Opportunities for More Sustainable Pathways

On the 26th of June a member of our team joined the Sustainable Business Summit hosted at the Bloomberg London headquarters, which brought together business leaders and investors involved in driving innovation and scaling best practices in sustainable business and finance. Speakers explored the impacts of the chain reaction of elections, policy shifts, and economic uncertainty in today’s markets. The event sought to understand how sustainability leaders can withstand the tumultuous business landscape and drive long-term value for companies, investors, and society alike. 

There were a range of discussions exploring the impacts of the political climate, with suggestions that there has been a shift in language to depoliticise conversations around climate and court broader support. Dan McGrail, Interim CEO at GB Energy, highlighted that for sustainable solutions such as renewable energy projects to be truly sustainable, they need to be financially sustainable without extensive government assistance, while at the same time, in the early stages of innovative technologies some government grants can be crucial for managing the risks. Laurie Leybourn, of the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative, spoke passionately about the need to ensure that corporate sustainability direction and risk management is grounded in accurate and up-to-date scientific insights.  

While it is clear that sustainability groups need to be politically and socially aware to manage the current landscape, there is clearly strong momentum already in place and a growing awareness of the financial and commercial opportunities of following more sustainable pathways.