🧭 Sustainability under pressure? Or just entering a new phase?
Reflections from the first edition of News in Perspective
The sustainability space is shifting. Again.
Between EU rollbacks, US tariffs, ESG backlash, and budget cuts across industries, it’s easy to feel like momentum is fading. The external forces that once pushed sustainability forward, such as regulation or investor pressure are no longer guaranteed.
But that doesn’t have to be a crisis. It might be a turning point.
In our first News in Perspective live session, we asked:
👉 Is this a pause, a pivot, or a permanent shift?
We heard from senior leaders across mobility, logistics, and the built environment. Their contexts varied, but they’re all facing the same shift from riding the wave of urgency to showing the business value of sustainability day to day.
Here’s what stood out:
🧭 Laws may change. The work still makes sense.
Companies have spent years preparing for or adjusting to new regulations. That includes disclosure requirements like CSRD, due diligence laws like CSDDD, and a range of industry-specific obligations. Even as the legal environment evolves, the companies that took this seriously are not stepping back.
Why? Because the process improved transparency, revealed risks, and strengthened operations. It was never just about compliance. It was about building a better business.
🔁 Regulations opened doors. Now leaders have to keep them open.
Regulation wasn’t just a reporting obligation, for many sustainability leaders it was a lever.
It made budgets possible, unlocked systems, and gave sustainability a voice in key decisions.
Now that some mandates are being delayed or softened, that leverage is no longer automatic.
The challenge is to keep moving forward by tying sustainability to investor expectations, business risk, and long-term strategy.
🛠 The real work was never compliance — it was making progress without a playbook.
The sustainability role has never been about executing a fixed plan. It’s about navigating ambiguity, influencing without authority, and making a case where one isn’t yet assumed.
As one leader put it: “We had two years of hype, but the rest of my career, it’s been this.”
The current moment isn’t new. It’s a return to what many leaders have always known. This work moves forward when someone insists it matters, with or without a mandate.
⏳ Short-term pressure is real — but it can sharpen the case.
Investor demands, margin pressure, and shifting priorities aren’t going away. And for many, the regulatory tailwind that once created space is no longer there. That’s why the sustainability leader’s role is evolving — from translating external mandates to making an internal case. Not just about the future. But about performance, resilience, and credibility today.
📺 Missed the session? You can watch the full recording here
📩 What’s shifting in your world? Are you feeling a loss of momentum — or a new kind of focus? Hit reply and let us know.
🗓️ Upcoming Community Events
✨ Happening Today — Roundtable:
"From Cost Center to Value Driver: (Re)positioning Sustainability at the Core"
In many organizations, sustainability is still seen as a cost or compliance task. This roundtable is for leaders changing that story—positioning sustainability as innovation, strategy, and value creation.
👉 RSVP and learn more
11.07 — Leadership Mindset Session: "Leading people through transformation
"You’ve got the strategy and the roadmap. Now comes the hard part: getting people on board. This interactive session is for leaders turning transformation into something people believe in and act on."
👉 RSVP and learn more
— Max 💜
P.S. Thinking about becoming a member? Visit our website to learn more about membership and see if it’s the right fit for you. 👉 Learn more
