Enabling a Fairer Transition and Climate Response
AXA XL is committed to supporting its clients and playing its own part in the transition to a low carbon economy and resiliency in response to the changing climate. We recognise that there will be multiple transitions taking place around the world, at differing speeds and in different ways. To be successful, those transitions will […]
Beyond Buzzwords: A Portfolio Approach to Value, Purpose, and Performance
In this moment of global volatility—marked by fragile economies, eroding public trust, and escalating supply chain shocks—companies face a critical choice: retreat from sustainability or reimagine how they lead. The most forward-looking ones are doing neither. Instead, they are building resilience by designing an integrated portfolio approach to impact—aligning their financial tools, philanthropic capital, marketing, […]
In the Face of Headwinds, Look to Partnerships
Exploring Different Types of Partnerships There are many ways to partner, but I will outline three strategies that I’ve seen used most commonly: Strategic Resource and Information Sharing For organizations looking to build up partnerships through a relatively low-effort approach, resource and information sharing is a great place to start. This could include participating in […]
Unlocking the “Missing Middle”: A New Agenda to De-risk Youth Entrepreneurship and Drive Economic Growth
Youth Entrepreneurship: A Missed Opportunity for Sustainable Economic Growth Across the world, young entrepreneurs are building businesses with the potential to transform economies — creating jobs, driving innovation, and strengthening resilience. Yet far too many are stuck in the “missing middle”: too big for microfinance, too small or risky for mainstream investors. The result? Their […]
Turning Potential into Prosperity – How Business Can Help Refugees Thrive
Europe is home to 25.6 million forcibly displaced people, including 13.6 million refugees (1). With the intensification of climate change and the persistence of conflict and instability in the world, the number of refugees and forcibly displaced people is only going to grow. The business case for integrating migrants more broadly into the global economy […]
EU Anti-Greenwashing Law is Developing Fast: Credible Sustainability Systems Can Maximise its Potential
Environmental claims are crucial because they drive consumer choices. Over time, the hope is that sustainable products gain a larger market share, and consumer choices can drive positive impacts. But as the green transition hastened, corporate greenwashing confused consumers, fracturing this positive market process. Now, through the GCD, governments and companies are stepping up to […]
Reducing Child Labour in Palm Oil: A Model for Business-NGO Collaboration
How a unique collaboration between a palm oil Business and two NGOs, one in the UK, the other in Sierra Leone, has seen child labour plummet. Over the past three years, APT Action on Poverty (APT), a UK‐based NGO with extensive experience in addressing rural poverty, has worked in partnership with Planting Naturals, a Dutch […]
Why We Must Bring “Development” Back into Sustainability Conversation More Than Ever
Right now, we’re seeing companies pull back from ESG. Some of this reflects today’s evolving political landscape, but there’s a deeper issue at play: for many, sustainability efforts still feel distant from their everyday realities. Above all, people care about their everyday lives getting better. Prioritising “sustainability” over “development” fuels inequality and risks overall progress […]
Bridging Divides: Rethinking Collaboration amid Global Crises
The world is undergoing significant transition, from rapidly evolving geopolitical tensions and the rise of artificial intelligence to the long-term impacts of climate change and societal polarisation. The global economy too is in a state of flux in light of sweeping tariffs. Faced with these complex and interconnected challenges, a collective effort is needed – […]
Building Credibility for Equity and Livelihoods: Foundations for Fairer Futures
Why is improving equity and livelihoods so complicated? Imagine an African farmer. His income arises not from one crop, but many. All are differently priced. He does additional part-time labour; he needs the extra money as inflation is soaring while harvests aren’t guaranteed. Defining his fair wage, amid fast-changing currency values set against market volatility, […]
Creating a Culture of Impact: How Thinking Like A Pro Athlete Can Help Businesses Drive Meaningful Change
In today’s dynamic landscape of corporate social responsibility, businesses face an unprecedented opportunity: to transform their workplace cultures from profit-driven environments into ecosystems that deliver meaningful positive impact—while sustaining profitable growth. In the modern business world, true brand power transcends sales revenue. It lies in the change you create. Companies that make tangible, positive differences […]
Climate Action Through Market Systems: Why Businesses Need a Systems Development Approach
I (…a Business Fights Poverty ‘collaborator’ from the development space) joined the recent community event to discuss ‘actions for 2025’ because I was keen to see how far up the agenda the commitment to climate and environmental issues would sit (in the face of growing skepticism from certain quarters). I was inspired to hear that […]
Exploring the AI opportunity in LMICs: Unlocking Funding and Inclusive Innovation
AI is moving fast – and a lot of money is following it. But while billions are pouring into innovation in the US, Europe or China, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are being left behind. That’s a missed opportunity, especially as AI has great potential to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges. AI […]
“Building the Muscle” to Manage Business Impact on People: Three Key Priorities
In late 2024, as “state of sustainability” reports began hitting our inboxes en masse, we began interviewing colleagues and clients to explore the way that trends were playing out on the social side of the field – the human side, the side focused on the way companies impact the people they depend on to succeed. […]
DEI: Do or Die
When Elon Musk posted on X at the end of last year that “DEI must DIE”, he encapsulated the growing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly in the United States. This pushback has intensified with Donald Trump’s return to office, where one of his first Executive Orders targeted DEI. The effects are already […]
Five Bridges to 2045: How Business Can Deliver a Fairer, More Resilient World
From Crisis to Vision Imagine it’s 2045. What kind of world do you see? Today’s headlines paint a bleak picture—a tangled knot of political, economic, social, technological, and environmental crises. But step back from the noise, and we can ask a more important question: What kind of world do you want to see? While we […]
How Businesses Can Use Behaviour Change Science to Improve Access to Safe Water, Clean Toilets, and Better Hygiene Habits
More than two billion people around the world still lack access to safe water and sanitation facilities. When these services are unavailable, people rely on unsafe sources of water such as rivers, ponds, and water bodies shared with animals for drinking, cleaning, and other daily tasks. With no available toilets, many must practice open defecation, […]
Protecting Garment Workers from Climate Extremes
The Case for Climate-Responsive Worker Insurance. Climate extremes—ranging from heat waves to torrential rains and droughts—are increasingly severe occupational hazards for workers in global garment supply chains. Among the many responses fashion brands can explore is the concept of ‘a climate-responsive worker insurance.’ While strengthening government social security schemes remains essential, a private insurance program […]
5 Insights to Guide the Business Fights Poverty Community into 2025
Together for 2025 Community Forum After a politically turbulent 2024 when many internal strategic decisions were put on hold, 2025 promises to be the year of ‘getting on with the job’. Mandatory sustainability reporting begins in earnest in 2025, and there are only five years until the world is meant to meet the 2030 Sustainable […]
Empowering Young Green and Social Entrepreneurs: A Call to Collective Action
The challenges of our time—climate change, inequality, and environmental degradation—demand urgent and innovative solutions. Traditional profit-driven business models have often contributed to these crises, but business itself holds the potential for transformation. By redefining success to prioritize environmental stewardship, economic inclusion, and social well-being, businesses can be the driving force for achieving the Sustainable Development […]