Q&A: How Is Kantar Driving ESG and a Circular Economy?

Kantar is accelerating its commitment to sustainable innovation through a people- and brand-led approach to transformation, focused on helping organisations drive sustainable behaviour, business growth and positive social and environmental change.

The company is translating ambitious sustainability goals into practical action by combining brand strategy, insight and innovation to support clients in building more sustainable futures at scale.

Emily Hill, Director in the Global Sustainable Transformation Practice at Kantar, leads this work as sustainable innovation lead, guiding the development of strategies that connect brands, people and sustainability in ways that deliver measurable impact.

She ensures that deep consumer understanding, commercial thinking and sustainability expertise shape how brands design products, services and communications that shift behaviour and drive long-term value.

With a background spanning brand strategy, insight and innovation, Emily brings a holistic perspective to the challenges organisations face as they navigate the transition to a more sustainable economy.

Her work also includes shaping thought leadership in collaboration with partners including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Federation of Advertisers, helping advance shared learning and industry progress.

Emily shares her perspective with Sustainability Magazine.

What is circularity and how does Kantar embed this into its practices?

Circularity is an alternative to the linear ‘take-make-waste’ model. 

In a circular economy, resources can be used over and over again, often for the same or similar purposes. 

The major principles in a circular economy are to preserve and enhance natural capital, optimise resource yields and eliminate unintended negative consequences, like air and water pollution. 

At Kantar, we work with 965 of the world’s leading brands to provide actionable sustainability advice and consultancy. 

We are uniquely placed to help our clients reap the benefits of circularity and help them to meet their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. 

We enable them to understand how to design for reuse, recycling and remanufacturing to create a more sustainable system. 

Our expertise in consumers, their values and behaviours, is an important part of helping our clients develop circular offers that stick.  

What are the missing links needed to make circularity successful?

Critically, many products are designed for one, or a few, uses, rather than for disassembly and reuse, which makes circularity difficult to achieve. 

For example, many electronics devices, like batteries, are not designed to be repurposed for a second use.

As well as this, there is often resistance to change from suppliers and a lack of understanding of their own environmental impact, so better collaboration across the supply chain is essential. 

Policies have been introduced over the years with the intention of improving infrastructure, regulating sectors and supporting a circular way of doing business. 

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which came into force in February 2025, will apply to all businesses producing or using packaging in the EU market from August 2026. 

PPWR aims to minimise waste, increase recycling and decrease the use of raw materials. 

Because of these headwinds, there must be a cultural shift in how we think about product design, particularly as PPWR comes into force, and how we consume goods. 

This includes engaging consumers and encouraging behaviour that supports circularity, such as making it easier to recycle, return or repair used products. 

Why is consumer acceptance essential for a scalable circular economy?

Circular business models such as reuse, repair, rental and resale require active engagement from consumers, as much as it requires an onus on businesses to change the narrative. 

If people aren’t willing to return, reuse, or repair products, these models cannot function at scale. 

The majority of consumers want to make more sustainable choices, but brands must help make these choices easy and attractive. 

Without consumer buy-in, circular offerings remain small-scale pilots rather than transformative solutions.

When consumers embrace circular behaviours, brands can unlock new revenue streams, increase customer lifetime value and differentiate themselves in the market. 

Scaling the circular economy is not just about infrastructure or technology, it’s about changing mindsets and habits. 

Marketers play a pivotal role in driving this cultural shift, using storytelling and engagement to make circular behaviours the norm rather than the exception.

How can the public be educated in the journey to circularity?

Educating the public is a vital component in the transition to a circular economy and brands must clearly communicate the ‘why’ behind circularity. 

This includes helping consumers understand the environmental, social and economic benefits of a circular economy, as well as the costs of inaction. 

People must be inspired to act and drive the circular economy forward. 

However, for circular products and services to be adopted by mainstream populations, they need to be positioned as more appealing (e.g. better value, offer a superior experience, more convenient) than linear alternatives. 

They need to be desirable and/or address a real human need. 

By highlighting both the functional and emotional value of circular solutions, businesses can encourage consumers to adopt new behaviours that help them to live a more sustainable life.