Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

This week: Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar and Ian Welsh discuss the importance of a cross-industry insights in building partnerships, candid insights and fresh thinking on scope 3. They talk about what to expect at this week's scope 3 innovation forum, taking place in Amsterdam. Plus: Bertrand Conquéret, chief procurement officer at Henkel talks with Ian Welsh about how Henkel is leveraging pro...

This week: Dave Lütkenhaus, global sustainability and innovation director at Diageo, talks with Ian Welsh about the company’s approach to circular packaging and how it’s working to reduce scope 3 emissions. They highlight innovations in refill systems, reusable formats, and new materials being trialled across markets. Plus: at the Future of Food and Beverage conference this week, Ian talks with fa...

Tara St James, senior director of sustainability at Moose Knuckles talks with Ian Welsh at the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conferences. They discuss the implications a digital product passport introduction will bring and the specific requirements businesses must fulfil. They highlight practical steps in achieving this and what consumer experience would look like. To continue the conver...

Sustainability claims are facing increasing scrutiny, with rising costs, data uncertainty and growing pressure on businesses to provide verifiable proof of their efforts. Supply chain blind spots, outdated data and manual processes leave sustainability teams struggling to confidently meet compliance requirements. This webinar, hosted in partnership with Picterra, explored how emerging technologies...

The race to secure critical minerals is accelerating—but so is the urgency to reduce their carbon footprint. Mining, refining, and processing are energy-intensive, often reliant on fossil fuels, and responsible for significant emissions. Paradoxically, as the demand for net-zero metals grows, so too does their footprint. This webinar explores the practical pathways for decarbonising critical miner...

This week: Emma Thompson, Forest 500 and tracking lead at Global Canopy, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the newly released 2025 Forest 500 report, a deep dive into how the world’s most influential companies are disclosing and performing on deforestation. They discuss the differences in action across commodities, how regulation is influencing corporate behaviour and expectations for...

Ahead of this year’s future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis, Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag talks with some of the participants. She is joined by Julie Kunen from Oatly and Walmart’s Michelle Zackin, and they discuss how food and beverage companies are integrating climate and nature-smart practices into supply chain strategies. They highlight how to align nature-based solutions with re...

This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh talk about how companies are tackling supply chain volatility and advancing supply chain resilience. They discuss emerging themes including digital innovation, collaborative land-use strategies and the growing role of AI and cybersecurity in sustainability.   Plus: Dries Van Aerde from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners talks with Ian at the re...

This week: Thomas Gent, farmer at Gentle Farming talks with Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari about the challenges and opportunities facing regenerative agriculture. They explore how innovation, better marketing and strong farmer-supply chain connections can attract younger generations and build resilience in a changing climate.   Plus: Anna-Karin Dahlberg, chief sustainability officer at Swedish f...

Kevin Burkum at US Farmers and Ranchers in Action, and South Dakota dairy farmer Michael Crinion, talk with Ian Welsh about how regenerative practices such as cover cropping and improved soil health can enhance resilience and reduce input costs. They highlight key challenges including trade uncertainty, extreme weather and inflation, and explore how conservation agriculture can align with long-ter...

This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about some trends and hot topics in the apparel sector. From major tariff changes reshaping sourcing strategies, to growing momentum behind extended producer responsibility, they explore what’s hot and what’s next. Plus: Pierrick Poulenas, CEO of Picterra talks with Ellen Atiyah about how geospatial AI helps verify sustainability clai...

This week: As negotiations for the global plastics treaty continue, Nestlé’s global public affairs lead for packaging and sustainability Jodie Roussell talks with Ian Welsh at the sustainable packaging innovation forum in Amsterdam. They discuss the political will, the regulatory stakes and why time is running short to reach a meaningful agreement. Plus: pushback against US rollback of climate-foc...

Ellen McCormack, head of Europe at Watershed talks with Ian Welsh about how sustainability is moving closer to core business functions, the evolving carbon removal market, and why clean energy is increasingly a financial imperative. They explore how major companies are embedding climate strategy into operations, not just for compliance – but to unlock long-term value.

This week: Tara St James from Moose Knuckles and Ian Welsh unpack how digital product passports are reshaping supply chain transparency and compliance ahead of incoming EU regulations. They explore the challenges of supplier onboarding, data collection and engaging consumers with evolving sustainability tools. Plus: UK food sector urged to adopt AI; US secures Ukraine minerals access deal; B Corp...

The Global Heat Reduction Initiative's Kiff Gallagher talks with Ian Welsh about 'Total Climate Accounting', a framework created by GHR to address critical gaps in current climate metrics by incorporating super pollutants like methane and black carbon. They discuss how this approach provides organisations with actionable data to reduce near-term warming while maintaining long-term decarbonisation...

This week: Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about what to expect at this year's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam. From exciting new sessions on textile waste solutions and Dragon's Den-style material innovation pitches to important debates on greenwashing, Niamh highlights what's new at this year's conference. Plus: reflections from last year's apparel c...

This week: Kevin Burkum, CEO of US Farmers and Ranchers in Action, and Michael Crinion, a South Dakota-based farmer and chair of USFRA, talk with Ian Welsh about the evolving challenges facing US agriculture. They explore how climate volatility, trade policies and supply chain pressures are reshaping farming, and why resilience, community and innovation are key to long-term success. Plus: Apple sl...

Sebastian Munden, chair of the environmental NGO WRAP, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential for transforming packaging systems. They highlight innovative strategies that can reduce plastic pollution and promote responsible use, ultimately paving the way for more sustainable and circular plastic systems. To continue the conversation, Sebastian will be at the sustainable packaging innovation for...

This week: Ellen McCormack, head of Europe at Watershed, talks with Ian Welsh about how major companies are integrating sustainability into finance and operations. They discuss the shifting narrative from climate goals to ROI, challenges in renewable energy infrastructure, and trends in carbon removal and investor demand. Plus: vegetable oil prices surge amid instability; rare earths weaponised in...

Colin Brown, CEO of Cascale, talks with Ian Welsh about challenges and opportunities within the consumer goods industry, particularly in apparel and textiles. They discuss the need for collective action to reduce environmental impact and improve social justice, emphasising the importance of collaboration among brands, manufacturers and retailers to weather the potential tariff storm. 

In this webinar, experts from Agreena, Mars, Nespresso, and Gentle Farming explored how verified data is driving real impact in sustainable food production — and what it takes to scale regenerative practices that work. As regenerative agriculture gains momentum, the challenge lies in scaling practices that restore soil health, reduce emissions, and enhance food production sustainability.   In part...

This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh highlight key emerging themes in the food and beverage industry, specifically in North America. They discuss the growing importance of resilience in food security, highlighting innovations like blockchain for supply chain transparency and AI-driven technologies in agriculture that enhance sustainability and efficiency. Plus: insights from A...

This week: Kiff Gallagher, executive director of the Global Heat Reduction Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about how to improve traditional climate accounting models to take account of pollutants beyond carbon dioxide that can have significantly greater impact.  Plus: why tariffs may hinder Brazil's climate finance efforts; UK food execs warn of looming crisis; expert warns against blanket bans o...

Seanicaa Edwards Herron, executive director at NGO Freedmen Heirs Foundation, talks with Innovation Forum’s Diana Kim about the financial challenges faced by minority farmers in the US and how they can be tackled. They discuss barriers such as lack of collateral and complex application processes that hinder access to financing and land ownership. Seanicaa shares insights on innovative funding mech...

This week: Innovation Forum's Diana Kim and Hannah Oborne discuss latest trends within the food and beverage industry in delivering sustainable food systems. They highlight key barriers to success and share successful case studies which will be discussed further at the future of food and beverage forum in Amsterdam in May. Plus: insights from the 2024 food forum with Dorothy Shaver at Unilever. In...