It’s becoming increasingly clear that organizations are using sustainability to unlock resilience, innovation, and real business value. Strategies are noticeably shifting from ambition to execution.
In November, I attended COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Across all my meetings and conversations with business leaders, policymakers, and innovators, a common theme stood out: the time to act is now.
Sustainability is essential for resilience and growth, and therefore also for competitiveness. Future-proofing practices like moving to renewable energy and increasing circularity boost innovation while reducing costs and risk. It’s no wonder organizations want to understand how to accelerate beyond compliance in their sustainability ambitions.
Organizations are embracing sustainability to drive business value
It was clear from my discussions at COP30 that leaders across industries now see climate risk as a material business risk. And it’s clear to see why: according to Capgemini research, in 2025 alone, 90% of organizations saw their supply chain impacted by climate disruptions. We’re now noticing a positive trend to embed climate risk into overall business risk function. We’ve found that 52% of organizations have largely integrated sustainability into their business-as-usual practices. Climate risk analysis is not only being discussed at a board level, it is being embedded in everyday operational and financial decisions. Organizations are also embracing full ecosystem collaboration to accelerate progress in execution.
COP30 renewed the spotlight on sustainability strategies, reminiding organizations that real progress will depend on decisive action beyond negotiation. This will take time, as they’ll need to upgrade infrastructure and supply chains. However, with more data points and a broader understanding of the risk posed across the value chain, organizations are better prepared than ever to take action. By embracing sustainability as a lever for innovation, cost reduction, risk management, and growth, organizations are unlocking meaningful business value while accelerating progress toward a more resilient future.
Renewable energy and circularity are top growth drivers
To thrive in today’s complex world, organizations are boosting their business performance through two key sustainability initiatives: renewable energy and circularity. These practices are not only good for the planet but excellent for boosting both top- and bottom-line performance.
Adopting renewable energy sources is no longer a question, it’s well-known that they are a cheaper, cleaner, more reliable alternative to fossil fuels. Organizations are already taking advantage of this: 60% have a strategy to fully transition all energy sources to renewables. The cost of moving to clean energy has already been reduced. One multinational energy company expects a 40% increase in EBITDA by 2027, driven by its continued investment in renewables. Costs will continue to decrease as investment, development of infrastructure, and uptake increase. Renewable energy also provides organizations with a level of self-sufficiency that makes them less vulnerable to external factors.
Beyond the energy transition, circular economy principles dominated private sector conversations at COP30. Circularity lowers costs, reduces risk across the supply chain, and creates competitive advantage. As resource scarcity intensifies, organizations are scaling up circularity across their value chains to reduce dependency on raw materials and therefore costs. This includes implementing circular practices to enable recovery, recycling, and reuse of materials. Organizations are also developing products that are circular by design. In parallel, some are working together to create more resilient supply chains globally. This brings stability in the face of shortages and disruptions along the supply chain. One way to do this is to incorporate local communities into the value chain and promote circular practices like regenerative farming.
The question organizations face now is how to best to take the twin transitions to renewables and circularity to the next level of efficiency and scale. This does not come without challenges – a key hurdle is data management.
Data is the foundation of future-proofing, AI is the how
Without robust data, it can be difficult to track progress and make informed decisions about sustainable practices. In fact, 81% of executives cite inadequate data and measurement systems as a barrier to advancing their organization’s sustainability agenda.
Organizations need a system that doesn’t just track sustainability data in isolation but integrates it with other critical data points in product performance, supply chains, energy use, and more. Standardizing supplier data collection, implementing traceability systems such as digital product passports, and investing in digital infrastructure are key ways for organizations to ensure timely, cross-functional access to data.
When combined with artificial intelligence, robust and integrated data systems can provide insights at scale. This can enable organizations to continuously adapt their strategy and actions, optimizing to create the greatest value no matter the context.
Artificial Intelligence is the definitive accelerator to move from sustainability ambition to operational reality, transforming complex data into decisive, value-creating action across the enterprise. AI is already tackling key business issues, optimizing energy, manufacturing, and reducing waste. Early adopters are pulling away from competitors at an accelerating pace.
The future is now the business value of sustainability is evident, not only in terms of cost-cutting but in terms of new opportunities for growth and resilience. The Chief Sustainability Officers who integrate sustainability with risk management and financial planning have the strongest influence and impact. Acting decisively today will enable organizations to adapt, grow, and compete tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how organizations will carry out their sustainability plans and match their actions to their investment and ambitions. Let’s touch base at COP31.
