Five takeaways from London Climate Action Week

London Climate Action Week has been in full force last week. Packed sessions, great networking and discussions with new and old friends, and a whole lot of focus, enthusiasm and commitment. All of which reinforced what we know to be true: climate and nature are still at the top of the agenda. BUT – as well as a sense of urgency, what we heard loud and clear across sessions was the need for practical, provable action, at scale and via collaboration. Less ideology and a lot more pragmatism – another clear sign we’re in the age of Sustainability 3.0.

A few notable takeaways from the events the Blurred team attended:

1. Climate resilience and adaptation at the fore: the panel “Accelerating climate innovation: the role of policy, investment and partnership” (hosted by EY) showcased how strategic partnerships and public-private financing solutions are building practical climate resilience for farmers, and accelerating innovative ag tech solutions. The solutions are there, and ready to deliver impact at scale.
2. Comms needs to bring critics and naysayers into the process: this has been central to Blurred’s counsel to clients for at least the last 18 months, and was the theme of our own corporate affairs event in March, and we heard it everywhere last week. Comms on sustainability needs to drive real-world impact and influence by simplifying messaging, bringing critics and nay-sayers into the dialogue, re-framing sustainability from “cost” to “investment” and talking in human rather than abstract terms and concepts.
3. Climate ambition needs to be grounded in pragmatism and realism: the central pillar of Blurred thinking on sustainability right now. CSOs are facing a whole new set of challenges and opportunities, and business acumen is now just as important as sustainability expertise. One of our favourite sessions on this theme was the live recording of Joel Makower’s Two Steps Forward podcast with client Unilever’s Rebecca Marmot at Solutions House.
4. From carbon emissions to carbon emotions: Make it about people, people. The panel “From Climate Commitments to Competitive Advantage” hosted by Solutions House saw Marcelo Behar, COP30 Special Envoy for Bioeconomy, utter this delightful phrase. And from Tom Taylor at Aviva: capital will move quickly, as soon as policy gives markets the confidence and certainty to act decisively.
5. London has a global role: At the panel “Decarbonising London and Unlocking Green Growth for Net Zero by 2030” hosted by Centre for London and Sustainable Ventures: London is and can continue to be a global hub for green tech, connecting councils, communities and other stakeholders with the financing and tools needed to retro-fit homes, reduce transport emissions and make London a model for a Net-Zero future.

Informative, inspiring and honest discussions on what it will take to deliver sustainability at scale. A recurring theme that resonated with us: the need to re-frame sustainability – from “cost centre” to “value creation”, from a peripheral corporate function to a lever integrated with all decision-making, from talking about ESG and risk to talking about resilience, and from commitments to practical, realistic action. All encompassing a new era that we’re calling Sustainability 3.0.

By Anisha Vikram-Shah, Senior Consulting Director