Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling, now well beyond pilot stage at over 11% in 2025. They discuss the challenges of post-consumer feedstock, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material.

This week: Mari-lou Dupont, senior vice president for social compliance at the Fair Labour Association, talks with Ian Welsh about worker wellbeing challenges in the apparel sector. They discuss from persistently low wages and weak unionisation to what brands need to do to move beyond measuring wage gaps to actually closing them.

Plus: carbon-based hotel pricing nudges tourists towards greener choices; WFP launches water security project in Iraq; UK climate aid cuts threaten community-led coastal resilience; and, private equity treats climate resilience as a new value lever, in the news digest by Babette Pages.

Host: Ian Welsh

Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about current trends in corporate sustainability reporting. They discuss why a one-time lifecycle assessment no longer counts as substantiation, and how companies that treat sustainability data as business intelligence are building a genuine competitive edge.

Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss the psychology putting young people off agricultural careers and why sustainability has to deliver a real return on investment for farmers to adopt it.

Plus: lab-grown cocoa as a hedge against cocoa price volatility; US coffee prices double on tariffs and Red Sea disruption; China's largest US soybean purchase since 2025; and, European Commission cuts sustainability reporting requirements by 60%, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh

Jimmy Summers, vice president of environment, health and safety, and chief sustainability officer at Elevate Textiles, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the financial barriers to decarbonising the apparel sector. They discuss why decades of falling clothing prices have made sustainability harder to fund, and what systemic solutions could create a genuine race to the top.

This week: As the long-awaited guidance for the new EU forced labour regulation is published, Ian Welsh speaks with Rachel Rigby, lead, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, regional lead, Americas, at Verité. They discuss some of the potential opportunities and impacts for business. 

Plus: Seed technology that enhances resilience and yield; business action to drive electrification; environmental activists most targeted group; and, US return to coal drives emissions increases, in the news digest with Babette Pagès. 

Host: Ian Welsh 

Tanja Lischka, senior director for government affairs at Siemens Energy, talks with Ian Welsh about the power grid evolution required as electrification continues to be rolled out, and the challenges and opportunities this represents.

Climate change is rapidly reshaping the future of coffee. Rising temperatures, shifting growing regions and increased pressure on yields are creating significant risks for producers, livelihoods, and supply chain stability.

As a result, incorporating regenerative agriculture practices into coffee supply chains is no longer a distant sustainability goal, but a core business imperative. From farm-level adaptation and investment to sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships, companies are rethinking how to secure supply while supporting livelihoods and long-term sustainability goals.

What we discussed:

• What regenerative agriculture means in practice for the coffee sector, from farm to commercial strategy
• How producers and supply chain partners are responding, including the support structures, partnerships and investment models driving impact
• How brands and retailers are integrating regenerative agriculture into sourcing decisions
• The role of traceability and certification in driving accountability across the supply chain

This week: Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling. They discuss the challenges of sourcing post-consumer waste, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material.

Plus: UK invests £50m in critical minerals to cut import reliance; G7 seeks to halve dependence on China as Beijing strengthens BRICS ties; human rights abuse allegations at critical minerals mines jump 73%; and, experts debate mineral alliances and a just energy transition at London Climate Action Week, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Babette Pages.

Host: Ian Welsh

Paul Bentham, chief product and technology officer at Oritain, talks with Ian Welsh about the findings of the company's first annual supply chain intelligence report, including the surprise rise in prohibited-origin products on shelves. They also discuss the growing gap between brands' traceability claims and the physical reality of their products, and how tariffs and converging regulation are creating new blind spots in global sourcing.