State of Sustainability

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.This time, Saif takes the mic solo to dive into a topic that - according to former Starbucks CSO Michael Kobori - is about to become everyone’s priority: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.In this episode, Saif unpacks his "hot takes" on EPR that you won't find in standard reports. He explores:• The rise of EPR: How a concept once dismissed by the "Jesuits of capitalism" as fantasy has evolved into hard law across Europe and the US.• The hidden drivers: Why cash-strapped municipalities and visceral consumer concerns about waste are accelerating these schemes faster than traditional ESG regulations.• The compliance headache: The complexity of navigating fragmented global schemes and the "who watches the watchers" problem regarding Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) and their conflicts of interest.• The market reaction: How the "fruit flies" of the corporate ecosystem (consultancies and software providers) are swarming to solve the data burden.• The opportunity for circularity: Moving beyond the "tax" mentality to a model where brands actually get their materials back - improving durability and reducing costs.Rather than viewing EPR simply as a cost of doing business or a funding mechanism for waste collection, Saif makes the case for a strategic shift - where forward-thinking companies use these schemes to close the loop on their own products, driving true additionality and system change.To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit Altruistiq.comThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Welcome to another episode of the State of Sustainability.In this episode, host Saif Hameed takes a deep dive into Bill Gates‘s controversial COP 30 memo. Saif is joined by Faisal Tajdar, head of projects at Acasus. Acasus is an impact focus consultancy that partners with governments around the world on public sector reform. Across his time at Acasus, the Gates foundation and Mackenzie, Faisal has been involved in healthcare reform work in several countries and multiple continents. To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit https://altruistiq.comThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.This time, Saif takes the mic solo for another short-form content byte, and he’s tackling one of his long-standing bugbears: ESG. Or more specifically, why it’s the end of ESG as we know it (and why that might not be a bad thing).In this episode, Saif unpacks why the term “ESG” has always bothered him - and why it might be time to finally retire it. He explores:The origins of ESG as a concept designed for financial institutions, not operating businesses.How the framework became overloaded with hundreds of unconnected KPIs that can’t meaningfully be compared.Why “brand ESG” has lost its meaning - and how its politicisation (particularly in the US) has turned it into a cultural flashpoint.The path forward: focusing on what actually matters to each business, by breaking the ESG basket into specific, strategic priorities owned by the right teams.Rather than treating ESG as a checklist or reporting exercise, Saif makes the case for a return to fundamentals - where companies define what truly drives value, resilience, and impact for them, and commit to doing fewer things, better.To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit https://altruistiq.comThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.This time, Saif takes the mic solo for a special short-form episode - part of a new series of “content bytes”, where he shares quick insights on what’s new and topical in the sustainability space.In this episode, Saif tackles one of the drier – but essential – topics shaping the future of corporate sustainability: regulation. Specifically, he explores the UK’s shift from Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) towards the new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS).He delves into why this transition matters – the reasoning behind bringing the UK’s reporting frameworks together, the push for greater consistency, and what this means for organisations preparing for the next wave of disclosure requirements.Rather than simply summarising the standards, Saif takes a more qualitative approach: reflecting on the key shifts these changes represent, their practical implications, and where the broader sustainability reporting landscape may be heading.To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit https://www.altruistiq.com/This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach. 

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.This time, Saif is joined by David Sykes. David is an independent consultant on Data Science and AI, and was formerly Global Head of Data Science, Analytics and Engineering at Octopus Energy Group, where he spent the better part of a decade building Octopus’s data and AI capabilities.His experience offers a unique perspective on how AI can unlock value across business functions - particularly in advancing sustainability and operational impact.In this episode, David and Saif discuss how AI is reshaping the sustainability landscape - from tools and teams to the mindset shifts needed to make it work. They explore where AI is already creating rapid value, which levers are harder to pull, and what sustainability professionals can do to stay ahead of the curve.As David puts it:"Stop using AI just through the chat window and start figuring out what else it can do. Workflows, tool use, MCP which is this protocol for how you connect AIs to other tools so that’s how you might go and connect to Spotify or something like that and then maybe try a vibe coding platform something like Lovable to build something and see how it works. Just push yourself and you’ll learn a lot and upskill through that."Links to content mentioned in the episode:How people are using ChatGPT (OpenAI)State of AI in Business 2025 Report (MLQ.ai)AI and the Future of Work (YouTube)Harvard Business School Working Paper 24-013To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit www.altruistiq.comThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.