Why transparency is key to sustainable strategy

Last week, we had the privilege of hosting an Uncomfortable Conversations event in partnership with Salterbaxter and The Marketing Society. It was a lively and thought-provoking discussion exploring one of the toughest challenges facing businesses today: how to earn and keep trust in an era where transparency matters more than ever.

Sustainability has moved from being a “nice to have” to a business imperative. Yet as commercial pressures intensify and priorities shift, the gap between ambition and delivery can feel increasingly hard to close. Our panel explored the real-world challenges of meeting sustainability commitments and why open, honest communication has never been more critical.

With 2030 fast approaching, one message came through clearly: leadership today is not just about setting bold sustainability goals. It is about showing progress, sharing trade-offs, and being honest about what still needs to be done.

Five reflections that resonated most:

1. Ambition means little without action. Focus on what happens next week, not just five years from now.

2. Transparency builds credibility. It is better to tell your story than let others fill in the gaps.

3. Integration is everything. Sustainability needs to be built into planning, investment, and incentives rather than treated as an add-on.

4. Collaboration drives momentum. Meaningful progress depends on shared responsibility and collective effort.

5. Focus creates impact. Trying to do everything can dilute the ability to achieve real change.

These themes highlight an important truth: organisations that communicate openly about their sustainability journey, including both achievements and challenges, are the ones most likely to earn lasting trust.

A huge thank you to our brilliant panel, Lamé Verre, MBA, FEI; Julie Gallacher; Lara Cornwall; and Francesca Micallef, and to our moderator Scott Morrison for guiding such an energising and candid conversation.

To explore these topics further, Salterbaxter’s latest report The View From the Halfway Point: Sustainability in 2025 delves deeper into what it takes to deliver on sustainability promises in today’s complex environment.