Key Takeaways from GLOBExCHANGE 2025

Sustainability has evolved through the decades, and the current era of economic uncertainty, political change and social polarization is no exception. Conversations at GLOBExCHANGE emphasized that sustainability remains a fundamental business priority and organizations that prioritize value creation and maintain a long-term perspective will continue to position themselves for success.

Here are our key takeaways from GLOBExCHANGE 2025 in Toronto:

1. Economics Continues to Drive Sustainability

Canada’s progress toward a low-carbon economy shows that economic growth is increasingly decoupling from greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2020 and 2021, energy use naturally increased as the economy rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, instead of a commensurate rise in emissions, cleaner energy sources and improved efficiency increased emissions to 3%. In fact, in 2021 emissions per dollar of economic activity were 27.5% lower than in 2005. This data reinforces that cleaner growth is not only possible but also already occurring.

Similarly, the underlying business case for sustainability remains steadfast: by managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, seizing new commercial opportunities, reaping cost savings from energy efficiency, and leveraging innovative financing and grant mechanisms, businesses are proven to be more competitive and outperform financially.

2. Progress Requires Ongoing Resolve

The transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon business model requires commitment and foresight. Organizations must resist the urge to react to short-term uncertainties and focus instead on the long game. This means understanding how customer and talent demands will evolve and developing climate strategies that are resilient to economic and policy shifts. It not only helps mitigate risks but also positions businesses for success over the long term.

In our experience, strong strategies share several common, fortifying characteristics, including:

• Embracing a long-term view anchored on growth and opportunity
• Focusing on both value protection and creation to deliver measurable benefits like cost savings, operational efficiencies and reputational benefits
• Leveraging partnerships and collaborating with industry peers, research institutions and technology providers to accelerate innovation and drive best practices. These collaborations foster continuous feedback loops, allowing businesses to learn and adapt by balancing immediate opportunities with other investments that pay off in the longer run.

3. Uncertainty Can Present Opportunities

The fast pace of ESG developments since the Paris Agreement has led to ambitious corporate plans and commitments, driven in part by accelerating financial markets and societal expectations. The current moment, however, is punctuated by significant uncertainty. This presents an opportunity to recalibrate and refine strategies, focus on measurable progress and ensure sustainability initiatives are built on solid business cases rather than rushed ambitions. Organizations should take intentional steps forward by understanding solutions better, maintaining momentum, adapting to new realities and leveraging sustainability as a strategic advantage.

4. Less Talk More Action

While the proposed Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standards (CSDS) promise to provide unprecedented transparency about the extent and sophistication of risk and opportunity management, reporters are facing increasing scrutiny over the merits of their claims. Those with well-developed strategies and mature programs find themselves with multiple competitive advantages: lower effort to satisfy disclosure requirements, less exposure to financial and reputational risk, and perhaps most importantly, more bandwidth to double down on execution. These organizations are enhancing their strategies and investing in robust processes and tools to ensure their efforts are credible, substantive and further driving genuine progress.

Globe attendees observed that although the political environment has shifted, the momentum for sustainability integration is unwavering. Companies committed to accretive, strategic sustainability initiatives are leading the way toward and will continue to be rewarded for doing so.

5. Twin Crises – Climate and Nature – Require Attention

In Canada, tremendous natural resources offer carbon sequestration and habitat improvement potential, presenting a dual opportunity to safeguard the environment while mitigating climate change and potentially protecting or unlocking economic value. By integrating nature considerations alongside climate transition strategies, organizations can tackle biodiversity loss and climate challenges at the same time.

A growing number of tools, resources and data sets — such as those released late in 2024 by the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) — are emerging to help organizations integrate nature-related risks and opportunities in transition planning more effectively.

At Quinn+Partners, we advise businesses and investors to embrace sustainability and the climate transition and excel in a changing world. If you are ready to take the next step on your journey, please get in touch.