Is sustainability good for business?

Sustainability is often framed as an ethical choice. Andrew Griffiths makes the case that it’s also a commercial one — and that the two are more closely linked than most businesses realise.

In this episode, Shelley and Graham talk to Andrew, Director of Policy and Partnerships at Planet Mark, about what good sustainability practice actually looks like from the inside. Planet Mark works with over 700 member organisations helping them measure, reduce and report their carbon footprints. Andrew chairs the Institute of Directors National Sustainability Taskforce and is a TEDx speaker.

What emerges from the conversation is a practical framework for getting started — and a clear argument for why businesses that treat sustainability like a strategic discipline, rather than a PR exercise, consistently outperform those that don’t. The Unilever example he cites is striking: purpose-driven brands in their portfolio outperformed non-purpose-driven brands on profitability, growth, and pandemic resilience.

The greenwashing section is equally useful. Andrew’s three-step approach to communicating your sustainability journey transparently — show your working, frame it as a journey not an endpoint, and point to your own Achilles heel — is advice that applies well beyond carbon reporting.

Worth 18 minutes of your time if you’re in any way responsible for how your business presents itself, or where it’s heading.