Chris Coulter (GlobeScan), John Elkington (Volans) and Mark Lee (ERM) were joined by guest panelists Peggy Liu (JUCCCE), Susan Njoroge (Responsible Business Consulting Limited) and Rianne Buter (Unilever) for our Routes to Transformation webinar.
The session explored findings from the Sustainability at a Crossroads 2026 survey, drawing on insights from sustainability experts across 57 countries. The discussion examined what is reshaping the sustainability agenda and how business, policy, partnerships, and technology can help rebuild momentum.
The webinar also included a consultation with John Elkington on his new green paper, Gray Rhino Territory: The Sustainability Outlook, exploring the major systemic risks shaping the sustainability agenda and what they could mean for the decade ahead.
Key takeaways from the discussion included:
- The sustainability agenda needs a reset: Nearly six in ten experts believe the current approach requires radical revision.
- Sustainability is becoming “harder”: Regulation, economics, and accountability are increasingly shaping the agenda alongside voluntary commitments.
- Transformation requires more than innovation: Policy, investment, and cross-sector collaboration are essential to achieve change at scale.
- The next decade will bring mounting disruption: Climate impacts, geopolitical tensions, inequality, and resource security are among the visible but insufficiently addressed “gray rhino” risks that could reshape the sustainability landscape.
- There are still reasons for optimism: AI, nature-based solutions, and momentum in markets such as China could open up new routes to transformation.
Routes to Transformation is a broader initiative exploring the trajectory of the sustainability agenda through to 2037.
