EP — Lucy Parker explains why sustainability only works when leaders stop hiding in the castle and start engaging with the real world.

Lucy Parker argues that the real challenge in sustainability is leadership behaviour: large companies still operate as if they can stay behind the walls, even though stakeholders now expect open engagement and socially relevant decisions.

The conversation covers ESG’s collapse, system‑level change, supply‑chain realities, political headwinds, and how SMEs can act when resources are tight. The focus is practical: decision points leaders face, how to prioritise material issues, and why recalibration is normal rather than failure.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Decide which sustainability issues actually fall within your remit

• Shift from corporate‑centric thinking to socially relevant leadership

• Work with competitors without breaching competition rules

• Recalibrate sustainability targets without losing direction

• Spot where system‑level change is possible in your sector

This episode is for UK business owners who want clarity on sustainability without noise or posturing.

*For Apple Podcast chapters, access them from the menu in the bottom right corner of your player*

Spotify Video Chapters:

0:00 Sustainability without BS begins

01:00 Tom’s intro and why leadership matters

02:20 Lucy’s role and the social value of business

04:40 What leaders still haven’t caught up with

07:00 Corporate‑centric vs socially relevant

09:40 Who owns responsibility for global problems?

12:20 Is ESG dead?

16:00 Data, measurement and unbundling ESG

20:20 The ESG backlash and political noise

25:40 Net zero, realism and recalibration

32:10 Supply chains, plastic and system constraints

38:40 Consumers, behaviour and plastic reality

44:00 Regulation, CSRD and where responsibility sits

50:40 System change and pre‑competitive collaboration

57:00 Leadership, conviction and next‑gen expectations

1:10:00 What SMEs can actually do this week

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If you'd like to be on the show, get in contact - mail@businesswithoutbullshit.me

Id. d’épisode : 1000767530067

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Date de publication : 13/5/2026 à 08:00:00