In a time of rising costs, regulatory fatigue and political headwinds, sustainability appears to be slipping down the corporate agenda. Yet for the leaders gathered at Criticaleye’s 2025 virtual Sustainability Forum, the message was clear: now is precisely the time to hold the line.
As some businesses rethink their communications, investment priorities and even language around ESG and DEI, the risks of inaction are only growing. Brave leadership, long-term thinking and an integrated strategy are essential for making a difference in addressing the climate crisis, in particular.
“Mother Nature is in the driving seat, not business or politicians. The planet will continue to move as it does—and we have the ability, and frankly, the obligation, to step in and act,” said
Jon Williams, Managing Director and Global Financial Services Sustainability Lead at Accenture.
Throughout the Forum, leaders acknowledged that attention in many quarters has shifted towards more immediate commercial pressures. Jon said: “I feel that sustainability is once again becoming the poor cousin to other short-term issues."
He continued: "If markets want to see 90-day earnings, you’re going to get 90-day behaviour. So there's a need for regulators to say, ‘We want longer-term thinking,’ and to ensure people are rewarded for striking that balance—doing what’s needed today to protect the long-term value of the companies they’re running.”
After all, the structural risks of climate change are becoming harder to ignore. Insurance costs are rising. Physical assets are exposed and the window for meaningful decarbonisation is narrowing.
Dominic Emery, Chair at HutanBio and Board Mentor at Criticaleye, explained: “The idea that we could potentially make it to Net Zero by 2050 and only see a 1.5 degree temperature rise is almost impossible. Had I been giving this talk maybe five years ago, I would have said there’s maybe a 10 percent chance, but no longer.”
However, Dominic did provide reasons to be optimistic, such as the amount of capital being invested into the new energy sector, which amounted to $2.1 trillion invested in 2024. He reiterated the need for an integrated approach, saying that “the mindset shift is that sustainability and emissions reductions need to be at the heart of a business proposition—be it a strategic proposition or a customer proposition.
“That integration point is going to be really important. So let’s move away from multiple reports and frameworks and actually focus on impact—on making the products and services offered driven by value, and sustainable. This needs to be at the core of what’s being offered by 'Sustainability 3.0'," he added.
Boards under Pressure
The resolve of Boards is being tested on both environmental and social sustainability.
Catherine May, Chair at Shoreham Port and also a Criticaleye Board Mentor, observed: “We’ve seen some very big companies back off on their DEI commitments in their public statements … but it’s not yet clear whether they have backed off internally or just re-labelled what they are doing.
“I think that, like most aspects of strategy, this is an area where the Board plays a critical role for each organisation—sustainability is no different.”
According to Catherine, it’s important to have targets in place. “The first thing the Board can do to support sustainability is to ensure it stays on track by agreeing measurable goals, and that it is appropriate for the organisation in question,” she said. “... It’s also essential for organisations to have clear KPIs and measurable targets for every area that’s part of their strategic focus.
“Then, beyond setting strategy and agreeing on goals and KPIs, the third area we need to focus on is ensuring that our executive colleagues embed the necessary activities into operations to deliver on those targets.”
It is a learning process whereby each organisation will face its own challenges.
Lorcan O’Connor, CEO of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), was candid about the trade-offs involved: “We are also significantly growing our business. ... As a result, we are unlikely to meet our 2030 targets, which are absolute in nature. In terms of carbon intensity and various other metrics, we will have a good story to tell—and one we’ll be proud to tell. But in terms of the technical calculation, we are unlikely to meet our 2030 targets.”
However, he made it clear that sustainability is embedded in business operations and decisions and something he sees more as an opportunity than a threat. “You're always reframing a strategy... [However], your north star should be pretty much consistent, and your overall vision consistent,” he said.
"We are, frankly, making a play of doubling down on our DEI commitments. And we're saying, look—this demonstrates that our strategy and purpose are genuine, and that resonates with potential employers, customers and stakeholders.”
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