Sustainability leadership in 2025 is a split-screen. In the U.S., voluntary ESG reporting has scaled back under political fire. In Europe, double materiality rules are demanding more disclosure than ever. Meanwhile, companies everywhere are still doing the work - quietly carbon accounting, leaning on certifications as credibility anchors, and preparing for state-level Extended Producer Responsibility fines expected in 2026.

The flashy PR era of sustainability is fading; what’s replacing it is risk management. Boards are asking about supply chain resilience, regulatory exposure, and cost of goods - not just values. And CSOs are responding with data, scenario planning, and behind-the-scenes prep. The message from Climate Week: leadership today isn’t about saying the right thing, it’s about being ready for what’s next. The firms that treat sustainability as core business strategy will stay ahead. Those that stall could pay the price.

Urgency fatigue is real. People already know climate change is urgent. What they need are sustainable choices that feel beautiful, delicious, and normal. That was the vibe at Planet Haus during Climate Week - no shame, no gatekeeping, just gorgeous design and honest conversation.

Julia Collins, citing Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution, reminded us that movements succeed when they become impossible not to join. And you can see it everywhere: Chelsea Green’s My Regenerative Kitchen makes compost bins and avocado oil swaps feel indulgent, not dutiful. Spike Mendelsohn has built beverage brands that make climate-friendly options stylish. This is the path forward: not guilting people into action, but seducing them with experiences they want.

If sustainability is going to scale, it can’t stay exclusive - it has to go mainstream. The revolution won’t be urgent. It’ll be irresistible.

When we talk about climate leadership, we usually picture CEOs, policymakers, or activists. But at Climate Week 2025, it was farmers who stole the show. From New Jersey cranberries bred to survive hotter summers, to Kernza® planted under solar arrays in Colorado - farmers are quietly leading the revolution. They’re innovating bottom-up, blending tradition with tech, and proving that resilience starts with the soil.

The lesson? Keeping farmers on the land isn’t charity - it’s climate action at its most human. And if we’re serious about tackling climate change, their stories need to be front and center. Because farmers aren’t just adapting to pressure. They’re creating the blueprint for how we feed ourselves and protect the planet at the same time.