Episodes
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What the EU Deforestation Regulation means for global supply chains
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of State of Sustainability Saif Hamid explains the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) which will apply to large and medium companies from the end of December 2026. The legislation covers cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood, plus products made…
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How supplier data can make PCFs more useful
Send us Fan Mail Product carbon footprints (PCFs) can help companies understand the emissions behind their products, but what does a footprint actually tell you and how should it be used? In this episode of State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed speaks with Amber Robinson, sustainability...
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The Green Premium is mostly a myth. Here’s what actually sells
Send us Fan Mail People care about sustainability, but that does not necessarily mean they will pay more for it. In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed revisits the sustainable consumer and explores what brands need to understand about concern, behavior, pricing, and identity in...
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Can The Hidden Problem With PCFs Ever Be Solved?
Send us Fan Mail Product carbon footprints promise to make Scope 3 emissions more useful, but can they really deliver the precision businesses expect? In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed, founder and CEO of Altruistiq, revisits product carbon footprints (PCFs), exploring how...
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The State of Water: Why It’s a Bigger Risk Than Carbon
Send us Fan Mail Water sounds like a familiar topic until you actually dive into how messy, local, and operationally sensitive it really is. In this episode of State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed breaks down why water can’t be treated like carbon: it’s not fungible, it’s not evenly...
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The Rewilding Misunderstanding
Send us Fan Mail What does rewilding really mean? And do people championing it really understand how it works in practice? In this episode of The State of Sustainability, Saif unpacks the differences between organic, regenerative, and rewilding practices. As well as why so many sustainability...
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Why Plant Based Protein Failed to Disrupt the Meat Industry and What's Next
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The State of Sustainability, Saif explores the rise, decline, and future opportunities of plant-based proteins, focusing on the technological innovations, branding challenges, and market dynamics. He shares insights from the industry’s early boom with Beyond…
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Cocoa at the Crossroads: Sustainability, Volatility, and the Future of Chocolate
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of State of Sustainability, we take a deep dive into cocoa - one of the world’s most familiar commodities, and one of the most vulnerable. Host Saif Hameed opens with a personal path into commodity markets, from early fascination with cocoa trading to a brief…
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How AI Native Services Will Reshape Sustainability Teams
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed explores how artificial intelligence is moving beyond simple chat tools and into agentic systems and AI native services, with major implications for sustainability teams. He breaks down the difference between traditional AI...
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New Corporate Net Zero Standard and SBTi's Evolution
Send us Fan Mail This time, Saif Hameed dives into the new corporate net zero standard from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This isn’t just another regulation; it’s a pivotal moment for companies looking to thrive in a sustainable future. SPTi has seen explosive growth, especially in...
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What is CBAM? Understanding the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Its Impact on Global Trade
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of State of Sustainability, we explore the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), one of the most significant developments in climate policy, carbon pricing and international trade. As the European Union begins implementing CBAM, businesses around the world…
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Is Impact Investing Dead, or Does It Just Need a Reality Check?
Send us Fan Mail Assets under management in the impact and ESG space are close to an all-time high, somewhere between $1.5 and $1.6 trillion. So why is capital actually leaving the sector? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed takes a detour from resilience and…
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The Triple Win: Building Supply Chain Resilience Through Nature
Send us Fan Mail What if the secret to unbreakable supply chain resilience isn't squeezing your suppliers for the lowest price, but actively paying them to heal the planet? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed is joined by David Croft, former sustainability lead at...
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The three bedrock skills to future-proof your sustainability career
Send us Fan Mail Just 25% of industry experts believe the standalone sustainability function will exist in five years. So what is the next great frontier for sustainability leaders? In this episode, host Saif Hameed asks a provocative question fresh from hosting the Chicago State of…
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Is nutrition the new frontier for sustainability professionals?
Send us Fan Mail Are sustainability teams about to be automated out of existence, or will they lead the food industry's next big shift? Saif Hameed records this episode on the road ahead of the State of Sustainability Summit in Chicago. His argument: traditional sustainability workflows are...
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Sustainability vibe check: why WRAP's CEO thinks CSR is dead and Resilience is King
Send us Fan Mail "If you were to calculate all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste, it would be the third largest country after the US and China." In this episode of The State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed sits down with Catherine David, CEO of WRAP, for a "vibe check" on the...
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Operation Epic MAC Curve: what the War in Iran means for your sustainability scenario modeling
Send us Fan Mail Are global geopolitical crises derailing your sustainability targets, or creating unexpected opportunities? As the Iran War sends shockwaves through global markets, sustainability professionals must urgently recalibrate their strategies to navigate volatile supply chains,...
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Blue State Pincer: how New York and California closed ranks on US climate legislation
Send us Fan Mail This time we dive into the shifting landscape of corporate climate regulation, focusing specifically on the robust new rules emerging from New York State. Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq, discusses a recent conversation with Anthony Scaramucci, highlighting how...
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Get it while it's hot: why McKinsey calls adaptation a "buy", and how to sell it to the CFO
Send us Fan Mail While the corporate world remains laser-focused on decarbonisation and Net Zero targets, a critical component of climate strategy is being overlooked: Adaptation. In this episode, we sit down with Mekala Krishnan, partner at McKinsey Global Institute, to discuss why the world…
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The 2026 Bear-Market for Green Jobs: Why You Need to Be Anti-Fragile
Send us Fan Mail If 90% of sustainability professionals believe their department won't exist in five years, where does that leave your career? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed tackles the "sustainability bear market". With roles increasingly absorbed into…
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Beyond Recycling: Why Fixing Waste Requires System-Level Change
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Saif Hameed is joined by Shannon Bouton, CEO of Delterra, for a wide-ranging conversation about waste, climate and the systems that govern how materials move through our economy. Speaking from snowy Michigan, Shannon brings a global perspective shaped by years of...
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The 2026 Sustainability Shakeout: A look at what the year ahead might bring
Send us Fan Mail On the latest episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed discusses the "wholesale functional shift" and organisational overhaul that defined 2025, where sustainability teams were frequently moved under procurement or legal departments to address supply chain...
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The Green Pivot: Why This Brand Moved Sustainability to the Footer
Send us Fan Mail The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time Saif speaks with Buffy CEO Leo Wang about how the bedding brand successfully built a sustainable product while...
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Extended Producer Responsibility: Circular Opportunity or Bureaucratic Nightmare?
Send us Fan Mail The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif takes the mic solo to dive into a topic that - according to former Starbucks CSO Michael Kobori - is…
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The Bill Gates Memo: Painful Truth or Climate Betrayal?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, host Saif Hameed takes a deep dive into Bill Gates‘s controversial COP 30 memo. Saif is joined by Faisal Tajdar, head of projects at Acasus. Acasus is an impact focus consultancy that partners with governments around the world on public sector reform. Across his...
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Breaking Up with ESG: Why It’s Time to Rethink the Acronym
Send us Fan Mail The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif takes the mic solo for another short-form content byte, and he’s tackling one of his long-standing...
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From SECR to SRS: The UK’s Sustainability Shift
Send us Fan Mail The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif takes the mic solo for a special short-form episode - part of a new series of “content bytes”, where he...
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Centaurs & Cyborgs: separating AI potential from AI fantasy
Send us Fan Mail The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq. This time, Saif is joined by David Sykes. David is an independent consultant on Data Science and AI, and was formerly...
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The Carbon Market Rollercoaster, with Renat Heuberger, co-founder and former CEO of South Pole
Send us Fan Mail "Keep in mind, we have IPCC 2019 telling us about the last decade, those words still ring in my ears loudly and clearly: we read in 2019 dear friends, you have one decade to go, if we are not managing to turn around climate change in the next decade, we're going to be shooting…
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Is Sustainability rising or falling? Lessons from past downturns with John Elkington
Send us Fan Mail "What we're going to see over the next probably 20 to 30 years is a profound value shift but it's not necessarily going to come where we most expect it. So Europe for example, I think is being left behind. It's doing a lot of regulation and all the rest of it but in a sense…
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The State of Sustainability podcast is back!
Send us Fan Mail We've spent the last few months working on improvements to the podcast, lining up a fantastic selection of guests to help us discuss a wide range of topics in the sustainability space. Ready to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.com This...
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SoS #47: Sustainability Layoffs & Restructures: What’s Really Going On?
Send us Fan Mail We've been hearing whispers about this trend for months, and now it's time to address it head-on: sustainability teams across major corporations are being restructured, downsized, or absorbed into other departments. In this episode, we dive into this critical shift that's…
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SoS #46: A Farmer's Truth About Sustainable Agriculture
Send us Fan Mail What does “sustainable agriculture” look like from a farmer’s perspective? Saif Hameed sits down with Adam Henkel, a 7th-generation farmer and 3rd-generation conservationist from Illinois. They break down: The true meaning of sustainability on the farm Bridging the…
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SoS #45: Has the Sustainability Bubble Burst?
Send us Fan Mail In short… yes. But is that really a bad thing? In this week’s episode, we ask whether the hype around sustainability is deflating, and what that means for progress. We dive into the latest headlines: Is the UK on the brink of scaling back its climate ambitions? Are we stuck in a...
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SoS #44: Trump’s Tariffs: Derailing Climate Progress?
Send us Fan Mail This week’s headlines: Trump’s Tariff’s and the climate fall out Soaring commodity prices and what to do Just Stop Oil to disband - victory or retreat? PLUS: Our how-to segment tackles a question many of you have asked: how to run a board meeting that secures sustainability buy…
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SoS #43: Building the World’s Largest Corporate Coral Reef Restoration Program
Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a successful coral reef restoration program? In this episode, Saif Hameed dives into SHEBA®’s groundbreaking coral restoration program with Mars’ Chief Marine Scientist Prof. David Smith and SHEBA®’s Global VP of Marketing Mindy Barry. Points covered:...
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SoS #42: Plastic: The Most Sustainable Packaging?
Send us Fan Mail Plastic: The Most Sustainable Packaging? In the high-stakes world of sustainable packaging, incremental change isn't enough. Join Saif Hameed and Melissa Brice, Senior Sustainability Manager at Amcor, a global leader in sustainable packaging as they unpack the complex landscape…
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SoS #41: How to Master EUDR
Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode we tackle two critical market signals: The SEC's dramatic climate disclosure rollback and what it means for corporate transparency The Net Zero Banking Alliance's retreat from 1.5°C commitments and if financial institutions are losing their climate ambition…
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SoS #40: Supplier Engagement: Lessons from the Front Lines
Send us Fan Mail Tired of "supply chain engagement" programs that generate more surveys than carbon reductions? In our latest episode, Saif Hameed and Beth Jones (Supply Chain Decarbonisation Lead, Altruistiq) cut through the hype to outline a framework for real impact: Align before action…
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SoS#39: Are Generic Emission Factors Over?
Send us Fan Mail Emission Factors (EFs), as we know them, are over. Bold statement? Maybe. True? Absolutely (in our opinion). In this episode, we break down why traditional emission factors are rapidly being replaced by Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and what this shift means for businesses.…
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SoS#38: Bridging Finance and Sustainability: HEINEKEN’S Blueprint
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Saif Hameed and Kathryn McLeod, Head of ESG Reporting at The HEINEKEN Company, discuss practical approaches for transforming sustainability commitments into funded realities. They explore how to: Improve finance - sustainability collaboration: Strategic…
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SoS#37: The Strongest Arguments for Sustainability
Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we dive into the shifting world of sustainability and its clash with capitalism. We’ll cover: Sustainability & Capitalism: Can they coexist in today’s unapologetic capitalist system? Why Sustainability is Under Fire: Criticisms and confusion—what’s fuelling…
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SoS#36: Should You Set Science-Based Targets?
Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we discuss the future of Science Based Targets (SBTs) - whether they’re still relevant, what’s going wrong and what alternatives are out there. Tune in as we explore: What’s really happening with the Science-Based Targets Initiative What changes are needed to...
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SoS #35: Decarbonising Manufacturing
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Saif Hameed is joined by Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale and former COO of Under Armour, for a no-nonsense conversation on the apparel industry's sustainability shift. Colin shares key leadership and collaboration strategies for driving this change. What you'll…
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SoS #34: 2025 Sustainability Data Management Big Bets
Send us Fan Mail As 2025 approaches, the landscape of climate data management is evolving rapidly. In this episode, we unpack two big bets and two red herrings that sustainability professionals need to know about: Big bets for 2025: Emission factors will become commoditised: Expect new databases…
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SoS #33: Data, Farmers, and Product Innovation: Maia Reed on Scope 3
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Maia Reed, Global Climate Data Lead at Mars Petcare, to explore how one of the world's largest companies is tackling carbon reduction within agriculture supply chains. What you’ll learn: Setting Up Carbon Reduction Projects: Insights into...
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SoS #32: 2024 Corporate Sustainability Unwrapped
Send us Fan Mail Saif Hameed explores the biggest announcements, trends, successes and failures of 2024. He breaks down: The explosive growth of Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and their impact on supply chains Why PCF exchange is lagging behind PCF generation and what this means for businesses...
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SoS #31: 5 Steps to Credibly Recognise Scope 3 Reductions
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Saif Hameed explores how businesses can credibly deploy and account for Scope 3 emission reductions. He breaks this down into five key steps: Setting up data Identifying interventions Implementing projects Measuring and tracking progress Validating and verifying...
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SoS #30: Scalable Farm Level Initiatives with Danone
Send us Fan Mail Join Saif Hameed and John Lee, Director of Nature and Mission Sustainability at Danone, as they discuss the best approach to prioritising and scaling farm-level reductions for carbon and crucially, nature. In this episode, we explore: Empowering Procurement: How to effectively...
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SoS #29: H&M’s Big Bet on Sustainable Supply Chains (And Why It’s Working)
Send us Fan Mail Paul Goff, Traceability and Sustainability Product Manager at H&M shares how the fashion giant is using technology to unlock transparency, decarbonise its supply chain, and set a new standard for sustainability in the apparel industry. From navigating global supply chain...
About this show
Saif Hameed (CEO of Altruistiq) chats with sustainability leaders and industry pioneers.
Currently on season break—returning September 2025.
Hosted by
Saif Hameed
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