PwC has released its 2022 annual survey of corporate directors, and it’s fair to say the results are pretty grim. All industries are facing a host of global challenges right now, and yet focusing on climate and sustainability – something that can mitigate these issues – seems to be woefully low on the agenda of leaders.
We rely on them to pull us out of climate chaos, but only 11% think environmental and sustainability expertise is “very important” to their board.
There is no silver bullet here: we have to do the work. It starts with making sure everyone – from the board level down to the shop floor – is on the same page. However, it is the boards of directors that have the most influence in this process.
Therefore, together with the Future Food Movement, I call on all board members of UK food and drink companies to undergo mandatory and formal climate skills training, upgrading them so that equipped to overcome obstacles on the road to net zero.
As the PwC report shows, this training is clearly needed, and the need is urgent. The World Meteorological Organization has just warned that concentrations of greenhouse gases have climbed at above-average rates to new records last year, stressing that time is running out for people to make the transformational changes needed to limit global temperature rise.
We’re just not moving fast enough.
It’s no secret that the food industry is facing this. We are responsible for a third of all emissions, but as the cost of living rises, food and beverage companies must find a way to balance affordability issues with climate priorities. In the face of rising inflation, many businesses struggle to find a balance in which cost and climate considerations work in harmony, not against each other.
But we can’t bury our heads in the sand. Sustainability must be a priority if businesses are to meet growing stakeholder demands, build resilience to risk, and create a future-ready food system that works for everyone.
Tackling these issues head-on requires nothing less than a skills revolution. Indeed, our own research at Future Food Movement reveals that more than half of respondents indicate that professional development strategies are the best path forward to help organizations effectively integrate net zero into their business model at little or no cost to the consumer.
Over four million people work in the UK agri-food sector, accounting for 13.4% of UK employment. This means we have a real opportunity to drive change. This action needs to come from the top – from the board level. Business leaders are at the helm of the ship and without a clear focus on the importance of sustainability and ESG, they are simply sailing through a storm.
Companies that make ESG a priority will thrive in the future. To others, I simply ask: how can we have food industry leaders achieving net zero transformation if they don’t understand net zero? Or, as these new findings demonstrate, if they don’t even consider sustainability a priority?
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently said ahead of COP27: “There has been a tendency to put climate change on the back burner. If we are unable to reverse the current trend, we will be doomed.
Incremental change is no longer enough. Bolder policy and leadership are urgently needed. Our collective future depends on it.
