Ecolab: Boards Must Push Economic Growth & Climate Impact
The boardroom push for profit has always been a business imperative, while the drive for sustainability is a more recent – and often less comfortable – agenda item.
Today, there is an increasingly prominent school of thought that corporate strategy and sustainability go hand-in-hand.
The argument goes that a business that cuts carbon emissions and embeds sustainable practices is future-proofing itself against climate catastrophe and making itself more attractive to customers.
Emilio Tenuta, SVP and Chief Sustainability Officer, Ecolab, is a vocal proponent of the viewpoint.
On 22 September, Emilio will deliver a keynote address at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC – titled “Proof, Not Promises. Companies Must Advance Business Growth and Impact”.
Emilio and Ecolab
Ecolab, recently ranked 22nd in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 World’s Most Sustainable Companies, is a global water, hygiene and energy technologies company that operates across more than 40 industries in 171 countries.
Emilio began his career at Nalco Water, Ecolab's water and process management business, as an application engineer in 1984.
His experience spans technical marketing and business management across sectors including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, lodging, healthcare, primary metals and automotive industries.
He moved into sustainability leadership 16 years ago and has since seen big changes.
"The biggest shift I've seen is that sustainability has moved from the sidelines to the centre of the business strategy," he says.
Sustainability at the centre
Emilio’s message to businesses is clear: "Sustainability needs to be aligned with the business strategy and it is now more than ever reaching the boardroom.”
For this to be effective, sustainability programmes require measurable outcomes that demonstrate business value.
Emilio says: “Resource efficiency improvements, risk mitigation benefits and innovation opportunities provide concrete evidence of programme effectiveness.
“These metrics enable sustainability leaders to secure continued investment and organisational support.”
Ecolab's approach demonstrates successful strategic alignment through its focus on customer value creation.
The company's sustainability solutions directly address customer operational challenges whilst delivering environmental benefits.
Its digital solutions enable precise measurement of sustainability value creation.
Themes at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025
With a focus on climate leadership, innovation and measurable impact, the event will cover core themes including:
- Net zero strategies and Scope 3 reduction
- Decarbonisation of supply chains
- Climate finance and green investment
- Circular economy models and material innovation
- Climate-tech and AI for sustainability
Sustainability LIVE is designed to foster insight-sharing and collaboration, and those attending will gain practical takeaways for climate action, alongside access to some of the most impactful voices in the global sustainability space.
