Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Circular textiles: infrastructure, innovation and collaboration

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.

Advancing climate-smart crops: R&D driving on-farm change (webinar recording)

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

Weekly podcast – Why responsible sourcing is good for growth

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

Making tracks: Michelin’s scope 3 progress in action

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.

Leading the way for systems change: Helena Helmersson on making sustainability a core business imperative

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

Avoiding double counting in agricultural scope 3

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.

Weekly podcast – How Europe can truly scale flexible packaging recycling

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

AI and technology: How digital transformation is driving the energy transition

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

Shipping decarbonisation: steering fuel transition progress

This week: Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s ocean transport business, talks with Ian Welsh about the decarbonisation challenge facing global shipping. They explores fuel choices, energy efficiency, customer demand, regulation and why policy clarity is critical to scaling low and zero carbon solutions in a highly competitive sector.

Plus: Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar highlights how the energy transition is shifting from ambition to delivery, with companies focusing on infrastructure, energy security, capital discipline and system-wide innovation as 2026 unfolds.

And, UN warns water crisis threatens fashion supply chains; researchers say ultra processed foods should face tobacco-style laws; and, Oatly and McCain push deeper food decarbonisation, in the news digest (compiled by Ellen Atiyah).

Host: Ian Welsh

Building credibility in sustainability storytelling: How NGOs can strengthen trust through transparent communications

As scrutiny of sustainability claims rises, NGOs are under growing pressure to communicate impact clearly, explain complexity, and be transparent about challenges — all while maintaining trust with donors, communities, and partners.

This webinar, the third in the Sustainability Communications and Engagement series, explored how NGOs can build credibility through transparent storytelling, evidence-based communications, and accountable engagement. Hear practical insights from leading sustainability communicators on balancing compelling narratives with accuracy, navigating partnerships, and meeting evolving stakeholder expectations.

What we discussed…

• How NGOs are communicating impact, progress, and setbacks more transparently

• Using data, evidence, and verification to strengthen credibility without overcomplicating messaging

• Balancing compelling storytelling with accuracy, nuance, and accountability

• Managing communications around corporate partnerships while maintaining trust and independence

• Evolving expectations of NGO communications across donors, communities, and business audiences