Navigating priorities in sustainability: how to drive success
In my role at Sancroft, I have the privilege of speaking with sustainability leaders across diverse sectors. If there’s one challenge that consistently emerges – regardless of how mature the organisation’s approach to sustainability is or the size and sophistication of the function – it’s the question of how to prioritise when everything seems urgent.
In 2025, this challenge has become particularly acute, driven by a shifting reporting landscape, ESG rollbacks and mounting pressure to meet sustainability targets.
That’s why we chose to kick off our 2025 event calendar by tackling this critical issue head-on. I had the pleasure of chairing the discussion with sustainability heads from leading companies about their approaches to prioritisation. Their insights were both insightful and practical.
What we learned
We found common agreement that successful prioritisation isn’t about trying to do everything – it’s about making strategic choices that drive meaningful impact. Our panellists shared several key strategies that have proven effective in their organisations.
Integration, for instance, emerged as a crucial theme. The most successful companies have moved beyond treating sustainability as a separate function. Instead, they’ve woven it into their core business strategy, ensuring it doesn’t compete with other priorities but rather enhances them. One panellist shared how their company restructured their decision-making processes to consider sustainability impacts alongside financial metrics, leading to more holistic and effective choices.
Value creation, rather than mere compliance, stood out as another vital principle. Whilst regulatory requirements continue to expand, our speakers emphasised that focusing solely on compliance misses the bigger opportunity. The key is identifying where sustainability initiatives can drive tangible business value – whether through operational efficiencies, enhanced customer relationships, or market innovation.
Cross-functional collaborations are essential. The sustainability leaders who’ve made the most progress are those who’ve successfully engaged key stakeholders across their organisations. They’ve identified which departments can drive the biggest impact and worked to embed sustainability thinking into those teams’ daily decisions. This approach has helped transform sustainability from a specialist function to a shared responsibility.
Perhaps most importantly, our discussion highlighted the necessity of making tough choices. Not everything can be a priority at once, and pretending otherwise only leads to diluted efforts and limited impact. The most effective leaders have developed clear frameworks for assessing materiality and making trade-offs, always keeping sight of their long-term sustainability vision whilst remaining agile enough to respond to emerging challenges.
Moving forward
As I reflected on our discussion, what struck me most was the evolution in how companies are approaching prioritisation. We’ve moved beyond the days of trying to do everything at once, to a more mature understanding that strategic focus and clear choices are essential for driving real change.
The challenges of 2025 – from evolving regulations to stakeholder pressures – make this skill more crucial than ever. But they also present an opportunity to refine our approach, making more intentional choices about where we focus our efforts and resources.
For those who couldn’t join us, or for those looking to continue the conversation, I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how these insights might apply to your specific context. After all, whilst the challenge of prioritisation may be universal, the solutions often need to be tailored to each organisation’s unique circumstances and goals.
If you’d like to join our invitation list for future events, let us know by emailing us at events@sancroft.com