Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero – Overcoming Resistance to ESG

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Denise Lana Molina shared practical insights on how to build ESG strategies, overcome resistance, & create long-term sustainable transformation

At Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Denise Lana Molina, Global Head of Sustainability at Marelli captivated the audience with her energetic talk on how to drive ESG strategies within large, complex organisations.

As the Global Head of Sustainability at Marelli, a company born from the merger of Japan’s Calsonic Kansei and Italy’s Magneti Marelli, Denise has first-hand experience navigating cultural and operational challenges in implementing sustainability initiatives.

Her message is clear: overcoming resistance to ESG is crucial and success depends on fostering collaboration, simplifying processes and encouraging shared ownership of sustainability goals.

The complexity of ESG in a global organisation  

Denise begins by outlining the unique challenges Marelli faces as a global company with more than 50,000 employees across 170 locations.

“It’s like a Rubik’s Cube,” she explains. Marelli’s business spans six divisions, from electronics and motorsport to aftermarket products, each with distinct sustainability challenges.

Aligning the needs of the business, customers and suppliers across such diverse sectors is a complex task.

One of the main challenges she identified was that even Marelli’s customers — leading automakers — aren’t always aligned in their sustainability expectations.

With different ways of measuring performance and prioritising goals, the lack of standardisation creates confusion.

Denise argues that ESG, with its metrics and frameworks, helps harmonise these differences and serves as a common language to bring various stakeholders together.

Building a sustainability strategy from the ground up

Denise shares how Marelli structures its sustainability strategy around three key pillars: climate change, circular economy and social impact.

She emphasises the urgency of addressing climate change, noting that passenger vehicles account for 17% of global emissions.

“It’s not enough to transition to electric vehicles; automakers need to reduce supply chain emissions by 82%,” she stresses.

The second pillar, circular economy, is particularly important for Marelli. Denise highlights the European Commission’s findings that 54% of the resources needed for the low-carbon transition are located in protected areas, meaning they aren’t readily available.

“We need to make resources circular — there’s no other option,” she says.

Finally, social impact remains a priority, with Marelli’s extensive supply chain involving more than 55,000 suppliers, making it one of the longest in the industry.

Denise explains how Marelli establishes a roadmap with clear targets and assigned executive sponsors to lead each 'sprint' in the process.

“We needed speed,” she says, reflecting on the urgency to act quickly while ensuring buy-in from the C-suite and stakeholders across the organisation.

Denise Lana Molina, Global Head of Sustainability at Marelli

Overcoming resistance: Simplifying processes and finding common ground  

One of the recurring themes in Denise’s talk is the importance of simplicity and collaboration.

“Are we trying to preach to people, or are we translating what they need to do?” she asks, pointing out that one of the biggest obstacles to sustainability is language.

ESG terminology can be confusing or intimidating, so it’s critical to break down complex concepts into relatable terms.

Denise underscores that collaboration is key to making real progress.

“We [sustainability teams] only have one piece of the information, but our colleagues in other departments have the whole picture,” she says.

Marelli achieved this by involving operational teams in the process and appointing sustainability leads within each business division, ensuring that everyone had a role in driving the strategy forward.

Simplifying the journey was also essential. Rather than attempting to meet all sustainability goals at once, Denise and her team developed a phased approach, allowing the company to make incremental progress.

“If you try to be perfect today, you won’t move,” she warns. This pragmatic approach helped Marelli move quickly while learning and improving along the way.

Challenges and cultural transformation  

While Denise is candid about the successes, she also acknowledges the challenges.

“It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t perfect,” she admits. Establishing a common language across different countries and cultures was a significant hurdle. Yet by leaning on international standards and simplifying the process, Marelli was able to cut through disagreements and get people on board.

She emphasises that cultural transformation is a gradual process.

“We’ve seen a real shift in the mood and openness of people,” she says, explaining how Marelli has moved towards greater alignment on sustainability goals. A major factor in this success was transparency and humility. “We don’t strive for perfection, just progress.”

The power of collective responsibility

Denise closes her talk with an inspiring story about Marelli’s marketing team, which recently approached her department to ask how they could incorporate sustainability into their processes.

Although they weren’t initially part of the roadmap, this showed how deeply the culture was shifting.

“This is an example of how culture changes when people know we’re all on the same page,” she says

Ultimately, Denise’s message is that ESG strategies aren’t just about meeting regulations or checking boxes — they’re about transforming how companies think and operate.

By engaging everyone in the organisation and simplifying complex goals, companies can move towards meaningful change.

Her advice to the audience is clear: “Start, listen, and don’t let complexity stop you from moving forward.”

At Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Denise left attendees with a roadmap for how to overcome resistance to ESG and build a culture that embraces sustainability as a core part of the business.

Essential diary dates for 2024 and 2025…

Sustainability LIVE continues to expand its events with more to come in 2024 and 2025, discover our essential diary dates below.

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