Will Richardson covers ten sustainability stories for business leaders. Companies hitting emissions targets are outperforming financially. The Climate Group's Smart Energy Coalition saved $183 million in energy efficiency, and Luka Chocolate is using GPS to track cocoa sourcing under new EU rules.
Hey, thanks so much for listening. I would love to be able to help you more on what it is that you are listening to and why you're listening to me. If you could click on the link in the show notes, that would be awesome because it will help me define what it is that we should be talking about on this podcast.
Before we start, Stay to the end because I've got a stat about rice farming that should genuinely alarm every food and beverage business watching this. This week in sustainability, here are your top 10 stories ranked by what the world is talking about most. Number 10: Reusable packaging gets a roadmap. Yep, if your business ships products in single-use packaging, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition just gave you 7 categories where reuse makes commercial sense, starting now. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition has identified 7 product categories best suited for reusable packaging: beverage bottles, retail bags, takeout containers, home and personal care packaging, packaged food, secondary packaging, and e-commerce mailers. High purchase frequency and subscription models make these categories ideal starting points. For food and beverage businesses, this is a practical framework, not a theoretical one. Number 9, cocoa traceability gets serious. Food and beverage companies sourcing cocoa— Colombia's Luka Chocolate is proving that full supply chain traceability is commercially viable, not just a compliance exercise. Luka Chocolate is using GPS-mapped farm data and direct grower relationships to trace every bag of cocoa destined for EU markets. With the EU deforestation regulation requiring proof of deforestation-free supply chains from 2026, this is a blueprint for how it can be done. Luca invests 5% of its earnings into meeting sustainability goals, quadrupled by partner funding. Number 8: AI set to reshape the job market. For any organization with more than 500 employees, the latest expert survey on AI should be on your board's agenda this quarter. A survey of economists, tech workers, and professional forecasters predicts substantial economic gains from AI, but also significant job losses by 2030. Under the fastest scenarios, AI could drive GDP growth to levels not seen since World War II, while pushing labor force participation down. Experts are starting to take seriously the possibility that AI could genuinely disrupt the market soon. Number 7: Japan's robots revolution is a warning sign. If your business relies on manual labor, Japan is showing what happens when the workforce simply disappears and AI-powered robots fill the gap. Japan, which makes 70% of the world's industrial robots, is spending billions to capture the physical AI space by 2040. This is driven by necessity, not efficiency. The country's aging population has left factories and warehouses starved of labor. As one CEO put it, physical AI is a matter of national urgency. Japan is further down the same demographic path much of the world is on. Number 6: e-bikes— green transport at a crossroads. Urban transport strategies matter to every large organization with city center operations, and the e-bike safety debate is about to reshape policy in multiple countries. Sydney's e-bike boom has collided with a spike in serious injuries, fueling a global debate about regulation. Australia has tightened standards, restoring a 250-watt motor limit. Amsterdam is considering banning fat bikes from busy parks. The UK requires riders to be 14. E-bike sales in the US hit $826 million in 2025. The benefits of e-bikes are clear, but reckless riding is forcing cities to find the balance between green transport and public safety. Number 5: Food supply chains are under pressure. Food and beverage businesses, if your supply chain touches Asia or East Africa, this week's disruptions should be triggering contingency planning right now. The Iran war is causing cascading food supply chain disruptions. Malaysians are stockpiling staples. Farmers in India and Sri Lanka are anxious about fertilizer shipments stranded in the Strait of hummus. In Kenya, millions of kilograms of Middle East-bound tea are stuck in Mombasa warehouses, costing $8 million a week. Global food systems function as tightly coupled networks where disruptions cascade fast. Number 4, energy efficiency is saving business millions. If your organization is not in a collective energy efficiency program, this week's data shows exactly what you're leaving on the table. Members of Climate Group's Smart Energy Coalition, including Siemens, Danfoss, and AstraZeneca, have collectively saved around $183 million in energy costs through improved efficiencies. According to Climate Group, these savings surpass Japan and Korea's yearly energy usage. With energy prices spiking due to Iran war, energy efficiency is no longer a nice-to-have. It is the most immediate cost reduction tool. available. It's something that I've been talking about personally since 2002 when I first started doing this. It's such an important point and such an important part of your strategy. Number 3, CDP report, cutting emissions. This correlates with outperformance. This is the data point every CFO needs to see. Companies on track to hit emission targets are outperforming rivals in transport, apparel, and services. CDP's 2025 Corporate Health Check reveals that in key sectors, companies hitting emission targets achieved greater market capitalization growth than those missing goals. Government subsidies for EVs, consumer demand for sustainable clothing, and service sector innovation are driving the correlation. The reverse is true for fossil fuels and materials. This is the clearest commercial case for climate action we have seen in years. Number 2, the US states wavering on climate laws. For any multinational operating in the US, the climate policy landscape is shifting fast, and what happens next will affect compliance, reporting, and strategy. Skyrocketing gas prices from the Iran war are fueling efforts to weaken date climate laws in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York. New York's governor wants to delay climate regulations, calling emission targets costly and unattainable. Michigan Republicans want to repeal a 2023 clean energy law, but experts point out renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels and higher electricity rates are driven by data centers and AI demand, not climate policy. California's carbon market faces a fight with Chevron warning the new rules could cost it $500 million. Number 1, the Iran war is reshaping global energy policy. This is the defining story of 2026 for every business with an energy bill. The Iran war is simultaneously threatening climate policy and accelerating the shift to renewables. The Iran war dominates this week's sustainability news across every source. The Strait of Hormuz closure has sent oil prices surging, with gas prices exceeding $6 a gallon in California. But it is also accelerating the shift to renewables. Cuba is relying on Chinese solar panels. The Philippines plans 100 gigawatts of solar in 2 years. Germany is investing billions into wind power and EV sales. Mazda and TotalEnergies announced a major Asian renewables joint venture. As one regulator puts it, the ongoing war further underscores why it is important to move away from fossil fuels. Now on to my favorite part, top 3 mind-blowing environmental facts from this week. Climate groups Smart Energy Coalition members saved $183 million in energy costs collectively, savings that surpass the yearly energy usage of Japan and Korea combined. The majority— number 2— the majority of rice farmers in India and Pakistan do not want their children to enter the profession because extreme weather is reducing global yields every year. And number 3, companies on track to hit emission targets outperformed their rivals financially in transport, apparel, service sectors, according to CDP's 2025 Corporate Health Check. If you want to be a part of our network, please DM me or comment below.
Grab free access to Will's Substack while it lasts. Every week we pull together the top sustainability stories from dozens of trusted sources, Then he breaks down the big issues facing business right now in plain, practical terms. Link in the description.
