Sustainability During Uncertainty: How to Drive Impact with Data in a Changing World

Sustainability During Uncertainty: How to Drive Impact with Data in a Changing World

Join us on May 6, 2025 for a live webinar with leading sustainability experts 

Amid rising economic uncertainty and complex global supply chain challenges, corporate sustainability efforts often face heightened scrutiny from financial decision-makers looking for ways to cut costs.

Yet, according to research and firsthand accounts from successful brands, the benefits of investing in environmentally and socially responsible business practices across the supply chain are more concrete—and financial—than many people imagine. 

For example: 

• A 2023 article from the Journal of International Money and Finance reported that a company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance has a positive impact on its stock market performance. Additionally, research from sources such as Harvard Business School and Accenture show increased financial performance in companies with strong sustainability investments. 
• Proctor & Gamble’s zero waste program has saved the company billions of dollars since 2008.
• Nike significantly decreased delivery lead times and increased productivity at factories that adopted its lean manufacturing approach, which consisted of water and energy reduction along with a focus on employee health and safety.  

With sustainability efforts potentially at risk, Worldly is bringing together an expert panel to discuss why your sustainability programs deserve continued investment, and how businesses can achieve tangible ROI that makes staying the course good business sense, even during challenging and uncertain economic times. 

Join us for a live webinar on May 6, 2025 at 9am EDT: Register now

Why sustainability programs benefit more than the environment

The recent U.S. tariff changes threaten to disrupt global supply chains, which may cause businesses to look for cost-savings and eat into their continued investment in responsible supply chain practices. However, these challenges actually highlight why sustainability initiatives are more critical than ever. Far from being just about compliance or environmental ideals, robust sustainability programs build resilient, efficient, and future-proof supply chains.

As our panelist Tony Hansen from McKinsey notes, “Whatever sustainability efforts you have in place should be about impact and business value. As long as they are, you’re going to be OK. The new tariffs are going to lead to a bumpy ride but the worst thing you can do is change it up or drop your efforts.” 

Another panelist, Rick Ridgeway, Co-Founder of Cascale and former VP of Environmental Affairs at Patagonia, brings a valuable historical perspective to the table.”This is cyclical,” Ridgeway says. “All the early work we did in China with Walmart during the Great Recession paid dividends for the Earth and for businesses that stayed the course.” 

The bottom line is, keeping the focus on sustainability even during challenging times results in real business value across areas like risk mitigation, efficiency, compliance, resiliency, and more. History has proven the real business benefits of sticking to long-term plans and goals, rather than reacting to current events. 

Expert voices leading the conversation

To dive more deeply into how maintaining your company’s focus on sustainability is a smart business decision, Worldly is bringing together these industry pioneers with proven track records of connecting environmental impact to business value:

Rick Ridgeway: Co-Founder of Cascale and former VP, Environmental Affairs and VP of Public Engagement at Patagonia

Tony Hansen: Director, Senior Advisor in Sustainability and Natural Capital

Christian Smith: Head of ESG Stakeholder Engagement at Zalando,

With Adele Stafford, Chief Growth Officer at Worldly, moderating the discussion.

Key takeaways 

Join us for a candid conversation with actionable takeaways to help you make the business case for continued investment in sustainability. 

This webinar will cover:

• Strategic resilience: Learn why knee-jerk reactions to current instability could cost more in the long run—not just in money, but in environmental impact and supply chain risk.
• Partnership opportunities: Discover how to enhance your relationships with suppliers by reinforcing your sustainability commitments during uncertain times.
• Data-driven decision making: See how companies are using Worldly and the Higg Index to justify programs when facing internal budget scrutiny.
• Practical ROI examples: Hear real-world success stories demonstrating the business value of sustainability initiatives, especially during challenging economic conditions

Can’t attend live? Register anyway to receive the webinar recording and our follow-up guide: “How to Make the Case for Sustainability Investment.”