How sustainability professionals are weathering challenging times

This year at the All Things Sustainable podcast, we've heard from many professionals who are uncertain about the future of climate action and sustainability and what's ahead for their careers. We've also heard from numerous companies that continue to pursue their sustainability strategies and climate targets, even as some are talking about this less in public or changing the language they use to describe their efforts. In today's episode, we're asking: How are sustainability professionals weathering the storm? We speak to three guests on the sidelines of an event the UN Global Compact Mexico hosted in June: We talk with Jill Dumain, founding partner at the corporate sustainability consultancy Fractal CSOs and former Director of Global Environmental Strategy at outdoor clothing and gear company Patagonia. She says the current headwinds are a temporary setback. "It's very easy for all of us to be myopic around this moment in time: 'The sky is falling in. Everything is against us,'" Jill says. "But in the grand scheme of things over an arc of 15 or 20 years, this is a little bump in the road." We sit down with Simon Mainwaring, Founder and CEO of strategic brand consultancy We First, who explains why the current moment presents an opportunity. "We got out over our skis a little bit in terms of acronyms and making it a little bit wonkish and heady, and that not only alienated a lot of people ... it set ourselves up to be politicized in a way that didn't really serve the intent behind this work," Simon tells us. "As a result, we're being forced to walk back some of that wonkish language and reframe our language to reach back and take people with us." And we hear from Christopher Lilholm, Global Head of ESG and Sustainability Services at DNV, an assurance and risk management firm. Listen to our episode How companies in Latin America are embedding sustainability amid shifting dynamics . Explore how companies are approaching sustainability via S&P Global Sustainable1's Corporate Sustainability Assessment data. The All Things Sustainable podcast from S&P Global will be an official media partner of The Nest Climate Campus during Climate Week NYC. Register free to attend here . This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global. Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.