Innovation Forum Podcast

This week: From 2027, EV and industrial batteries will need verified data on carbon footprint, material composition and supply chain due diligence in the EU. To discuss the challenges, Anna Fleming from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Jeroen Hoff, Connect Bus, and Ilya Gasparishvili from Honeywell Technologies, joined Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh on a recent webinar. The panel discussed whether critical mineral value chains are ready to deliver. Plus: consumer concern about sustainability rises for the first time in three years, according to Bain & Company; dry weather in Côte d'Ivoire threatens cocoa supply; El Niño could push 50 million more people into acute hunger; MacroCycle signs a deal with Meta to fund its first PET recycling plant; and, adaptation finance still trails mitigation despite better ways to measure resilience, in the news digest with Babette Pagès. Host: Ian Welsh 

Charlotte Bande, managing director and global food and beverage sector lead at Quantis, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about climate risk in food supply chains following this summer's Northern Hemisphere heatwave. They discuss why extreme weather events are leaving less time for recovery, why low-volume commodities such as vanilla can carry high business risk, and how traceability and procurement involvement can support supply chain resilience.

The EU Battery Regulation is raising the bar. From 2027, battery passports will be mandatory for EV and industrial batteries, requiring verified data on carbon footprint, material composition and supply chain due diligence across the full value chain. For an industry where data is fragmented, supply chains span dozens of jurisdictions and transparency stops well short of the mine, the question is no longer whether to comply. It is whether compliance is actually possible. The challenge is structural. Miners, processors, traders, manufacturers and buyers all hold different pieces of the data puzzle, with limited incentive to share it and significant barriers to doing so. Meeting the regulation's requirements demands a level of cross-chain coordination that the sector has never achieved at scale. This webinar brought together voices from across the value chain to explore what it will actually take to get there. What we discussed: What the next phase of the EU Battery Regulation requires and where the sector currently falls short The data gaps and coordination challenges that sit between the mine and a compliant battery passport How companies across the value chain are building the systems and partnerships to meet their obligations Where the battery passport creates genuine supply chain value beyond compliance

This week: Andrew Coburn, chair and founder at climate experts Risilience, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the coming super El Niño and its threat to global food supply chains. They discuss new research putting crop losses at up to $375bn, with rice, wheat, coffee and palm oil among the commodities exposed, and why agri-sector companies need to be acting now. And, fossil fuel emissions set to fall in 2026 amid Hormuz crisis; PaperFlex consortium launched for paper-based packaging; Avantium and Klöckner Pentaplast partner on plant-based polymer; and, plastic pollution costs Vietnamese fishers a fifth of revenue, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh Join Risilience, Innovation Forum and industry peers in London on 20 October to explore how market leaders are leveraging advanced analytics to translate complex climate and nature risks into the metrics that matter most: ROI, capital allocation, and value protection. Register your interest here.

Mobeen Chughtai, group head of ESG and corporate communications at Soorty Enterprises, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell at the recent Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference USA, in a follow-up to their earlier conversation. Mobeen describes a simulation exercise he ran giving brands, regulators and vendors a supplier's real budget and legislative pressures to work through. They discuss what it revealed including how a 'sustainability premium' is really just an unfunded cost shift. They also talk about how suppliers are now managing a second product that is compliance data, with no shared system to plug into.

This week: Anna Pierce, chief sustainability officer at Tate & Lyle and Regrow's CEO and co-founder, Anastasia Volkova, talk with Ian Welsh about how to build properly dependable agricultural supply chains. They discuss Tate & Lyle's experiences in its Europe operations and how data can help build strong climate resilience. Plus: McKinsey's Global Farmer Insights report finds AI adoption rising among farmers but few willing to pay for it; Spain calls for an EU-wide climate adaptation fund funded by a windfall tax on fossil fuel companies; and, the Philippines opens up 9 million hectares for critical minerals exploration, raising concerns for indigenous land rights, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh

Cory Connors, host of the Sustainable Packaging Podcast presented by Atlantic Packaging, and Matt Saunders, managing partner at New Earth Ventures, talk with Ian Welsh about what's actually moving the needle on packaging. They share a case study of how a brand's switch from plastic to paper blister packs doubled sales, and the potential of AI in changing packaging design and procurement. Cory and Matt will be at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum USA on 27-28 October in Chicago. Click here to continue the conversation in-person.

This week: Pakistan-based denim garments manufacturer Soorty Enterprises' head of ESG, Mobeen Chughtai, talks with Niamh Campbell, Innovation Forum's head of portfolio, apparel and textiles, about some of the challenges facing sector factories and suppliers that buyers at brands need to know about. They talk about digital product passports, development of renewably powered factories and what productive relationships can look like. Plus: Amazon deforestation slows, again; New Zealand's modern slavery regulation on track; and, who pays for climate change impacts, including Nepal's catastrophic flooding, in the news digest.  Host: Ian Welsh

Julia Kirschner, impact and innovation director at ArmedAngels talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about where circularity actually begins: with brands' design decisions, not raw materials. They discuss how ArmedAngels audited its 2026 collection and found 58% alignment with its own circular design principles.

This week: Charlotte Bande, managing director and global food and beverage sector lead at Quantis, talks with Ian Welsh about the mounting pressure on food supply chains from compounding climate shocks. They discuss why low-volume commodities like vanilla can carry outsized business risk, and why procurement teams still resist change when full traceability isn't in place. And, new study finds little measurable forest benefit from corporate zero-deforestation pledges; a Vietnamese cocoa processor turns waste pods into biochar and clean energy, halving drying time; and, Egypt develops a $278 million project to turn sugarcane waste into bioethanol, in the news digest with Babette Pagès. Host: Diana Kim Click here for more information on the Climate Resilience Innovation Forum (2-3 December 2026, New York City).

Pauline God, industry and policy expert at TrusTrace, talks with Ian Welsh about the state of play on digital product passports in apparel. They discuss the gap between mandatory infrastructure and still-voluntary product obligations and the four biggest lessons from DPP pilots running since 2021. They also talk about why choosing item-level serialisation over batch-level data determines whether a brand can support resale, repair and other circular business models later.

This week: Cory Connors, host of the Sustainable Packaging Podcast presented by Atlantic Packaging, and Matt Saunders, managing partner at New Earth Ventures, talk with Ian Welsh about where sustainable packaging is actually heading. They discuss the shift to monomaterials and paper-based formats under EPR and PPWR pressure, and how AI is starting to reshape packaging design, procurement and testing. Plus: West Africa's cocoa sector struggles to meet incoming EU deforestation rules; scientists and the timber industry clash over proposed changes to the GHG Protocol's forest carbon accounting; agrofuel production is squeezing food security in northern South America; and, the US pushes for exemptions from the EU's CSRD and CSDDD, in the news digest with Babette Pagès. Host: Diana Kim Secure your place to meet in Chicago for the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum USA (October 27-28, 2026).

Mobeen Chughtai, group head of ESG and corporate communications at Soorty Enterprises, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about how sustainability requirements are increasingly being reframed as non-negotiable compliance. They discuss why standardised brand guidance fails to account for supplier context, and the end-of-life emissions data brands ask suppliers to report but rarely share themselves.

This week: Highlights of webinar panel discussion when Olga Antonovskaya from BHP, Jessica Wan from Redwheel, Societe Generale's Marie Gerbier and Eirini Konstantinou from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, joined Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh to talk about what it takes for finance to back critical minerals at scale.  Plus: Diageo plastic bottle safety concerns in India; SE Asia's electric grid ongoing fragility; seep IP protection tightened in China; land restoration focus at UN desertification COP; and, big brand cotton from Brazil linked with forced labour, in the news digest. If you want to listen to the full critical minerals webinar, click here.

Mari-Lou Dupont, senior vice president for social compliance at the Fair Labor Association, talks with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's Sustainable Apparel and Textiles event in Amsterdam about worker wellbeing in the apparel sector. They discuss why low unionisation remains the biggest underlying risk to wages and working conditions and why most brands are still stuck measuring living wage gaps rather than closing them. They also discuss what it will take to build the trust needed for suppliers to share real costing data.

This week: Innovation Forum apparel portfolio lead Niamh Campbell spoke with Julia Kirschner, impact and innovation director at fashion brand Armedangels, in New York recently about how to enable a circular approach at scale in the sector. And Ian Welsh spoke with Eduardo Alvarez, plastics and packaging expert at Dow in Amsterdam earlier this year about what can drive circularity in packaging.  Plus: UK's continued success in cutting single-use plastic bags, EU digital product passport roll-out continues, why off-shore wind farms could help develop new aquatic food supply chains, and new palm oil finance links with deforestation, in the news digest with Babette Pages.  Host: Ian Welsh

Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's food and beverage conference about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss why the number of farmers in the Netherlands has halved in 25 years, and the mix of income, land access and perception driving that decline. They also talk about why no single technology can substitute for a crop-by-crop, farmer-led approach.

This week: Pauline God, industry and policy expert at TrusTrace, talks with Ian Welsh about the state of play on digital product passports in apparel. They discuss the gap between mandatory infrastructure and still-voluntary product obligations, and the four biggest lessons from DPP pilots running since 2021. Plus: Plus: fossil fuel divisions surface ahead of COP31; textile manufacturing's 92,000-tonne microfibre problem; integrated project delivery reshapes critical minerals financing; Japan backs Namibian rare earth project; and, China accelerates green energy financing amid Iran-driven oil disruption, in the news digest with Babette Pagès. Host: Ian Welsh

Rachel Rigby, senior director, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, senior regional lead Americas, at Verité, talk with Ian Welsh about the sharp rise in forced labour enforcement. They discuss the EU's new forced labour regulation and its reversed burden of proof, and the US Article 301 investigations threatening blanket tariffs on countries without effective import bans. They also talk about what Verité's three decades of workplace assessments reveal about how forced labour actually shows up in garment and coffee supply chains.

Mobeen Chughtai, group head of ESG and corporate communications at Soorty Enterprises, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the brand-supplier relationship from the supplier's perspective. They discuss the compliance burden of conflicting regulatory frameworks and why sustainability requirements are increasingly being treated as non-negotiable mandates. Plus: EU bans destruction of unsold apparel under ESPR; Amazon deforestation falls to its lowest level since monitoring began in 1985; consumers shift away from polyester towards natural fibres; and, eight global fashion capitals launch coalition to share sustainability best practice, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh

The pipeline of critical minerals projects has never been longer. But the gap between a viable project and a financed one remains stubbornly wide. Capital is available, it's just not flowing fast enough, or to the right places. Early-stage mining projects carry a risk profile that most institutional investors are not set up to absorb. Infrastructure is absent, policy frameworks are inconsistent, and the road from discovery to production stretches beyond a decade. At the same time, rising sustainability expectations are adding cost and complexity that can deter rather than attract capital. This webinar brought together financial institutions and mining companies to explore what it actually takes to move critical minerals investment from intention to action. What we discussed... The structural barriers that keep credible projects stuck at the development stage. How financial institutions are building frameworks to evaluate and de-risk critical minerals investments. The role of blended finance, development banks and public-private mechanisms in mobilising private capital. Sustainability performance as a bankability asset: how responsible sourcing credentials are factoring into investment decisions. What mining companies and project developers need to demonstrate to get deals across the line.

Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling, now well beyond pilot stage at over 11% in 2025. They discuss the challenges of post-consumer feedstock, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material.

This week: Mari-lou Dupont, senior vice president for social compliance at the Fair Labour Association, talks with Ian Welsh about worker wellbeing challenges in the apparel sector. They discuss from persistently low wages and weak unionisation to what brands need to do to move beyond measuring wage gaps to actually closing them. Plus: carbon-based hotel pricing nudges tourists towards greener choices; WFP launches water security project in Iraq; UK climate aid cuts threaten community-led coastal resilience; and, private equity treats climate resilience as a new value lever, in the news digest by Babette Pages. Host: Ian Welsh

Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about current trends in corporate sustainability reporting. They discuss why a one-time lifecycle assessment no longer counts as substantiation, and how companies that treat sustainability data as business intelligence are building a genuine competitive edge.

Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss the psychology putting young people off agricultural careers and why sustainability has to deliver a real return on investment for farmers to adopt it. Plus: lab-grown cocoa as a hedge against cocoa price volatility; US coffee prices double on tariffs and Red Sea disruption; China's largest US soybean purchase since 2025; and, European Commission cuts sustainability reporting requirements by 60%, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh

Jimmy Summers, vice president of environment, health and safety, and chief sustainability officer at Elevate Textiles, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the financial barriers to decarbonising the apparel sector. They discuss why decades of falling clothing prices have made sustainability harder to fund, and what systemic solutions could create a genuine race to the top.

This week: As the long-awaited guidance for the new EU forced labour regulation is published, Ian Welsh speaks with Rachel Rigby, lead, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, regional lead, Americas, at Verité. They discuss some of the potential opportunities and impacts for business.  Plus: Seed technology that enhances resilience and yield; business action to drive electrification; environmental activists most targeted group; and, US return to coal drives emissions increases, in the news digest with Babette Pagès.  Host: Ian Welsh 

Tanja Lischka, senior director for government affairs at Siemens Energy, talks with Ian Welsh about the power grid evolution required as electrification continues to be rolled out, and the challenges and opportunities this represents.

Climate change is rapidly reshaping the future of coffee. Rising temperatures, shifting growing regions and increased pressure on yields are creating significant risks for producers, livelihoods, and supply chain stability. As a result, incorporating regenerative agriculture practices into coffee supply chains is no longer a distant sustainability goal, but a core business imperative. From farm-level adaptation and investment to sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships, companies are rethinking how to secure supply while supporting livelihoods and long-term sustainability goals. What we discussed: What regenerative agriculture means in practice for the coffee sector, from farm to commercial strategy How producers and supply chain partners are responding, including the support structures, partnerships and investment models driving impact How brands and retailers are integrating regenerative agriculture into sourcing decisions The role of traceability and certification in driving accountability across the supply chain

This week: Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling. They discuss the challenges of sourcing post-consumer waste, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material. Plus: UK invests £50m in critical minerals to cut import reliance; G7 seeks to halve dependence on China as Beijing strengthens BRICS ties; human rights abuse allegations at critical minerals mines jump 73%; and, experts debate mineral alliances and a just energy transition at London Climate Action Week, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Babette Pages. Host: Ian Welsh

Paul Bentham, chief product and technology officer at Oritain, talks with Ian Welsh about the findings of the company's first annual supply chain intelligence report, including the surprise rise in prohibited-origin products on shelves. They also discuss the growing gap between brands' traceability claims and the physical reality of their products, and how tariffs and converging regulation are creating new blind spots in global sourcing.

This week: Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about how corporate sustainability reporting has evolved from communications exercise to evidence-based intelligence. They discuss why companies retreating to compliance-only mode risk falling behind. Plus: a new global symbol to identify reusable packaging; German consumers underestimate national recycling rates; refill packaging now well established in personal care; and, food and beverage plastics dominate global shorelines, in the news digest by Babette Pages.

Listen to the unveiling the first global progress report from the Nestlé Dairy Plan — a holistic approach to dairy transformation that brings together climate action, regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, farmer resilience and innovation across the value chain. We heard practical solutions are already delivering results at scale: helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting productivity and farmer incomes, strengthening nature on and around farms, and building more secure supplies of high-quality dairy ingredients for the future. From digital tools and feed innovation to manure management, biodiversity projects and agri-preneurship programmes, this session will spotlight the partnerships and on-the-ground action making a difference across markets. We explored what's working today, what we're learning, and what it takes to build a more sustainable and resilient dairy system for the long term. We heard from: Antonia Wanner, Chief Sustainability Officer, Nestlé Katja Seidenschnur, Head of Sustainability Nutrition and Health SBU, Nestlé Wilson Bras, Dairy Farmer from Brazil Robert Erhard, Group Dairy Lead, Nestlé Marlies Overbeeke, Director for Sustainability Strategy and Customer Partnerships, FrieslandCampina Damian Oettli, Head of Markets, WWF Andrea Porro, Secretary General, World Farmers' Organisation The session was moderated by Tom Idle, Founder, Narrative Matters.

Liz Hirshfield, executive director at COTTON USA™ and US Cotton Trust Protocol, and Sledge Taylor, a cotton farmer in Mississippi, talk with Ian Welsh about regenerative agriculture in the US cotton sector. They discuss from the practices Sledge has been using since the 1970s to how COTTON USA™ is building traceability and economic incentives to help other farmers make the transition.

Launched in 2022, the Nestlé Income Accelerator is a family centred approach designed to help close the living income gap for cocoa farming families and reduce child labour risks. The program encourages change at household and farm level and rewards practices that contribute to improved livelihoods, environmental stewardship and community resilience. During this webinar, Nestlé shared the latest results of the program that is accelerating impact at scale, drawing on an independent impact assessment by the KIT Institute, insights from participating households, and feedback from partners implementing the initiative on the ground. The discussion brought together independent expert, an implementing partner, a cocoa farmer and a community advocate offering an opportunity for open exchange on what is working, what needs improvement, and how lessons learned can inform future approaches across the sector.    

This week: While in New York for this year's Sustainable Apparel and Textiles USA, Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell spoke with Jimmy Summers, vice-president for EHS and sustainability at Elevate Textiles. They talked about net zero ambitions in the apparel sector and why it's necessary to get away from the race-to-the-bottom approach that has become the norm.   Plus: World Cup emissions set to soar; SBTi's updated corporate net-zero standard; how to transform agricultural waste into carbon-negative products, in the news digest with Babette Pagès.    Host: Ian Welsh

Lauren Woodley, head of nutrition and sensory science at Nomad Foods, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how Europe's largest frozen food company balances consumer demand for health, taste and affordability. They discuss from tackling persistent myths about frozen food to navigating the trade-offs in reformulation and segmenting products by their role in the diet.

Packaging is gaining increasing boardroom attention, driven by extended producer responsibility fees, legal exposure around environmental claims, and rising material costs from recycled content requirements. This webinar explored how these regulatory pressures interact with consumer demand to influence packaging strategy. We looked at how to build a business case that connects sustainable packaging choices to innovation and commercial returns, not just compliance. We were joined by a panel of experts from across the packaging value chain, to discuss: • Compliance as a starting point, not a destination — How EPR obligations can be a strategic foundation to generate cost savings, long-term resilience, and new market  opportunities  • How to link innovation to commercial returns — From the paperisation of packaging to circular systems, how leading brands are translating sustainability investment into cost savings, consumer trust, and competitive differentiation  • The ingredients for a future-proof packaging strategy — How to anticipate regulatory changes, fees and bans on formats, and shifting consumer expectations before they become business risks This webinar was curated by Innovation Forum in collaboration with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, knowledge partner for the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum 2026 (Chicago, Oct. 27-28).

This week: Tanja Lischka, senior director for government affairs at Siemens Energy, talks with Ian Welsh about the power grid evolution required as electrification continues to be rolled out, and the challenges and opportunities this represents.  And, Ian also speaks with Ginny Maceda senior manager for mission and stability at Danone about regenerative agriculture and climate strategy.  Plus: how green roofs can boost resilience; more inclusive climate action in Latin America; climate change's impact on displacement in Africa; and, a spotlight on soils in the wine sector, in the news digest with Babette Pages Prange.

Daniel Di Benedetto, geo lead for northern Europe at Centric Software, talks with Ian Welsh about how predictive intelligence can help the apparel sector reduce waste and improve margins. They discuss from AI-driven trend forecasting and shorter decision cycles to repurposing surplus materials before they reach landfill.

This week: Oritain's chief product and technology officer Paul Bentham talks with Ian Welsh about some new apparel supply chain intelligence that highlights visibility gaps, and why risk management best practice is evolving from assurance to an evidence-based approach.  Plus: EUDR simplification measures explained, evidence that forests do promote well-being and Indonesia's tighter state control on commodity export, in the news digest with Babette Pagès Prange.  Host: Ian Welsh  Click here for the new report from Oritain.

Today, soil rarely appears on a balance sheet, a boardroom agenda, or even a climate strategy. This webinar explored why that needs to change. Drawing on perspectives from leading food companies, we explored how regenerative agriculture is being put into practice, how soil health can become a credible part of climate and brand strategy, and what farmers want from these boardroom discussions. We discussed… From soil carbon to soil health: Understanding soil as a system, and why a holistic approach is critical for resilience and productivity The emerging link between soil health and crop quality, taste, and nutrient density – and what this means for the business case for regenerative practices Scaling action: The role of cross-industry collaboration and value chain engagement in driving impact The urgency, and opportunity, of embedding soil health into strategies for a low-carbon, resilient future 

This week: Ian Welsh speaks with Liz Hershfield, executive director of Cotton USA and the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, and Sledge Taylor, a cotton farmer from Mississippi, about the real-world benefits and challenges of regenerative agriculture in the US cotton sector. And, global carbon pricing revenues top $107 billion; why circular economy interventions could transform the EU's environmental impact; forty major food companies commit to regenerative agriculture; and, why the green transition may be accelerating rainforest destruction, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Babette Pages-Prange.

Monica Gross, ecosystem engagement manager at Avery Dennison, talks with Ian Welsh about the multiple functions of packaging and why labelling is central to all of them – from brand identity and operational efficiency to recyclability and regulatory compliance under PPWR and EPR frameworks. They also discuss connected packaging and the shift from paper to filmic labels.

This week: Lauren Woodley, head of nutrition and sensory science at Nomad Foods, talks with Ian Welsh about how Europe's largest frozen food company balances consumer demand for health, taste and affordability. They discuss from tackling persistent myths about frozen food to navigating the trade-offs in reformulation and segmenting products by their role in the diet. And, Ian talks with Aidan Davy, co-chief operating officer at ICMM, about what critical minerals actually means and why no mineral is inherently critical. Host: Ian Welsh

Eduardo Alvarez, associate director for packaging EMEA at Dow, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about what packaging circularity really means – from designing for recyclability and developing waste-to-feedstock pathways to the challenge of scaling monomaterial solutions. They discuss why collaboration and a willingness to take risk are as important as regulation in accelerating the transition.

As sustainability conversations increasingly center on regulation, compliance deadlines and investment in new data systems, something risks getting lost: the need to invest in people who drive the change. Todd Corley's perspective emphasizes the importance of inspiring and developing individuals across all levels of an organization. Rooted in a career shaping social, philanthropic, sustainability and belonging initiatives in corporate workplaces, he now holds one of the most distinctive roles in the industry as Chief People and Impact Officer at Carhartt. From that vantage point, he builds strategy bottom-up, and asks a different question: What happens when you treat people and culture not as a support function to your people and impact strategy, but as its foundation?   Integrating this strategic framework within global organizations requires persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to accept that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to building a purpose-driven culture. In this webinar, we explored: - How Todd's journey to Chief People and Impact Officer shapes his approach to sustainability - What it looks like to structure teams and governance for real impact, and why capacity building is a strategic investment - Carhartt's people-first approach in practice: examples of community connection, skilled trade development and accessible circularity - Making the internal business case: navigating pushback and keeping purpose at the core - Reasons for optimism, and what the industry needs to do next to act on them

Daniel Di Benedetto, geo lead for northern Europe at Centric Software, talks with Ian Welsh about how predictive intelligence can help the apparel sector reduce waste and improve margins. And, Ian talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the key themes from the Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference in Amsterdam, including the desire for regulatory certainty, the push for inclusive circularity and why heat stress and governance emerged as the standout topics for attendees. Host: Ian Welsh Continue the conversation in New York City for the Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference USA on 3-4 June. Registration information can be found here. Tune into our partnered episode on the Supply Chain Revolution podcast with Christine Goulay, focusing on the state of apparel in North America. You can listen as a podcast or as a video interview.

Anupama Joshi, vice president of programs at the Center for Science and the Public Interest, talks with Anamya Anurag about the realities on the ground, in comparison to the Make America Healthy Again programme and its policy actions. They uncover contradictions in guidelines, federal inaction and what business can do amid budget cuts.

This week: Eduardo Alvarez, a plastics and packaging expert at Dow, talks with Ian Welsh about waste-to-value challenges and the need to move at speed now to stay ahead of upcoming regulation. Cost is clearly a significant barrier, but there are potential solutions to the material problems. And, at the 2025 Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum USA Ian spoke about extended producer responsibility regulation with Jason Bergquist from RecycleMe.

Leontien Hasselman-Plugge, CEO of Impact Buying, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how companies are preparing for the EU's packaging and packaging waste regulation. They discuss how PPWR and EPR are forcing internal collaboration across buying, sustainability and finance teams, and why getting packaging data in order before the August deadline is now a matter of financial urgency.