How long can a business survive if its biggest customer decides it is too risky to keep?
This episode of The Responsible Edge explores the new pressure facing small and medium-sized businesses. Sustainability is no longer a distant idea. Large organisations and public bodies now expect real evidence of environmental action, social value and strong governance. For many SMEs, the change is arriving faster than they expected.
In this conversation, we look at why proof now matters more than promises. We explore how procurement teams check claims, what investors expect, and how the risks build when a single client controls most of a company’s revenue.
This episode also explains how SMEs can take practical steps.
• Build an honest carbon baseline
• Create clear and simple policies
• Understand supply-chain expectations
• Protect key accounts through transparency
• Use sustainability as a commercial advantage
The message is straightforward. Sustainability is becoming part of everyday business. It is not only about ethics. It is also about stability, competitiveness and the future of local communities.
Watch now to understand why responsible action is now part of commercial survival.
#Sustainability #ResponsibleBusiness #SMEs #Leadership #ESG #EthicalBusiness
Can planting trees help cool the planet, or has it become a simple story that hides a complex truth?
This episode of The Responsible Edge looks at how tree planting grew into a global trend and why many projects do not deliver real results. We explore how one company learned from early mistakes, built stronger tools and now focuses on forests that last.
You will hear how restoration works on the ground, why monitoring is essential and how good intent is not enough without evidence. We cover:
- When tree planting supports real climate action
- Why emission cuts still need to come first
- How monitoring and verification protect forests
- The gap between symbolic planting and long-term success
- A simple idea that could help fund nature worldwide
If you care about sustainability, real zero, ESG, the energy transition or nature-positive business, this conversation offers a calm and practical view of restoration.
Watch now to learn how to move past slogans and support forests that grow strong.
#Sustainability #Reforestation #ClimateAction #ResponsibleBusiness #NaturePositive #ResponsibleLeadership
Most people care about sustainability, they just don’t understand how it’s talked about anymore.In this episode, two experienced communications leaders unpack why the climate conversation lost its way, and how simple, honest language can bring people back in.They explore:- Why emotion alone can’t drive climate progress- The danger of “green-hushing” and why silence isn’t neutral- How to talk about progress people can actually feel — lower bills, cleaner air, safer jobs- Why corporate jargon kills trust faster than failure- What it looks like when companies tell the truth, even about the hard stuff“If you missed a target, say it,” says Cat Biggart. “People can handle bad news. What they can’t handle is spin.”Rob Agnew adds, “The minute you sound like a press release, people stop listening.”This is a conversation about honesty, language, and responsibility, and how all three shape the future of business and climate action.Watch now to learn how to talk about sustainability in a way that people can actually believe in.#Sustainability #ResponsibleBusiness #EthicalCommunication #ClimateAction #Leadership #Trust
What if the biggest part of your company’s impact isn’t in your energy bill — but in your advice?
In this episode of The Responsible Edge, Jeff Twentyman, former Slaughter and May partner, UCL professor, and Green Finance Institute adviser, explains why professional services must face the real consequences of their work.
Jeff shares how his years in corporate law led him to rethink what responsibility means, how mindfulness and incentives can work together to shift behaviour, and why fairness might be the most practical climate solution of all.
You’ll learn:
- Why advice, not operations, defines a firm’s real footprint
- How self-awareness and structure can change behaviour
- Why regulation and ethics must work hand in hand
- How equality links to resilience and trust
Watch now to explore how integrity can move from intention to action.
#Sustainability #Leadership #EthicalBusiness #ESG #ResponsibleAdvice #BehaviourChange
Who should control technology — platforms or people?
In this episode of The Responsible Edge, we explore how Europe is standing up for digital sovereignty in the face of U.S. pressure.
When the EU introduced new digital laws to make tech more accountable, Donald Trump called them “discriminatory.” But for Europe, they are about something bigger: protecting democracy, privacy and public trust.
In this conversation, TECH by Handelsblatt’s leadership explains:
- How the EU’s values-based approach could redefine global tech.
- Why good regulation supports innovation.
- What digital sovereignty really means for Europe’s future.
- Why trust and teamwork matter more than speed.
This is more than a trade story. It’s about how values can guide progress.
Watch now to learn how responsible leadership could reshape the global tech order.
#DigitalSovereignty #ResponsibleTech #EuropeanValues #EthicalBusiness #Leadership #Innovation
What if the real measure of sustainability isn’t your carbon footprint — but your handprint?
In this episode of The Responsible Edge, we explore how the built environment can move from compliance to creativity with Useful Simple Trust’s Head of Sustainability.
🔹 Why ESG reporting can distract from true transformation
🔹 The rise of “handprint” metrics that measure positive impact
🔹 How small businesses can lead big change through culture and collaboration
🔹 Why giving nature a “seat at the table” could reshape corporate decision-making
This episode is for anyone in design, architecture, or business leadership asking how to make sustainability real — and measurable.
Watch now to learn how data, design, and ethics can come together to build a regenerative future.
#Sustainability #BuiltEnvironment #RegenerativeDesign #EthicalBusiness #ResponsibleLeadership #ClimateAction
What if China’s clean energy boom holds the biggest lesson in responsible leadership today?In this episode, sustainability author and board advisor Gib Hedstrom joins host Charlie Martin to explore how China’s renewable revolution is changing global energy — and what Western boards can learn.💡 In this conversation:- Why China’s clean tech rise surprised even the experts- How long-term planning became its advantage- What boards can do to escape short-term cycles- The tension between coal, growth, and responsibility- Gib’s call to action for leaders, families, and Gen Z“China’s clean energy portfolio is right at the steep part of the S-curve,” says Gib. “They plan in decades. We plan in quarters. That’s the gap.”Watch now to understand the real energy transition and what it means for business and the planet.#Sustainability #EnergyTransition #Leadership #ESG #China #ResponsibleBusiness #CleanTech
Can an oil and gas legacy company truly reach real zero? Kent’s VP of Sustainability faces the challenge head-on.
Can a global engineering firm built on fossil fuel projects really lead the energy transition?
In this episode of The Responsible Edge, Kent’s VP of Sustainability Emma Scott talks about what “real zero” looks like when your business still keeps the lights on for the world.
Emma shares how she started from nothing — no emissions baseline, no clear data — and built a sustainability strategy grounded in facts, honesty, and uncomfortable truths. She explains why transparency matters more than perfection, and how progress in high-carbon industries depends on facing what’s real, not what’s easy.
You’ll hear insight on:
- The hard truth behind real zero vs net zero
- Building sustainability inside a fossil fuel heritage business
- Why honesty is the hardest — and most powerful — climate tool
- How inclusion and well-being connect to real responsibility
This is not a story of glossy wins — it’s about persistence, integrity, and progress from within.
Watch now to learn how Emma Scott is helping Kent turn sustainability from an aspiration into action.
#RealZero #Sustainability #EnergyTransition #ResponsibleLeadership #EmmaScott #KentEngineering
A chemist and a marketer built a British rum distillery that measures everything from sugar cane to cocktails, and then removes what is left. Real sustainability, no greenwash.
In this on site episode, we meet Russ and Gemma in their working distillery in Exeter to explore how premium rum can be made from scratch in Britain without adding to the planet’s tab. They explain their full life cycle assessment, from sugar to shipping to the ice cube in your glass. They share the hard choices that follow, including ads they will not buy, and why they put credibility above hype. We also discuss climate storytelling: how to balance joy and data, why choosing one clear focus (their north star is carbon) keeps you honest, and how tours turn curious visitors into loyal customers. Gemma shares her vision for a destination distillery where sustainability is clear and fun, while Russ explains the business logic of an internal carbon price and durable removals.
If you are a founder, marketer or sustainability lead, this episode offers a clear blueprint: cut what you can, remove what you can’t, and make the tough choices visible.
Chapters
00:00 The smell of the stills
04:50 Why carbon negative from day one
08:30 LCA: sugar, shipping, and use phase
22:10 Saying no to high footprint ads
36:30 Storytelling that stands up
49:50 Magic wand: price carbon
#CarbonNegative #Rum #SustainableBusiness #LifecycleAssessment #DirectAirCapture
“Perpetual growth on a finite planet can’t be sustainable.”
“The most sustainable building is the one that already exists.”
In this episode, construction leader Saul Humphrey lays out a clear, practical roadmap for a sector that’s still hooked on concrete and quarterly targets. From CLT, glulam and hemp to retrofit-first logic and whole-life value, Saul explains how to cut embodied carbon while improving performance and asset value.
Saul is Senior Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building and Managing Partner of a certified B Corp consultancy focused on sustainable delivery. He also teaches as a professor of sustainable construction—bringing real-world practice into the classroom.
What we cover:
- Operational vs embodied carbon—why materials now matter most.
- Post-Grenfell realities, regulation and where bio-based materials fit.
- Retrofit over rebuild: reusing what we have before pouring new concrete.
- Supply chains, warranties and the business case (whole-life costs, stranded-asset risk).
- Leadership and legacy: how longer-term decisions protect both planet and profit.
If you’re an architect, developer, investor—or anyone who cares about the built environment—this conversation will arm you with language and levers to push for better.
Guest: Saul Humphrey — Senior Vice President, CIOB; Managing Partner, Saul D Humphrey LLP (B Corp); Professor of Sustainable Construction (Anglia Ruskin).
Listen, share, and join the shift.
#SustainableConstruction #EmbodiedCarbon #RetrofitFirst #TimberArchitecture #CIOB #BCorp
What does it mean to build a company with purpose? In this episode of The Responsible Edge, we sit down with Mark Goyder, founder of Tomorrow’s Company, to explore the lessons of failure, the fight to keep values alive in business, and why he believes leaders must sometimes “be a rebel, be a pirate.”
Mark shares his journey—from community service volunteering and politics to decades spent shaping corporate governance and embedding the idea of enlightened shareholder value into UK company law. He reflects on the challenges of scaling values-driven businesses, the cautionary tale of Ben & Jerry’s, and how Tomorrow’s Company is now inspiring the next generation of leaders in schools.
🔑 In this episode:
- Why failure is never wasted
- The birth of Tomorrow’s Company and its lasting impact
- Lessons from Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever on protecting purpose
- How education can unlock the next wave of responsible leadership
- Why being a “pirate” might be the most important career advice
👉 Don’t miss Mark’s call to action for a new generation of leaders to rethink ownership, governance, and the future of responsible business.
🔗 Connect with Mark:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-goyder-72713827/
- Tomorrow’s Company: https://www.tomorrowscompany.com/
🎙 Listen to more episodes of The Responsible Edge: https://theresponsibleedge.com/
#ResponsibleBusiness #Governance #Leadership #Sustainability #Purpose
Fashion has no shortage of sustainability promises — but where’s the action? Simon Whitmarsh-Knight joins The Responsible Edge to discuss what frustrates him most about the industry, and why regulation, digital product passports and fibre innovation are the three pillars that could finally make change real. Plus, his magic wand solution: clarity.
How do you get business leaders to take sustainability seriously? Senior strategist Rebecca Ward believes the answer lies in linking environmental and social impact to financial performance. In this episode of The Responsible Edge, Rebecca shares her journey from geophysics to corporate strategy, her fight for gender equality in STEM, and why optimism is essential in a world of daunting climate challenges.
Andy Last — author of Business on a Mission and co-founder of Salt — joins The Responsible Edge to explore the hard realities of leading responsibly. From Lifebuoy’s breakthrough in combining health and profit, to the trust gap created by greenwashing, Andy reveals why governance, honesty and integration matter more than ever.
Can luxury fashion really be sustainable? La Pochette founder Justine Rouch joins The Responsible Edge to discuss how she’s challenging the industry’s waste culture, designing for longevity, and making tough leadership choices in an era of overproduction.
Is dialogue always the best way for companies to handle criticism? TDI Sustainability founder Assheton Carter joins The Responsible Edge to discuss the limits of corporate virtue, the importance of governance, and why alignment — not altruism — is the key to leading responsibly.
Policy strategist Charlie Garner joins The Responsible Edge to unpack the UK’s aviation dilemma. With the third runway at Heathrow approved, can Britain still claim climate leadership? Charlie discusses sustainable aviation fuels, the “valley of death” for clean tech startups, and why we need a national strategy — not political cycles. A must-watch for anyone interested in responsible growth and real climate policy.
CIBSE's Technical Director Anastasia Mylona joins The Responsible Edge to reveal why UK engineers took climate standards into their own hands. Discover how the new net zero building standard is reshaping the built environment—and why it matters more than ever.
How do you make responsible decisions when the truth is up for debate? Beehive News co-founder Rafael Cossi joins The Responsible Edge to discuss the emotional power of misinformation, why article-level transparency matters, and how businesses can incentivise better news—before it's too late.
Only 2% of real estate funds are managed by women. Why? Investor and entrepreneur Anna Clare Harper joins The Responsible Edge to explore the structural barriers that still dominate the built environment—plus how AI, sponsorship, and smarter capital could transform the way we invest in homes and in leaders.