Corporate sustainability at a crossroads

Sustainability remains a long‑term priority for organizations, but is increasingly scrutinized for its ability to deliver tangible business value. Insights from the CSO Survey show that sustainability is moving closer to the core of business decision‑making, with financial relevance and double materiality driving sharper prioritization. However, while ambition is widespread, execution remains the key differentiator, particularly on complex topics such as climate transition planning and Scope 3 emissions. Operating models are evolving toward more distributed ownership, requiring stronger integration with business functions and clearer accountability. Overall, sustainability is no longer challenged on why it matters, but on how effectively it is executed.

These insights were further reinforced and enriched through our panel discussions:

• Antonella Schiavone (Head of Sustainability & Communication for Lhoist): Antonella emphasized that while technology is a key enabler of sustainability, it is not sufficient on its own, as systemic infrastructure changes are required. She highlighted that a credible climate strategy depends on mobilizing the full value chain through partnerships that drive innovation. Ultimately, scaling these efforts depends on financial viability, which often outweighs impact in decision-making.
  
  
• Nele Van Malderen (Chief Communication & Sustainability Officer for La Lorraine Bakery Group): As a family business with a strong long-term sustainability mindset, Nele highlighted the challenge of scaling sustainability given high transformation costs and limited customer willingness to pay. She emphasized that reducing Scope 3 emissions requires close collaboration across the value chain, leading to cross-sector alignment on a shared roadmap and strong leadership to maintain momentum.
  
  
• Annemie Goegebuer (Head of Engagement & Sustainability for BNP Paribas Fortis): Sustainability has evolved from a value-driven agenda led by a small group to a core business lever. The role of ESG teams is shifting toward orchestration, coordinating and enabling the business rather than owning execution. While decarbonization remains a key focus for financial institutions, the scope is broadening to topics such as biodiversity and nature. A resilience and risk lens remains central here, but capturing opportunities is increasingly part of the discussion.
  
  
• An Christiaen (Global Sustainability Manager for Cartamundi): The Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) strengthened outside-in thinking and clarified the company’s sustainability value proposition. Sustainability has evolved from a “nice-to-have” to an embedded part of the business as the company scaled internationally. The core contribution, bringing people together and fostering social and emotional skills drives alignment between Cartamundi’s purpose, employee engagement, and external stakeholder expectations.
  
  
• Jiska Verhulst (Director Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs for DEME): The business case for decarbonization has evolved from being largely policy- and regulation-driven to becoming intrinsic to overall business model transformation. Sustainability action is driven by urgency, business relevance, and financial considerations, with increasing integration into top management discussions and across teams. While execution focuses on making operations more sustainable, challenges remain around future technologies and investment decisions, making it critical to build traction through a clear value-driven narrative.