Ep. 4 | Why Sustainability Can't Wait With Angela Hultberg

If climate change isn't waiting for board approval why do so many organisations continue to treat sustainability as important, but not urgent? Angela Hultberg, Global Head of Sustainability at Kearney, believes it’s a mindset that needs to change.

In this episode of the Sustainability Podcast, host Charlie King is joined by Angela Hultberg to discuss why businesses must move faster, how procurement has become one of the biggest drivers of decarbonisation and why sustainability should be embedded into everyday business decisions, not treated as a separate initiative.

Drawing on experience leading sustainability at IKEA and now advising global organisations through Kearney, Angela shares practical insights on leadership, collaboration and creating business value through sustainability.

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In this episode we explore:

• Why sustainability remains a long-term priority but often loses out to short-term business pressures
• How procurement has become the biggest lever for tackling Scope 3 emissions
• Why resilient supply chains are also more sustainable supply chains
• How businesses can embed sustainability into everyday decision-making
• Why collaboration across teams and industries is essential to accelerate progress

Why sustainability needs greater urgency

Angela keeps seeing the same pattern: CEOs consistently recognise sustainability as a strategic priority, yet many still postpone action because more immediate business challenges dominate their attention. Meanwhile, climate impact disrupts supply chains, increases costs and creates operational risks. Rather than paying more to recover, Angela argues businesses should invest earlier in preventing those impacts through mitigation and resilience.

Procurement has become the biggest opportunity

For most organisations, Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have already seen significant progress. The next challenge sits within Scope 3, where procurement has enormous influence. Angela argues procurement leaders now shape supplier collaboration, innovation, resilience and access to critical materials. By strengthening supply chains, businesses can also reduce emissions, improve security of supply and create long-term value.

Stop treating sustainability as a separate agenda

Angela’s view is that sustainability succeeds when it becomes part of every business decision. Rather than existing as a standalone strategy, it should sit alongside cost, quality and safety within everyday processes. Clear objectives, measurable targets and incentives, she argues, help translate ambitious sustainability commitments into actions for buyers, engineers, managers and operational teams across the business.

Speaking the language of business

One of Angela’s strongest observations is around the importance of framing sustainability through business priorities. Topics such as resilience, securing critical materials, localising supply chains and managing risk often resonate more effectively than sustainability terminology alone, she says. The solutions remain the same, but connecting them to commercial outcomes helps drive action across leadership teams.

Collaboration is the only way forward

Angela's closing message is grounded in urgency: businesses need to move faster and work together. Sustainability leaders often face limited budgets and authority, making collaboration across procurement, R&D, operations, marketing and external partners essential. Organisations should compete where appropriate, but not on sustainability, where shared progress benefits everyone.

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