Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Leontien Hasselman-Plugge, CEO of ImpactBuying, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies are preparing for EU plastics waste regulation and why the challenges always seem to be about getting the right data.   And, Ian talks with Innovation Forum’s Lia Da Giau about emerging packaging sector trends and best practices more generally.    Plus: why electrical infrastructure shortfalls may impede data centre development and growth of EVs, and cocoa sector price volatility continues, in the news digest.    Host: Ian Welsh 

Regenerative agriculture practices are proving their potential – delivering healthier soils, stronger farming communities, and more resilient supply chains – but regenerative agriculture isn’t just about improving sustainability scores; it’s about reshaping how supply chains create long-term value. It’s a system-level approach that builds resilience from farm to brand and helps future-proof raw material sourcing. This webinar, held in partnership with COTTON USA™, will explore how organisations are building on regenerative standards and frameworks (such as the U.S Cotton Trust Protocol) to embed regenerative sourcing into their core business strategy. Drawing on insights from leaders working across regenerative materials, we’ll examine the practical challenges and opportunities of scaling these textiles. From climate resilience and social impact to supply chain stability, we’ll discuss how brands can move beyond initial pilot programs, and what must shift in purchasing practices, supplier relationships, and aligning incentives across the value chain. What we discussed… System thinking in action: How regenerative sourcing influences soil health, biodiversity, climate resilience, and farmer livelihoods, while supporting business strategy Evolution of the supply chain: Moving beyond material sourcing to align farming practices, partnerships, and internal operations for long-term impact. Shared incentives & financing: Exploring incentive structures and financing mechanisms that support farmer transitions. We heard from: Filippa Blomander, raw materials lead, Inter IKEA Group Liz Hershfield, executive director of COTTON USA™ and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol​​​​​​ Katherine O’Hare, vice president, sustainability, J. Crew Group  Larkin Martin, president, Turnrow Farm Services The discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, co-founder and chair, Innovation Forum

This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell speaks with Femke Jonkmans, senior innovation associate at Fashion for Good, about some barriers impacting the development of new materials in the apparel sector.  Niamh also speaks with Ian Welsh about natural fibre use and innovation on water impacts in the apparel sector.  And, Nestlé's 410,000 KitKats heist; why language on climate change and business sustainability is ever more important; and, why environment and ethical choices are becoming mainstream for consumers, in the news digest.  Host: Ian Welsh

Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell talks with Esme Chiverton and Fiona Bretherton from Untouched World about how collaboration can make zero waste ambitions a reality for the apparel sector.

This week: Thomas Radal, global worker engagement expert at Ulula, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how worker empowerment programmes can really deliver at scale. Moving beyond traditional audits, they explore how companies can gather direct feedback from workers using accessible technologies. Plus: Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah chats with Liz Hershfield, executive director of COTTON USA™ and the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, ahead of an upcoming webinar on regenerative sourcing. And, Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar takes a look at how companies are moving from scope 3 commitments to real-world action, and how decarbonisation is increasingly linked to energy security and supply chain resilience.

Dana Mosora, senior consultant at CEFLEX, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the push to make flexible packaging circular in Europe. They explore the key barriers to scaling recycling, from low collection rates and inconsistent quality to weak market demand, and the critical role of policy, particularly the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

This week: highlights summary from a recent food webinar on how consumer expectations are reshaping the food sector. Moderated by Innovation Forum’s Ellen Atiyah, Dorothy Shaver from Unilever, Caroline Reid from Oatly and Griffith Foods’ Alex Skidmore explore how health, price and sustainability priorities differ across generations. Plus: at the recent sustainable packaging innovation forum, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh spoke with Caroline Elms from Pladis Global about how collaboration, innovation and clearer priorities can unlock scalable sustainable packaging solutions. And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari talks with Ian about how sustainability in food and beverage is ever more a core driver of resilience and business value. Host: Ian Welsh

Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill's ocean transport business, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the challenge of decarbonising global shipping. They discuss the role of alternative fuels and why scaling change depends on solving the "green premium" and clearer regulation from the International Maritime Organisation.

From a growing focus on health and nutrition, to rising demand for lower-impact food, evolving consumer expectations are reshaping how value is created across the food sector. This webinar explored how companies are responding to changing consumer demand and utilising innovation to deliver products that meet both sustainability and nutrition expectations. We looked at how organisations are adapting and reformulating products, developing innovation levers, and balancing food functionality and sustainability – all whilst creating business value. In conversation with: Dorothy Shaver, global food sustainability director, Unilever Caroline Reid, senior sustainability director, Oatly Alex Skidmore, head of market intelligence Europe, Griffith Foods

This week: a highlight from the recent webinar organised in partnership with Cargill. Anne Schwagerl from the Minnesota Farmers Union, University of Minnesota's Mitch Hunger and Cargill's Lyle DePauw and Anna Teeter, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the promise of winter camelina as a climate-smart crop, and the barriers to delivering it at scale. Plus: In conversion with Ian, Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne talks about how climate risk, changing consumer expectations and regulation are pushing companies to adapt supply chains and embed sustainability into core strategy. And, EU moves to ban meat names for plant foods; Yangtze river fishing ban revives freshwater life; and, Tesco trials low carbon potatoes in UK stores, in the news digest. Host: Ellen Atiyah

Ian Welsh speaks with Andrew Wallis, co-founder and CEO of Unseen, about the rapid rise of mandatory human rights due diligence and forced labour regulations around the world. They explore how evolving legislation, investor pressure and stronger enforcement are pushing businesses beyond transparency and reporting toward real action to identify and address exploitation in global supply chains.

This week: Esme Chiverton and Fiona Bretherton, from Untouched World, talk with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about the brand’s drive to achieve zero textile waste to landfill. They discuss how they’re tackling the technical and economic challenge of the final 1% and how local collaboration and transparency are helping. Plus: Talking with Ian Welsh, Niamh shares some of the key trends in the apparel and textiles sector, such as regulatory pressure on waste and growing recognition of worker heat stress as an occupational health risk. And, M&S launches solar support for cotton farmers; EU scales back corporate sustainability reporting rules; and, investors urge overhaul of GHG electricity rules, in the news digest. Host: Ellen Atiyah

Karla MaGruder, founder and board chair of Accelerating Circularity, talks with Ian Welsh about scaling textile-to-textile recycling. They explore the system-level changes needed to connect collectors, sorters and recyclers, and the complementary roles of mechanical and chemical recycling. They discuss why collaboration, standardisation and commercial-scale infrastructure are critical to building a circular textile economy.

As the agriculture sector accelerates toward more resilient systems, the search for climate-smart crops continues to gather pace. Innovation in crop systems is key to unlocking solutions that deliver resilience, productivity, and lower carbon outcomes.  This webinar explores the potential of winter camelina, an oilseed crop advancing through research, innovation, and on-farm trial, as part of a broader push for crop diversification and low-carbon fuel feedstocks. Planted in the fall and harvested in early summer, camelina provides living cover through the off-season while also being harvested and sold as a cash crop – an uncommon combination that creates a new incentive for farmers to keep soil covered longer. What we discussed… How crop innovation and R&D are supporting more resilient and profitable farming systems The role of winter camelina in crop diversification, soil health, and lower-carbon outcomes The importance of farmer engagement, partnerships, and on–farm trials in driving adoption What lessons from camelina can be applied to broader climate–smart agriculture strategies

This week: Andrew Wallis, CEO of Unseen talks with Ian Welsh about the evolving landscape of mandatory human rights due diligence and forced labour legislation. They cover global regulatory developments and discuss the economic, operational and investor-driven benefits of enforcing human rights standards in supply chains.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Emilia Colman shares emerging trends in responsible sourcing and ethical trade, including the rise of worker voice initiatives and overlap between climate and human rights risks.   And, Boohoo faces investor trial over labour abuses; just transition guidance targets net zero investors; EU deforestation rules may expand as details shift; Uzbek cotton reforms leave farmers vulnerable; and, Etsy sells Depop to eBay for $1.2bn, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

Kara Fulcher, director of sustainability strategy for Michelin in North America, talks with Ian Welsh about corporate engagement on scope 3 emissions. They discuss the pace of supply chain decarbonisation and Michelin's approach across energy, materials and nature. They also highlight the challenges of making the business case for scope 3 action and how companies can communicate credible progress.

Few leaders in the apparel and textiles industry bring as much hands-on experience across buying, production and CSR as Helena Helmersson did during her time at H&M Group. Her unique position as the only fashion industry executive to move from CSO to CEO gives her a rare, end-to-end view of how sustainability and commercial strategy intersect at scale. Helmersson’s long-term vision at H&M was clear: sustainability had to be embedded at the heart of the business. Building on work initiated in the 1990s, she helped advance a strategy that increased supply chain transparency, while also expanding textile collection and recycling programmes. Under her leadership, initiatives such as the H&M Conscious range were debuted, reinforcing the belief that sustainable fashion must remain accessible while serving as co-chair of The Fashion Pact. A consistent theme throughout Helmersson’s leadership has been the need for structural transformation. Sustainability, she argues, should be a mindset that is woven into every part of the organisation. In times of external turbulence, however, delivering on that ambition becomes harder. Helmersson is clear that progress cannot be achieved through brand commitments alone; new systems need to be built, and deep, cross-industry collaboration is essential. Since stepping down as CEO of H&M in January 2024, Helmersson has continued to shape the industry. She has joined the boards of MANGO, Quizrr and On, and serves as Chair of Circulose. In this webinar with built in Q&A time, Helena Helmersson shared reflections on: What leadership looks like when driving structural change within large organisations What enables, and inhibits, CEO action on sustainability, including navigating the tension between profitability and sustainability Collaboration in practice: how deep coalitions can work for business Where the industry goes next, and the role each stakeholder must play in delivering change

Kendra Tolly, chief product officer at Athian talks with Ian Welsh about how to ensure scope 3 agriculture projects are credible, scalable and defensible. They discuss methodology validation, third-party verification, liability, co-claiming, benefit sharing and the systems needed to prevent double counting while delivering real impact at farm level.

This week: Dana Mosora, senior consultant at CEFLEX talks with Ian Welsh about the push to make flexible packaging in Europe circular. They discuss PPWR targets, infrastructure gaps, recycled content demand and the policy changes needed to scale sorting and recycling by 2030. Plus: Innovation Forum's Lia Da Giau about some of the emerging themes and corporate innovations that are working to advance circular packaging initiatives. And, polypropylene coffee cups now widely recyclable in US; Unilever P&G L’Oréal join Ottawa reuse trial; sustainability reporting rises despite policy uncertainty; and, fashion risks losing third of profits by 2030, in the news digest. Host: Ellen Atiyah

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 address system bottlenecks such as grid integration, storage optimisation and demand flexibility • The key barriers to adoption, including upfront costs and organisational or cultural challenges • How partnerships between energy companies and technology providers can accelerate scale while sharing risk • Which digital breakthroughs could have the biggest impact over the next decade   Speakers: Carsten Sonne-Schmidt, managing partner, Digital Energy AI Adele Ara, group chief technology officer, Lightsource bp Dr Gianna Huhn, Group Strategy, Innovation Strategy & Technology Foresight Lead, SSE