[Podcast] Rebuilding your business case for sustainability

Today’s sustainability leaders must rearticulate the value of sustainability not just for compliance but for strategic advantage. This includes shifting focus toward Scope 3 emissions, managing climate risks across supply chains and aligning sustainability initiatives with business priorities. 

Philipp Meister, Global Fashion & Sporting Goods + Chemical Lead at Quantis, highlights the changing expectations for Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs), who now play a central, cross-functional role in guiding business strategy. Philipp also covers the need for more honest communication, the importance of data and risk management and the practical steps companies can take — such as supplier engagement and prioritizing the most impactful initiatives — to drive both environmental and business value. 

Here are our key takeaways:

Where are we with trends, what are you seeing and how has it changed in the last few years?  

Philipp Meister: There’s been tremendous change. We need to realize that sustainability, as its own term or as its own way of working, isn’t so old, especially when linked to business. It’s still evolving. We’re sort of in an incubating era that needs to grow and scale fast. In my early career stages, it was a lot about making the business case — “selling” it internally, proving the “why,” building foundations and figuring out implementation. Then it shifted more into doing the implementation — the why was somewhat clear.  

But now we’re in a phase where more question marks have emerged because of geopolitical shifts, economic challenges, as budgets are tighter. It almost feels like we’re back at square one, needing to re-make the business case but under new circumstances. 

Have you seen the business case for sustainability change? Are all the business cases getting stronger? Or do we need to keep iterating to maintain momentum? 

Philipp Meister: I’d say the latter. There’s a lot of data now. Many brands have it. Look at climate change and decarbonization — companies have set this as a key metric and are tracking it over time. They now know how much they’re progressing. The facts weren’t there before; it was more of an emotional business case: “do good for the world.” Now it’s also about resilience and managing risk, showing it’s good for business. 

While comms are still important, some companies in the past overdid it — veering into greenwashing territory. At the end of the day, a fashion company makes fashion products, that’s just what it is. The main objective of a sustainability program should be to build resilience and reduce impact on society and ecosystems, not claiming it would completely change the world. 

Now, we’re seeing more honest dialogue. Brands are becoming more rooted in asking: what impact can we realistically have as a business or brand? 

Could you introduce the article “How CSOs can lead the climate comeback”?  

Philipp Meister: This article was born from ongoing conversations with CSOs and business leaders. We’re at a critical moment. Many 2030 targets were set years ago and we’re now halfway or more. That creates urgency. There have been some developments with Scope 1 and 2. But meeting 2030 goals requires shifting focus to Scope 3, and that’s the trigger behind this article: the need to tackle the more difficult part now. 

What do you recommend CSOs do? Are there certain areas where they are gravitating? 

Philipp Meister: Advanced companies already have comprehensive sustainability programs. Now the focus should be on true priorities — what’s really driving impact. It’s time to cut out the noise and really use this challenging situation to focus on what matters and drive value. Deprioritize what isn’t essential. 

We definitely see some priority areas. Companies need to know where their hotspots are. Start with the supply chain. Decarbonization begins with engagement: setting targets, commitments and building strong supplier relationships. Supplier engagement models have evolved to reflect this. 

What is the timeline for meeting 2030 targets, is there some hesitancy? 

Philipp Meister: Yes, things slowed down at the start of the year, but now we’re seeing activity pick up again. People are beginning to understand that sustainability must be baked into any new initiative. It’s probably not the top priority in every area — things need to move fast. But this is where CSOs need to step up, upskill and work cross-functionally to build internal “allies”. Retrofitting later will always be more expensive than acting now even at smaller scale. That’s a key argument we’re making. 

Sustainability needs to align with business timeframes. There’s more short-term focus now, and that’s necessary to maintain internal support. It’s a marathon, not a sprint but in these circumstances, showing short-term success is key. To brands we say: even if you don’t communicate it widely, you still need a vision. Know where you’re going. 

What are some of the internal partnerships you are seeing today? 

Philipp Meister: Sustainability should build strategy, but execution must be driven by functions. Finance is one of the key partners because they manage everything related to KPIs, including climate metrics. Procurement should also be your friend. 

What we have to learn is to speak their language. For example, people in finance or procurement may not what decarbonization or Science Based Targets mean. That’s also fine because that’s not their area of expertise.  

We recently presented a climate strategy to the executive team of a large chemical company. The chief supply officer said, “This is happening now.” That morning, flooding disrupted a supplier and they lost product and sales. That’s the type of discussion you need to have: predict risk, mitigate it and create more transparency — which helps manage your supply chain better than operating in a black box. 

How has the role of the CSO changed? 

Philipp Meister: The role of the CSO has changed significantly over the last 10 years. Back then, CSOs were often advanced technical experts. Now, the role is much more strategic — central to business transformation through a sustainability lens.