Innovation Forum podcast

Weekly podcast – A reality check on AI: how to get it right for your business

This week: Ian Welsh speaks with Charlotte Degot, CEO of CO2 AI, about how companies can unlock the business value hidden in their sustainability strategies. Drawing on global research and client case studies, they share insights on why many businesses still view sustainability as a cost burden, and how that mindset is shifting. The conversation explores how leading companies can use AI in overcoming data blind spots, streamlining carbon accounting and accelerating Scope 3 emissions reductions.

Plus: EU scraps greenwashing crackdown plans; H&M leads fossil-free fashion rankings again; CGF unveils common data framework for supply chains; and, climate change threatens gin’s signature flavour, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh

• Click here to read how companies such as Reckitt are achieving measurable financial benefits from decarbonisation
• Click here to learn more about the launch of CO2 AI Agents

EUDR state of play: are companies ready?

Evan Harvey is a leader in sustainability (and an audit and assurance managing director at Deloitte & Touche LLP), focusing on services related to sustainability, materiality and nature. He joins Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to unpack EUDR readiness for companies across sectors. As the 2025 fully operational date for large companies approaches, they explore which industries are leading the charge, the operational and technological challenges many businesses face, and why early action can offer a competitive edge.

Monday briefing – What will it take to scale circular fashion?

This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about some of themes that may emerge at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York City this week. From Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new fashion circularity guidance to disaster textile waste relief partnerships, Niamh highlights sessions to look out for.

Plus: at the recent food conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota state director for the US Department of Agriculture Troy Daniel talks with Ian Welsh about the government's facilitative – not directive – role in supporting farmers and how partnerships can reconnect consumers with agriculture.

Host: Ian Welsh

Deforestation-free supply chains: Addressing 2025 target dates and future trajectories (webinar recording)

With 2025 deforestation targets looming, this webinar — now available to watch on demand — explores how companies can close gaps, show progress, and scale action on nature.

2025 is a milestone year for corporate action on deforestation and ecosystem conversion. As companies with agricultural and forestry supply chains approach 2025 target dates, there is growing urgency to deliver on commitments and demonstrate progress. In this webinar, the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) and Innovation Forum explored what meaningful action looks like in the months ahead, and beyond.

The panellists discussed: 

• How to manage 2025 target dates and any remaining gaps towards meeting commitments
• How to convey clear and credible ambitions, milestones, and plans post-2025
• How to communicate performance and progress

We heard from leading companies on how they are adapting strategies to drive real transformation across agricultural and forestry commodity supply chains, and what actions are needed to scale impact further.

Our panel of experts:

• Hillary Fenrich, global manager: nature and water strategy, McDonald’s
• Jeff Milder, director, the AFi
• Róisín Mortimer, global sustainability and stakeholder engagement manager, COFCO International
  
  

The session was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.

This session is essential for sustainability leads, procurement professionals, legal and compliance teams, and corporate strategists working to address deforestation, nature loss, and associated business risks.

Weekly podcast – Rethinking organic cotton: engaging consumers with transparency

This week: Sarah Rosenkranz and Bettina Fafengut, from the product specialist team at testing and certifiers the Hohenstein Group, talk with Ian Welsh and unpack the OEKO-TEX organic cotton certification. As consumer demand for transparency grows, they highlight how empowering buyers with product certainty can raise the bar on both organic integrity and chemical safety.

Plus: some quick fire insights from the recent packaging innovation forum  in Amsterdam with Bayer’s head of packaging sustainability, Keiko Tago, talking with Ian about the complex realities of flexible packaging.

And, Nescafé achieves regen ag target; World Refill Day spotlights reuse gaps; and, France targets fast fashion with new law, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Ian Welsh

Join the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum, taking place in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.

Forest 500: leaders and laggards in global deforestation action

Emma Thomson, Forest 500 and tracking lead at Global Canopy, talks with Ian Welsh about the latest Forest 500 report. With only 3% of companies qualifying as true leaders, they discuss insights into the evolving landscape, key sectoral trends and the growing regulatory and public pressures driving action.

Monday briefing – A temperature check on corporate 2025 deforestation-free targets

This week: Jeff Milder, director of the Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi) talks with Ian Welsh about what meaningful action on deforestation looks like in 2025 and beyond. They share corporate progress and discuss the role of AFi in catalysing this momentum in achieving deforestation-free and conversion-free supply chains across sectors.

Plus: at the recent scope 3 forum in Amsterdam, Co-op’s senior climate change manager Joe Hulme talked with Ian Welsh about product carbon footprinting and how to scale beyond initiatives.

Host: Ian Welsh

Join the complimentary webinar, hosted in partnership with the Accountability Framework initiative, to discuss what 2025 target dates and future trajectories in delivering deforestation-free supply chains. Full registrations details can be found here.

Integrating sustainability and finance: Lindex’s CSRD journey

Anna-Karin Dahlberg, chief sustainability officer at Lindex talks with Ian Welsh about how the Swedish fashion retailer is adapting to CSRD and double materiality reporting. She explains the shift from standalone sustainability reports to integrated financial disclosures, the role of cross-departmental collaboration, and how data collection – especially on social and environmental impact – is evolving across the value chain.

Weekly podcast – Seeing the unseen: data, disruption and supply chain strategy

This week: Olivia Dobson, director of climate and resilience at Verisk Maplecroft, joins Ian Welsh to explore interconnected supply chain risks, the shift toward enterprise-level risk consideration, and emerging challenges around supply chain visibility. They examine how geopolitical uncertainties, regulatory compliance and data management are reshaping sourcing strategies.

Plus: Ulla Hueppe, vice president of sustainability at Henkel, talks with Ian at the recent scope 3 event in Amsterdam, about engaging suppliers on emissions reduction, creating transparency in supply chain data, and balancing the cost of change versus inaction. 

And: major food firms fall short on real emissions cuts, and consumers want sustainable fashion but high price hinders, in the news digest. 

Host: Ian Welsh

Weekly podcast – Why regenerative agriculture needs a farmer-centric reboot

This week: Simon Haldrup, co-founder and CEO of agri-tech company Agreena talks with Ian Welsh about how scaling regenerative agriculture hinges on farmer incentives, customised practices and financial support. They discuss how to move beyond pilot programmes into large-scale adoption and how to make sense of data.

Plus: at the scope 3 innovation forum this week, Ian talked with Kim Schoppink from the Science Based Targets initiative about the core challenges and emerging solutions around scope 3 emissions data.

And: EU nations push to ease EUDR rules, while EU companies resist to dilute CSRD; deposit schemes slash litter as Pepsi pull reuse target; and, beanless blends brew up a buzz, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Diana Kim