Businesses that ignore sustainability aren't just falling behind; they're taking on risk they haven't priced in
In a world of trade tariffs, geopolitical tension and shifting regulation, some businesses have quietly stepped back from their sustainability commitments by deprioritising net zero targets, scaling back ESG programmes, and waiting for things to change. It may be the most expensive mistake they make. That was the central message from ACCA's annual Sustainability Conference, held on Earth Day, a virtual event attended by finance professionals from over 100 countries. The argument put forward was not a moral one. It was a financial one: organisations that fail to embed sustainability into their core strategy are accumulating risk, and in many cases, that risk is already materialising. ‘Your sustainability strategy is not something that sits on the side,’ said Sharon Machado, Head of Sustain...