all while maintaining trust with donors, communities, and partners. This webinar, the third in the Sustainability Communications and Engagement series, explored how NGOs can build credibility through transparent storytelling, evidence-...

Verra's chief programme development and innovation officer, Candace Vinke, talks with Ian Welsh about the improvements that can strengthen carbon credit project credibility and market confidence. They discuss how emerging SBTi guidance could open pathways for climate activities beyond traditional carbon credits, particularly within scope 3 supply chains. They also highlight how role standards bodi...

The world faces mounting pressure to accelerate sustainable innovation at the intersection of food, health and industrial production, but moving from scientific discovery to scaled impact remains complex. From improving crop resilience and reducing environmental footprints to building healthier communities and more sustainable supply chains, bioscience innovations have become critical tools in tac...

This week: Reflecting on the recent climate resilience innovation forum, Michelin's director of sustainability strategy North America, Kara Fulcher, talks with Ian Welsh about the accelerating pace of corporate scope 3 action and how Michelin is reducing emissions, improving materials and protecting natural rubber supply chains.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell discusses emerging apparel...

Nathan Truitt, executive vice president of climate funding at the American Forest Foundation, talks with Ian Welsh about how climate finance can unlock sustainable management of family-owned forests in the US. They discuss why carbon finance remains critical despite controversy over carbon credits, arguing that action should not wait for perfect systems. The conversation explores carbon pricing, c...

Due diligence fatigue has long affected the apparel and textiles sector, with heavy administrative workloads and repeated supplier checks that often fail to identify real labour risks. Uncertainty around the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) has made it harder for companies to commit to long-term investment. Recent policy signals now offer clearer direction, including a narr...

This week: Karla Magruder, founder and president of Accelerating Circularity, talks with Ian Welsh about why systems thinking, collaboration across the supply chain and clear demand signals are essential to making circular textiles work. The discussion explores how new tools and partnerships could help move the industry away from landfill and incineration toward true circularity. Plus: greenhushin...

Regenerative agriculture is increasingly seen as critical to tackling supply chain emissions, but scaling it requires more than technical fixes. At the recent scope 3 innovation forum, Danone’s Ginny Maceda and Ian Welsh talked about how long-term relationships, shared investment and trust with farmers underpin the company’s approach to regenerative dairy farming. 

Hear from Patagonia, Primark, Kantar and Nestlé on credible sustainability communications and how to deepen consumer trust in turbulent times. As consumers pay closer attention to brands’ sustainability claims, the challenge is no longer solely what companies do, but how they explain it clearly and honestly. The second webinar in the series focuses on consumer-facing brands and retailers. We explo...

This week: StormFisher Hydrogen’s chief executive officer, Judson Whiteside, talks with Ian Welsh about developing carbon-neutral e-methanol and e-methane from green hydrogen, and how policy incentives and corporate scope 3 pressures are shaping global demand for low-carbon fuels. He also explores the role of North America’s renewable power advantage, the realities of scaling hydrogen projects, an...

Carmen Gamma, director of circular design at fashion brand Eileen Fisher, joins Innovation Forum’s Ellen Atiyah, to discuss how the brand’s circularity programme began with simple take-back and has evolved into resale, remanufacturing and textile-to-textile recycling. They explore what it takes to scale circular systems across a business, the role of leadership and cross-team collaboration, and th...

Adam Read, chief sustainability and external affairs officer at Suez UK, joins Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh to discuss how EPR and simpler recycling rules are reshaping the waste and recycling sector, shifting costs towards producers and aiming to improve material quality, efficiency and recycling rates. They discuss unintended consequences of packaging changes, the limits of compostable materials...

This week: Athian Ag’s chief product officer, Kendra Tolley, talks with Ian Welsh about why demonstrable credibility is essential for agriculture scope 3 projects, and how better data, traceability and verification can strengthen confidence in value chain emissions reductions and reporting.    Plus: agrifood outlook warns of continued volatility in soft commodity prices; new  questions about exten...

This week: Verra's chief programme development and innovation officer, Candace Vinke, talks with Ian Welsh about how improvements in methodologies, verification and safeguards are resharing carbon credit integrity, and what that means for the markets' future. They discuss how emerging standards may influence how companies use carbon credits and value chain abatement as part of their net zero strat...

Earthworm Foundation CEO Bastien Sachet reflects with Ian Welsh on why environmental and supply chain shocks are caused by long-term neglect rather than short-term disruption. Bastien argues that businesses have treated nature as a free factory, optimising costs while failing to reinvest in soils, forests and farming communities. They explore why regenerative, place-based approaches and long-term...

This week: Adam Read, chief external affairs and sustainability officer at Suez UK talks with Ian Welsh about the impacts of extended producer responsibility for the packaging sector, and the real opportunities that this can offer.   Plus: recycled polyester under fire as UK bans fashion adverts; EU backs major rollback of corporate ESG obligations; and, Microsoft leads peers on nature positive da...

Cargill's vice president of global core research and development, Cordell Hardy, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential of fermentation in providing scalable solution for food ingredient production. They discuss how integrated fermentation is in our everyday lives, from zero-calorie sweeteners to plant-based materials.

This week: Duncan Warner, senior responsible sourcing and human rights manager at ASDA, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of retailers in driving effective remediation across global supply chains. They discuss how collaboration, transparency, and a growth mindset help address human rights challenges, and why embedding practical frameworks and partnerships is key to meaningful impact. Plus: Innov...

Liv Simpliciano, head of policy and research at Fashion Revolution, talks with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about What Fuels Fashion?, Fashion Revolution’s latest transparency report, exploring the power dynamics, environmental impacts and social costs embedded in global fashion supply chains. They discuss accountability, data gaps, and why greater transparency is critical to driving meaningf...

Join Conservation International for the 10-year milestone of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, marking the transition from our community’s first decade of building partnerships and mainstreaming sustainability in coffee to our next chapter of scaling investment and impact. This virtual event, hosted by Innovation Forum, united coffee actors to explore innovative strategies and finance mechanisms t...

This week: Nathan Truitt, executive vice president of climate funding at the American Forest Foundation, talks with Ian Welsh about the evolving role of carbon finance in supporting US family forest owners, and the tension between credit quality and affordability. They discuss what it will take for carbon markets to earn broad credibility as the world moves toward net zero. Plus: Intel retreats fr...

This week: Danone’s senior manager of mission and sustainability, Ginny Maceda talks with Ian Welsh about how the company is scaling regenerative agriculture through long-term, direct relationships with dairy farmers. She outlines why trust-based collaboration, flexible incentives, and farmer-led improvement plans are central to achieving both environmental and commercial outcomes.   Plus: Carlsbe...

Cargill's Leticia Kawanami and Solidaridad's Joel Brounen talk with Ian Welsh about the financial and structural barriers preventing farmers, particularly smallholders, from climate change adaptation and adopting more sustainable practices. They discuss the challenges in corporate commitments in driving meaningful support on the ground, the growing urgency of farmer-centred investment models, and...