10 Takeaways From Sustainability LIVE 2024
Enhancing connections between the world’s leading sustainability executives, Sustainability LIVE gathers policymakers, activists, experts and businesses to share the latest practices, technologies and insights into our dynamic industry.
With events taking place in-person and virtually, our event series continues to provide attendees with practical ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint and enhance their sustainability agenda
Sustainability LIVE provides a platform for collaboration, allowing stakeholders across industries to turn conversations into meaningful partnerships.
Across our global event series, Sustainability LIVE catalyses innovation in areas such as climate tech, circular economy models and renewable energy.
Discover 10 takeaways from Sustainability LIVE 2024 below.
'While AI presents opportunities, we also need to be mindful of its sustainability implications and continue to innovate responsibly'
Speaking at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Christoph Schenek, Go-to-Market Lead Sustainability at Microsoft, delved how we can build a more sustainable and digital future.
He dissects the organisation’s corporate strategy, highlighting the focus on sustainability in three dimensions — customer engagement, global sustainability programmes and internal operations.
"It's really all about the collaboration between public and private sectors in addressing the sustainability challenges we face today,” Christoph says.
Later, he continues to explain how "our goal is to be carbon negative by 2030 and we've set ambitious targets for water positivity and zero waste as well".
He adds: “We're not just focused on carbon reduction, we're also looking at water management and biodiversity preservation as critical aspects of our sustainability efforts.”
'One of my mottos has become ‘don't forget the S in ESG''
Rhian Kelly, Chief Sustainability Officer at National Grid, delivered a keynote presentation at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero that explored how we can create a clean, fair and affordable energy transition.
A key focus during her presentation was the National Grid’s Responsible Business Charter — which was launched in 2020 and revised in 2023 to help meet changing regulations and demands.
“We set out what responsibility means for us as a business, the role that we thought we could play and the commitments that we would make to demonstrate how we're going to play our part in this," she says.
“We want to be an organisation that's about more than just profits. We want to be about helping the transition, helping our customers through the transition and playing our part in reducing our impact on the environment.”
'Not everything that we see in the world is what it is'
Speaking at Sustainability LIVE Singapore, Terence Jeyaretnam, Partner at EY, discussed inequality and sustainability.
His keynote presentation highlights the significant relationship between climate change and inequality and warns of the issues related to the conflict of perception versus reality.
"Population growth continues to rise and, with inequalities rising and overshoot continuing, you will see the poorer countries experiencing higher levels of population growth," he says. "The more you're taking out, someone in that country or in another country is paying for.
"The work has to be both ways. It needs to be from institutions and governments and the UN and globally, but also individual responsibility needs to be a big part of that.”
'Everyone knows that we need to accelerate. We don't have any more time'
Speaking at Sustainability LIVE Dubai, Capucine Dourdin Jeunet, Associate Principal for MEA at Schneider Electric Sustainability Business, opened up discussions the company’s sustainability targets.
Capucine spotlights how the company is committed to tackling its largest contributor to its carbon footprint, Scope 3 emissions, which accounts for “more than 90% of our global emissions”.
She explains how these emissions originate from the use of Schneider’s products by customers and the upstream supply chain.
However, Capucine draws attention to its Zero Carbon Project to help tackle these emissions, because it will “engage our 1,000 top suppliers and then they have to decrease their emissions by 2025”.
'You will have to make a decision: anticipate and act, wait and see, or ignore the issue entirely'
Featuring at Sustainability LIVE New York, Pedro Pereira, Chief Sustainability Officer at SAP Latin America and the Caribbean, explored how businesses can transform sustainability from ERP to ESG.
To meet evolving regulatory requirements, Pedro emphasises the need for organisations to incorporate sustainability into their operations almost immediately.
Focusing on the future of sustainability, he draws attention to a prominent piece of technology that could transform our field — AI.
"AI can automate emissions factor mapping and generate ESG reports with the same precision and reliability as financial accounting systems,” he says
He concludes with a powerful statement: “In the world flooded with answers and solutions, the true catalyst for innovation and change lies not in what we already know, but in our courage to ask the right questions.”
'Innovation is not just a technology'
Speaking at Sustainability LIVE London Global Summit, Eirini Etoimou, Head of Corporate Sustainability & Supply Chain Development and Sourcing at Sellafield, discussed sustainability’s role in business strategy.
Her presentation highlights the importance of corporate responsibility, social justice and innovation when tackling the damaging impacts of climate change.
She emphasises the importance of “all the hierarchy levels taking the responsibility” and how organisations need to “integrate sustainability within them as a culture and within the business ecosystem, in part of the corporate DNA”.
She adds: “We need to move a little bit more and take some action. Check for support and be open to other organisations,” she concludes, “we are in this journey and is is very important that we are all together.”
'Energy efficiency is not an option — it’s a must if we are serious that we want to go to the 1.5-degree report'
Also speaking at Sustainability LIVE London, Eric Labuda, President of ABB Motion Services, shared the importance of energy efficiency in reaching a low-carbon future.
He brings attention to one vital way in which we can save energy — addressing electrical motors — by sharing a surprising statistic.
“Forty-five per cent of the world’s electricity is consumed by electric motors of all kinds," he says. "This is the main consumer of modern society of electricity, mainly in industry and in buildings.”
“Let’s assume all of the 300 million motors will be replaced with the best technology available as of today — then we can save 10% of the world’s electricity production."
Eric’s message is clear — we must begin to prioritise energy efficiency to reach a low-carbon future.
'We can’t meet these targets alone. Regulatory and policy support is crucial'
Sustainability executives from VIRTUS Data Centres, Watershed, Smurfit Westrock, National Grid and Verizon were featured on a panel discussion at Sustainability LIVE London Global Summit that showcased how to craft the ideal balance between sustainability and responsibility.
Panellists included:
- Garrett Quinn, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Smurfit Westrock
- James Gowen, SVP of Global Supply Chain & Sourcing and Chief Sustainability Officer at Verizon
- Rhian Kelly, Chief Sustainability Officer at National Grid
- Ellen McCormack, Head of Europe at Watershed
- David Watkins, Solutions Director at VIRTUS Data Centres
The importance of sustainability reporting to track progress emerges as a prominent point of discussion during the panel.
Ellen highlights how data must be collected accurately to create an impact, saying: “You can’t reduce what you can’t measure.”
Garrett warns of the difficulties of non-financial reporting.
He says: “It’s not about being opaque, it’s about acknowledging where we are in our reporting journey.
“Sustainability reporting is an ongoing journey — it’s about progress, not perfection.”
'Before collaboration, you have to connect'
Kevin Dunckley, Chief Sustainability Officer at HH Global, shared how organisations can catalyse sustainable impact through storytelling, collaboration and marketing at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC.
Kevin emphasises that effective storytelling is crucial to making sustainability relatable and engaging.
“When you’re talking about sustainability, if you can’t explain it to someone in a bar in 60 seconds, it’s too complicated,” he states, adding that sustainability professionals need to shift away from jargon and complex data to more accessible narratives.
From embedding sustainability clauses in legal contracts to supporting the finance team with carbon accounting, each department is encouraged to contribute to the sustainability mission.
By equipping each team with specific actions and metrics, Kevin aims to make sustainability "just the way the business operates".
'Inclusion isn’t just about inviting others in, it’s also about stepping outside your own comfort zone'
Julie Folmer-Niemann, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Carlsberg, explored how the organisation created its comprehensive D&I guidebook, transforming data into impact.
To ensure the guidebook’s recommendations lead to real outcomes, Carlsberg has developed a companion roadmap that prioritises actions based on impact, resources and employee needs.
Julie highlights how the guidebook encourages localised solutions, recognising that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t effective.
“Each country and function has its own cultural nuances and our guidebook helps tailor strategies accordingly,” she says.
She finishes her keynote by sharing a vital takeaway: “The biggest hurdle in D&I is moving beyond opinions and feelings. Data elevates the conversation allowing businesses to focus on meaningful action.”
Essential diary dates for 2025
Discover the essential diary dates for Sustainability Magazine and its sister publications – Procurement Magazine and Supply Chain Digital.
To follow Sustainability LIVE on LinkedIn, click here.
To enter for the Global Sustainability & ESG Awards, click here.
2025 diary dates:
- 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: DE&I | 11 November
Make sure you check out the latest industry news and insights at ClimateTech Digital and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Sustainability LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today. Subscribe to the ClimateTech Digital newsletter.
ClimateTech Digital is a BizClik brand