Sustainability LIVE: Exclusive Q&A With Mitie

Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero will head to the QEII Centre on 5 and 6 March 2025 for a hybrid event to explore how we can embark on a carbon-neutral future.
Across both days, you can look forward to engaging with panel discussions, keynote presentations and masterclasses that will dissect the latest standards, policies and regulations driving the global net zero agenda, such as ESG reporting mandates and carbon pricing mechanisms.
Our event will also be co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability, allowing attendees to delve into a wider range of topics, such as low-carbon logistics, sustainable procurement policies, circular economy models and renewable energy adoption.
Join us this year and enhance your connections with leading sustainability officers, investors and supply chain experts pioneering the transition to a low-carbon economy.
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Kuram Gwakyaa, Head of Sustainability at Mitie
Kuram Gwakyaa leads and propels the delivery of the sustainability agenda for DWP’s estate as the Head of Sustainability at Mitie Group.
He also works across the board to control key projects and secure the best monitoring, reporting and compliance.
Mitie continues to showcase its commitment to crafting a greener tomorrow through its Plan Zero Pathway.
Kuram is committed to enhancing environmental and social change and has acquired a scope of experience in environmental management, renewable energy, quality management and fire safety as a passionate environmentalist.
At Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Kuram will feature on our ‘Global ESG Strategies’ panel alongside Joe Murphy, Executive Lead of the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, Michael Batstone, Global Climate Strategy Manager at IFS and Olivia Ruggles-Brise, Vice President for Sustainability at BCD Travel.
This panel discussion will highlight the importance global ESG strategies hold in providing a standardised framework for organisations to manage and measure their environmental, social and governance impacts.
By aligning ESG principles with business practices, organisations can attract sustainable investments, drive long-term value and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
We recently caught up with Kuram to discover what inspired him to get involved with our event, his aims for his panel and his predictions for the future of the sustainability industry.
What inspired you to get involved in Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero?
Having previously attended Sustainability LIVE, I found that the event presented attendees with an array of adaptable ideas and insights that emanated from the keynote speakers and panel discussions.
It also provided a valuable opportunity to network and connect with other industry peers, which is particularly beneficial in terms of sharing experience and best practices.
As a result, I felt inspired to get involved because it is the right platform for sharing ideas and broadly raising awareness for Sustainability.
Did you know? Mitie won the Diversity Award at the Global Sustainability & ESG Awards 2024.
Provide an overview of what your panel, ‘Global ESG Strategies’, will focus on.
With the increasing importance of ESG considerations for top-performing organisations like Mitie, my panel discussion will focus on providing attendees with insights into the development and implementation of global ESG strategies.
The discussion will revolve around operationally embedding and integrating ESG principles, taking into account regulations, supply chain considerations, innovation and sustainable growth.
What do you hope to achieve through Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero?
By participating in this year’s event, I hope to achieve the following:
- Engage with leadership figures from a range of industry sectors
- Gain valuable insights and take away adoptable ideas
- Impart knowledge, sharing experience and raising awareness via the panel discussion.
What emerging trends do you believe will shape the future of sustainability over the next decade?
Reflecting on the sustainability trends of 2024, it is evident that the trends centred on increased regulations and standards like the UK SDR aligning with ISSB in December 2024 and the CSDDD which came into force in July 2024.
We also saw the fast-growing AI used to support ESG reporting and decision making, as well as a strong focus on circular economy (which entails reuse or renewal of a product, service or resource). As we kick off 2025, it is expected that these trends will continue to develop over the next decade with increased emphasis in the following areas:
- Responsible sourcing – including understanding the full value chain, utilising blockchain for traceability and near-shoring to reduce risk and carbon emissions.
- Corporate transparency – increased reporting and scrutiny-proof strategies, including double materiality assessments, involving organisations taking account of the environmental and social impact of their operations, as well as their financial performance.
- Green finance - including the role it has to play in areas like funding nature-based solutions to enrich biodiversity, which was a discussion point at both COP29 and COP16.
- Energy transition – Although investment in renewable energy is now significantly greater than that of fossil fuels, the energy transition would face a number of challenges in the coming years due to the geo-political landscape and market forces.
- Social value being incorporated into business policy and practice, including a focus on DEI policies and inclusive leadership.
- Focus on DEI integration within ESG strategies
From my perspective, the growing focus on DEI and its integration within ESG strategies is the trend to watch in terms of embedding ESG within business operations as well as contributing to business resilience.
This is particularly pertinent, given that organisations are recognising that the role of ESG has shifted from a ‘nice to have’, to a strategic ‘must-have’.
ESG’s relevance to investment, talent attraction, retention and competitive advantage has become clear. One key element of this trend is the focus on people, captured within the Social Value aspect that encompasses DEI.
DEI Integration has a major role to play in supporting business resilience and growth. For example, in the facilities management sector, we are increasingly seeing a trend of Social Value being specified within contract requirements. Therefore, having a robust DEI strategy, which is underpinned by policies and practices is pivotal to winning new business.
However, the significance of DEI transcends business growth, it is now a major factor in attracting and retaining talent due to employees valuing companies that prioritise their wellbeing and provide inclusive work environments.
It is worth noting that the advances in AI and data analytics are facilitating the provision of more dynamic and meaningful data, such as benchmarking and real-time engagement metrics. This will help organisations make informed and responsive decisions in the years to come.
The need for DEI integration has a strong correlation with the requirement for organisations to accommodate the multi-generational workforce. A recent report published by Ernst & Young (EY) showed that for the first time, five generations comprising of Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are now working together. As a result, leaders would need to focus on a multi-generational strategy that revolves around diversity, AI integration and upskilling.
As can be seen, although there are understandable complexities associated with DEI integration, it is an area that would gather momentum and has the potential to support a meaningful and impactful ESG transformation in the next decade.
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Essential diary dates for 2025
Discover the essential diary dates for Sustainability Magazine and its sister publications – Procurement Magazine and Supply Chain Digital.
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To enter for the Global Sustainability & ESG Awards, click here.
- Sustainability LIVE: Malta | 20 February
- Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero | 5-6 March
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability | 5-6 March
- Sustainability LIVE Singapore | 18 March
- Sustainability LIVE Dubai | 22 April
- Sustainability LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
- Procurement LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
- Supply Chain LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
- Sustainability LIVE: London Climate Action Week | 26 June
- Sustainability LIVE London | 9-10 September
- The Global Sustainability & ESG Awards | 10 September
- Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC | 22 September
- Sustainability LIVE: DE&I | 11 November
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