Why Business Should Care About Sustainability

In this episode, host Professor Chris Marquis speaks with Lindsay Hooper, CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), about how businesses can move beyond traditional sustainability toward true regeneration. Lindsay shares CISL’s systems-level perspective on transforming markets to serve people, nature, and climate. She critiques current ESG efforts as insufficient and introduces the concept of competitive sustainability—a new framing that urges companies to adapt to systemic risks reshaping the business landscape. Together, they explore the need for bold innovation, policy engagement, and cross-sector collaboration, while examining the political and economic headwinds facing sustainable transformation. Lindsay offers candid insights and practical steps for business leaders ready to help redesign the systems they operate in. This episode is essential listening for anyone looking to make their organisation resilient, relevant, and regenerative in the face of climate disruption, resource constraints, and growing societal expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices