Business of Sustainability

James Knox, Head of ESG at Ricoh UK, joins Alex Smith to discuss how a global business builds circularity into its operations and prepares for what’s coming next.

James began his career as a police officer before moving into community investment at Ricoh. He now leads ESG across the UK business. He explains how Ricoh has run a zero waste to landfill policy since 2012, why he believes the best way to cut emissions is to manufacture less, and how ESG is shaping customer buying decisions in both the public and commercial sectors.

He also shares how he uses horizon scanning to stay ahead of regulation, why smaller businesses should start small with circularity, and how ESG initiatives can deliver financial savings alongside environmental impact.

Find out more about Ricoh at ricoh.co.uk.

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What does sustainability look like when your business builds the infrastructure for the world's biggest sports events?

In this episode, Alex Smith is joined by Paul Berger, Group CEO of Arena Group, the company behind the temporary structures, grandstands, and hospitality venues at events including the Paris Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and Wimbledon.

Paul shares the story behind Arena's first global ESG strategy, why a company already doing so much good had to bring it all together under one framework, and what it means to embed sustainability into the DNA of a fast-moving, high-pressure global business.

From managing supply chains across four continents to converting a Paris rugby stadium into an Olympic swimming venue, this conversation explores the real business case for ESG; and what progress over perfection actually looks like in practice.

If you're a business leader thinking about how to move from fragmented sustainability efforts to a coherent, credible strategy, this episode is for you.

Arena Group is a retained FuturePlus sustainability partner, IMPACT CERTIFIED, and works with FuturePlus across consultancy services including PlusCarbon and fractionalised Head of Sustainability support.

Visit arenagroup.com to learn more. For more episodes and resources, visit future-plus.co.uk.

Most businesses are already using AI. Far fewer have the governance in place to use it well. In this bitesize episode, FuturePlus CEO Alex Smith and COO, Polly Milne explore what responsible AI adoption actually looks like through an ESG lens.

They cover why governance needs to come before scaling, what safe experimentation looks like in practice, how to think about the environmental cost of AI use, and why human oversight is still the most important factor in getting real value from the technology.

A practical listen for any business leader navigating AI adoption right now.

More at future-plus.co.uk

Sustainability claims in hospitality are under more scrutiny than ever.

A new EU directive coming into force in September means vague language like "eco-friendly" or "green" won't cut it without verified evidence to back it up. And it doesn't just apply to businesses based in the EU, it applies to any business marketing to EU travellers.

In this bitesize episode, FuturePlus CEO Alex Smith and COO, Polly Milne break down what the EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition directive means in practice, why corporate bookings are going to drive faster change than you might expect, and how the link between sustainability certification and major booking platforms like Booking.com and Expedia is reshaping how hotels compete for business.

For more information on FuturePlus: https://future-plus.co.uk/

Most SMEs assume sustainability is something to tackle once the business is bigger, better resourced, or more mature. Ray Stephens, Founder and MD of Reuben Digital, disagrees.

In this episode of the Business of Sustainability, Alex Smith sits down with Ray to talk about what it actually looks like for a small digital agency to take sustainability seriously, not as a box-ticking exercise, but as a genuine business strategy.

They cover:

Learn more about Reuben Digital: reubendigital.co.uk
Learn more about FuturePlus: future-plus.co.uk

Most businesses track what they've already achieved on sustainability. Fewer have a clear picture of where they're heading and why that gap matters.

In this bite-size episode, Alex Smith speaks with Leo Cohen, Sustainability Executive at FuturePlus, about why the distinction between actual and ambition scores is so important for SMEs, how a three-year roadmap helps businesses work on the right things at the right time, and why accountability, not just policy, is what separates credible ESG from box-ticking.

For more information on FuturePlus: https://future-plus.co.uk/

Most businesses have sustainability goals. Far fewer can communicate them credibly. In this bite-size episode, Alex Smith sits down with Sophie Davies, Sustainability Consultant at FuturePlus, to unpack why there's so often a gap between what companies do and what they say.

Sophie covers what separates a genuine impact report from a box-ticking exercise, why materiality assessments matter more than most businesses realise, and how to make stakeholder engagement a two-way conversation rather than a one-off survey.

If your business is serious about sustainability but struggling to show it, this is a practical starting point.

Subscribe for more practical insight on sustainability, ESG, and responsible business.

Find out more at www.future-plus.co.uk

RH Amar has been operating as a family-owned food importer and distributor for over 80 years. Long before ESG became mainstream, they were making decisions rooted in doing business the right way.

In this episode of the Business of Sustainability Podcast, Alex Smith sits down with James Amar and Simon Fry to talk about what that actually looks like in practice.

They cover:

Whether you lead a family business, manage a supply chain, or are trying to build a culture where sustainability sticks, this conversation is full of honest, practical insight.

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 Learn more about RH Amar: rhamar.com
Learn more about FuturePlus: future-plus.co.uk

Workplace culture has been pushed back into the "soft and fluffy" bucket. Nick McClelland, CEO of Byrne Dean, thinks that's a serious commercial mistake.

In this episode, Nick joins host and FuturePlus CEO, Alex Smith to make the hard-nosed business case for people-first culture. They dig into why organisations are sleepwalking into major people risk, the psychological impact of AI on employees, why hybrid working is hiding conflict rather than resolving it, and what separates businesses that will thrive over the next decade from those that won't.

Byrne Dean has worked with hundreds of global organisations across 50 countries for over 20 years. Nick brings clarity, experience and some uncomfortable truths for business leaders.

For more on Byrne Dean, and more information on FuturePlus.

Clare Toombs joins Alex in the studio to share her journey from tech consulting in Australia to ESG and sustainability advisory at FuturePlus.

Clare reflects on what sparked her passion for sustainability as a teenager, why she believes sustainability is still too siloed in most businesses, and why the human element is the critical differentiator when it comes to turning data into real progress.

Discover more at https://future-plus.co.uk/