Welcome to this week’s Sustainability Roundup! 🌍
From bold geopolitical moves to groundbreaking corporate initiatives, sustainability is shaping the future of business and the world. This week, we explore the latest trends, insights, and strategies driving change, helping leaders turn challenges into competitive advantage. Dive in to see how top organizations are embedding sustainability at the core of strategy, leveraging technology, and rethinking supply chains for lasting impact. ♻️
1. Trump calls climate change “greatest con job” at UN address. ⚡
In a fiery speech at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2025, President Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” claiming it was created by “stupid people” calling it a “green scam”. He argued renewable energy policies harm economies and promoted fossil fuels as growth engines. The move heightens geopolitical uncertainty around climate governance, creating risks for global companies dependent on consistent policy environments. Ironically, the rhetoric may accelerate rival nations’ climate action as they seek to claim leadership credibility in sustainability.
2. Half of corporate buyers plan to drop unsustainable suppliers, Bain survey. 📉
A new Bain survey released this week shows 49 percent of corporate buyers are already allocating more spend toward sustainable suppliers, with 26 percent planning to drop partners that fail ESG criteria. This shift makes procurement a frontline tool for corporate sustainability, signaling real revenue opportunities for suppliers who adapt. Yet, it also risks leaving smaller vendors behind if they cannot afford rapid decarbonization, creating both competitive advantage and systemic inequity across supply chains.
3. Microsoft signs $6 billion deal for 100 percent renewable-energy powered AI infrastructure. 💻🌱
Microsoft has committed over $6 billion to build AI compute infrastructure in Norway powered entirely by renewable energy, in partnership with Nscale and Aker, announced on September 20, 2025. The deal demonstrates how digital growth can be tied directly to clean energy supply, reducing exposure to emissions scrutiny while aligning AI expansion with Europe’s climate goals. Questions remain about scalability, as hardware and supply chain emissions may dilute the net impact if not addressed.
Leading organizations recognize sustainability isn’t a side initiative, it must shape direction. Grant’s “Strategy as Direction” framework (2021) offers a sharp lens: vision, mission, and growth pathways all become vehicles for embedding sustainability into the core of the business model. 🚀♻️
Here’s how leaders can operationalize it:
The 2025 study by Roche validates Grant’s “Strategy as Direction” framework by showing how Corporate Sustainability (CS) strategy deployment uses Hoshin Kanri to translate vision and goals into aligned execution across the organization. This method ensures sustainability targets leap through departments with clear accountability. The study underscores how embedding CS through rigorous frameworks and management systems turns strategic aspirations into operational success and sustainable competitive advantage. Read the study here. 🏆
Watch how top Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) reframe challenges as competitive advantages driving innovation, integrating technology, and strengthening supply chains. 🎯
While technology, supplier data, and collaboration appear straightforward, implementation is costly and time-intensive, demanding strategic prioritization, resource allocation, and leadership commitment to avoid stalled sustainability progress.⏳
Majority voters from last week suggests that green innovations are perceived more as risk management tools than as pathways to market leadership, highlighting a need for stronger narratives and evidence linking sustainability to competitive advantage and growth outcomes. Read our last issue here.
Missed our recent issues? Catch up anytime by reading our full archive here 📖.
That’s it for today’s roundup! We’ll see you next Thursday with another set of inspiring sustainability news and updates. Until then, take a moment to reflect on how you can adopt one new sustainable practice this week. Every small step counts! 🌍✨
Have any thoughts or a sustainable practice you'd like to share? Share your feedback here.
Together, we can make a difference. See you in the next edition of the Sustainability Roundup!