Sustainability standards are designed to drive real-world impact. Certification schemes cite income gains, biodiversity protection and improved environmental management. But do they transform systems, or simply standardise compliance?

In this episode of The Responsible Edge, Pooran Desai, founder of OnePlanet.com and creator of the One Planet Living framework, examines the evidence behind sustainability standards and where they fall short.

Drawing on his experience in sustainable forestry, Pooran describes Forest Stewardship Council certification as “an absolute nightmare,” arguing that auditors often had “nowhere near their knowledge and understanding” compared to the woodland workers they assessed. For him, certification can shift authority away from practitioners and toward box-ticking.

He challenges the reliance on evidence-led policymaking, stating, “Evidence is only what you look for.” Metrics capture what is measured, not necessarily what matters. Standards, he argues, should act as a minimum safeguard. “Regs for the dregs,” he says, suggesting compliance should be a floor rather than a signal of leadership.

The discussion moves beyond certification to corporate governance and shareholder primacy. If sustainability requires systems thinking, can it be delivered through predefined metrics alone?

Listen to explore the tension between compliance and authenticity, and whether standards can ever substitute for stewardship.

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