Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Епизоде

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  Weekly podcast – The critical minerals project finance challenge 18.08.2026 30мин

  This week: Highlights of webinar panel discussion when Olga Antonovskaya from BHP, Jessica Wan from Redwheel, Societe Generale’s Marie Gerbier and Eirini Konstantinou from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, joined Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to talk about what it takes for finance to back critical minerals at scale.  Plus: Diageo plastic bottle safety concerns in India; SE Asia’s electric grid ongoing fragility; seep IP protection tightened in China; land restoration focus at UN desertification COP; and, big brand cotton from Brazil linked with forced labour, in the news digest. If you want to listen to the full critical minerals webinar, click here.
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  Living wages: why measurement isn't the same as progress 18.08.2026 8мин

  Mari-Lou Dupont, senior vice president for social compliance at the Fair Labor Association, talks with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's Sustainable Apparel and Textiles event in Amsterdam about worker wellbeing in the apparel sector. They discuss why low unionisation remains the biggest underlying risk to wages and working conditions and why most brands are still stuck measuring living wage gaps rather than closing them. They also discuss what it will take to build the trust needed for suppliers to share real costing data.
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  Weekly podcast: What drives circularity in apparel and packaging? 11.08.2026 24мин

  This week: Innovation Forum apparel portfolio lead Niamh Campbell spoke with Julia Kirschner, impact and innovation director at fashion brand Armedangels, in New York recently about how to enable a circular approach at scale in the sector. And Ian Welsh spoke with Eduardo Alvarez, plastics and packaging expert at Dow in Amsterdam earlier this year about what can drive circularity in packaging.  Plus: UK's continued success in cutting single-use plastic bags, EU digital product passport roll-out continues, why off-shore wind farms could help develop new aquatic food supply chains, and new palm oil finance links with deforestation, in the news digest with Babette Pages.  Host: Ian Welsh
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  Farming's income problem: why one technology won't fix it 11.08.2026 9мин

  Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's food and beverage conference about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss why the number of farmers in the Netherlands has halved in 25 years, and the mix of income, land access and perception driving that decline. They also talk about why no single technology can substitute for a crop-by-crop, farmer-led approach.
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  Weekly podcast – Digital product passports: from voluntary pilot to mandatory infrastructure 04.08.2026 27мин

  This week: Pauline God, industry and policy expert at TrusTrace, talks with Ian Welsh about the state of play on digital product passports in apparel. They discuss the gap between mandatory infrastructure and still-voluntary product obligations, and the four biggest lessons from DPP pilots running since 2021. Plus: Plus: fossil fuel divisions surface ahead of COP31; textile manufacturing's 92,000-tonne microfibre problem; integrated project delivery reshapes critical minerals financing; Japan backs Namibian rare earth project; and, China accelerates green energy financing amid Iran-driven oil disruption, in the news digest with Babette Pagès.Host: Ian Welsh
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  Beyond the checkbox: why forced labour hides in plain sight 04.08.2026 16мин

  Rachel Rigby, senior director, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, senior regional lead Americas, at Verité, talk with Ian Welsh about the sharp rise in forced labour enforcement. They discuss the EU's new forced labour regulation and its reversed burden of proof, and the US Article 301 investigations threatening blanket tariffs on countries without effective import bans. They also talk about what Verité's three decades of workplace assessments reveal about how forced labour actually shows up in garment and coffee supply chains.
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  Weekly podcast – Why top-down sustainability guidance doesn't work for suppliers 28.07.2026 15мин

  Mobeen Chughtai, group head of ESG and corporate communications at Soorty Enterprises, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the brand-supplier relationship from the supplier's perspective. They discuss the compliance burden of conflicting regulatory frameworks and why sustainability requirements are increasingly being treated as non-negotiable mandates. Plus: EU bans destruction of unsold apparel under ESPR; Amazon deforestation falls to its lowest level since monitoring began in 1985; consumers shift away from polyester towards natural fibres; and, eight global fashion capitals launch coalition to share sustainability best practice, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh
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  Show me the money: What will it take for finance to back critical minerals at scale? 28.07.2026 56мин

  The pipeline of critical minerals projects has never been longer. But the gap between a viable project and a financed one remains stubbornly wide. Capital is available, it’s just not flowing fast enough, or to the right places. Early-stage mining projects carry a risk profile that most institutional investors are not set up to absorb. Infrastructure is absent, policy frameworks are inconsistent, and the road from discovery to production stretches beyond a decade. At the same time, rising sustainability expectations are adding cost and complexity that can deter rather than attract capital. This webinar brought together financial institutions and mining companies to explore what it actually takes to move critical minerals investment from intention to action. What we discussed... The structural barriers that keep credible projects stuck at the development stage. How financial institutions are building frameworks to evaluate and de-risk critical minerals investments. The role of blended finance, development banks and public-private mechanisms in mobilising private capital. Sustainability performance as a bankability asset: how responsible sourcing credentials are factoring into investment decisions. What mining companies and project developers need to demonstrate to get deals across the line.
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  9 million pieces and counting: scaling circular fashion at Puma 27.07.2026 5мин

  Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling, now well beyond pilot stage at over 11% in 2025. They discuss the challenges of post-consumer feedstock, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material.
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  Weekly podcast – The gap between measuring living wages and actually paying them 21.07.2026 13мин

  This week: Mari-lou Dupont, senior vice president for social compliance at the Fair Labour Association, talks with Ian Welsh about worker wellbeing challenges in the apparel sector. They discuss from persistently low wages and weak unionisation to what brands need to do to move beyond measuring wage gaps to actually closing them. Plus: carbon-based hotel pricing nudges tourists towards greener choices; WFP launches water security project in Iraq; UK climate aid cuts threaten community-led coastal resilience; and, private equity treats climate resilience as a new value lever, in the news digest by Babette Pages. Host: Ian Welsh
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  Why the voluntary layer of sustainability reporting is quietly collapsing 21.07.2026 16мин

  Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about current trends in corporate sustainability reporting. They discuss why a one-time lifecycle assessment no longer counts as substantiation, and how companies that treat sustainability data as business intelligence are building a genuine competitive edge.
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  Weekly podcast – From green premiums to real returns: what farmers actually need 14.07.2026 14мин

  Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss the psychology putting young people off agricultural careers and why sustainability has to deliver a real return on investment for farmers to adopt it. Plus: lab-grown cocoa as a hedge against cocoa price volatility; US coffee prices double on tariffs and Red Sea disruption; China's largest US soybean purchase since 2025; and, European Commission cuts sustainability reporting requirements by 60%, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh
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  The uncomfortable truth about clothing prices and decarbonisation 14.07.2026 7мин

  Jimmy Summers, vice president of environment, health and safety, and chief sustainability officer at Elevate Textiles, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the financial barriers to decarbonising the apparel sector. They discuss why decades of falling clothing prices have made sustainability harder to fund, and what systemic solutions could create a genuine race to the top.
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  Weekly podcast – Forced labour enforcement is here: what companies and suppliers need to know 07.07.2026 21мин

  This week: As the long-awaited guidance for the new EU forced labour regulation is published, Ian Welsh speaks with Rachel Rigby, lead, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, regional lead, Americas, at Verité. They discuss some of the potential opportunities and impacts for business.  Plus: Seed technology that enhances resilience and yield; business action to drive electrification; environmental activists most targeted group; and, US return to coal drives emissions increases, in the news digest with Babette Pagès.  Host: Ian Welsh 
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  Challenges and opportunities associated with the energy transition 07.07.2026 5мин

  Tanja Lischka, senior director for government affairs at Siemens Energy, talks with Ian Welsh about the power grid evolution required as electrification continues to be rolled out, and the challenges and opportunities this represents.
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  Strengthening coffee supply chains: advancing climate resilience through regenerative agriculture (webinar recording) 07.07.2026 44мин

  Climate change is rapidly reshaping the future of coffee. Rising temperatures, shifting growing regions and increased pressure on yields are creating significant risks for producers, livelihoods, and supply chain stability. As a result, incorporating regenerative agriculture practices into coffee supply chains is no longer a distant sustainability goal, but a core business imperative. From farm-level adaptation and investment to sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships, companies are rethinking how to secure supply while supporting livelihoods and long-term sustainability goals. What we discussed: What regenerative agriculture means in practice for the coffee sector, from farm to commercial strategy How producers and supply chain partners are responding, including the support structures, partnerships and investment models driving impact How brands and retailers are integrating regenerative agriculture into sourcing decisions The role of traceability and certification in driving accountability across the supply chain
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  Weekly podcast – Beyond the football shirt: Puma on the real state of textile-to-textile recycling 30.06.2026 10мин

  This week: Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling. They discuss the challenges of sourcing post-consumer waste, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material. Plus: UK invests £50m in critical minerals to cut import reliance; G7 seeks to halve dependence on China as Beijing strengthens BRICS ties; human rights abuse allegations at critical minerals mines jump 73%; and, experts debate mineral alliances and a just energy transition at London Climate Action Week, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Babette Pages. Host: Ian Welsh
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  3% trust marketing claims, so where does supply chain trust actually live? 30.06.2026 9мин

  Paul Bentham, chief product and technology officer at Oritain, talks with Ian Welsh about the findings of the company's first annual supply chain intelligence report, including the surprise rise in prohibited-origin products on shelves. They also discuss the growing gap between brands' traceability claims and the physical reality of their products, and how tariffs and converging regulation are creating new blind spots in global sourcing.
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  Weekly podcast – How sustainability reporting went from storytelling to evidence 23.06.2026 21мин

  This week: Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about how corporate sustainability reporting has evolved from communications exercise to evidence-based intelligence. They discuss why companies retreating to compliance-only mode risk falling behind. Plus: a new global symbol to identify reusable packaging; German consumers underestimate national recycling rates; refill packaging now well established in personal care; and, food and beverage plastics dominate global shorelines, in the news digest by Babette Pages.
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  Nestlé Dairy Plan in Action: Better for farmers, cows, the planet and people (virtual event recording) 23.06.2026 58мин

  Listen to the unveiling the first global progress report from the Nestlé Dairy Plan — a holistic approach to dairy transformation that brings together climate action, regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, farmer resilience and innovation across the value chain. We heard practical solutions are already delivering results at scale: helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting productivity and farmer incomes, strengthening nature on and around farms, and building more secure supplies of high-quality dairy ingredients for the future. From digital tools and feed innovation to manure management, biodiversity projects and agri-preneurship programmes, this session will spotlight the partnerships and on-the-ground action making a difference across markets. We explored what’s working today, what we’re learning, and what it takes to build a more sustainable and resilient dairy system for the long term.We heard from: Antonia Wanner, Chief Sustainability Officer, Nestlé Katja Seidenschnur, Head of Sustainability Nutrition and Health SBU, Nestlé Wilson Bras, Dairy Farmer from Brazil Robert Erhard, Group Dairy Lead, Nestlé Marlies Overbeeke, Director for Sustainability Strategy and Customer Partnerships, FrieslandCampina Damian Oettli, Head of Markets, WWF Andrea Porro, Secretary General, World Farmers' Organisation The session was moderated by Tom Idle, Founder, Narrative Matters.