Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero – Sustainability & ESG Panel

Hosted by Scott Birch, Chief Content Officer, at BizClik, Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero brought four influential leaders in sustainability and ESG to discuss cutting-edge approaches and key insights into creating a sustainable future.

• Adam Read, Chief Sustainability Officer, SUEZ
• Smruti Naik-Jones, Chief Sustainability Officer, Deloitte
• Nelson J Muhumuza - Senior VP - Sustainability, ESG & Public Affairs, Citi
• Nicholas Mazzei - VP Sustainability - Europe, DP World

Understanding ESG and its importance 

Kickstarting the panel, Smruti and Nicholas elaborate on the evolution of sustainability within their organisations, as well as some of the specific strategies that have been implemented to embed sustainability into the core of their business operations. 

"We're in that decisive decade. So this is the opportunity now for all of us to accelerate and we're doing that ourselves,” says Smruti.

Emphasising the consolidation of sustainability efforts and the transition towards a more holistic approach, the group provide insights into ESG and its significance for businesses, as well as integrating ESG into strategies and the need for alignment between financial metrics and non-financial commitments.

Challenges and collaborative solutions

Further into the discussion, the panel highlight the key sustainability challenges faced by organisations including finance and the transition to net zero. As such an emphasis was placed on collaboration between businesses, governments, NGOs, and multilateral organisations to overcome such hurdles, but organisations should not forget internal collaboration and empowerment of employees. 

Empowering younger generations

Closing thoughts for the panel centred around the power of collaboration and empowering not only employees, but the younger generations to advocate for sustainability initiatives.

Smruti – in particular – emphasises the importance of providing platforms for engagement rather than dictating actions. The responsibility for talent development was also noted, highlighting the importance of aligning education with industry needs, as well as advocating for clear policy frameworks and collaborative efforts between sectors to address skills gaps and knowledge transfers. 

"So it's really everybody's responsibility [...] it's a whole ecosystem to ensure that there's knowledge transfer to the future generation from the current generation,” says Nelson.

OUT NOW!

In honour of International Women’s Day, Sustainability Magazine kickstarted the launch of BizClik’s annual Top 100 Women supplement for 2024 on March 8. 

Featuring influential executives from the likes of Google, Amazon, EY, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Unilever, General Motors, Intel, HSBC, Kearney, and Mastercard. 

To discover who featured in this year's Top 100 Women in Sustainability, click here.  

More to come in 2024…

Sustainability Magazine will be hosting a further five events in 2024, both virtual and in-person. Don’t miss out on your chance to hear from leading industry experts at:

• Sustainability LIVE Singapore
• Sustainability LIVE Dubai
• Sustainability LIVE New York
• Sustainability LIVE London
• The Global Sustainability & ESG Awards

To find out more about these events and awards, click here.

Essential diary dates – 2025

• Net Zero & Scope 3 LIVE 2025 | QEII Centre, London | 5-6 March 2025
• Sustainability Singapore Virtual Conference | 19 March 2025
• Sustainability Dubai Virtual Conference | 23 May 2025
• Sustainability LIVE Chicago and Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago | 4-5 June
• Sustainability LIVE & Sustainability Awards 2025 | BDC, London | 9-10 September 2025
• NEW | ClimateTech Magazine

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Make sure you check out the latest edition of Sustainability Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Sustainability LIVE 2024

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