The Green Premium is mostly a myth. Here’s what actually sells

People care about sustainability, but that does not necessarily mean they will pay more for it. In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed revisits the sustainable consumer and explores what brands need to understand about concern, behavior, pricing, and identity in 2026.Sustainability concern is rising, particularly among younger consumers and people in emerging markets. But unlike consumers in developed economies - whose concerns may be shaped by media coverage and broad fears about global catastrophe - people in emerging markets often experience environmental problems directly. The episode examines why sustainable behaviors are increasing even when consumers do not describe them as sustainability choices. Organic, natural, recyclable, and recycled products are often chosen because they represent health, safety, or better choices for the family - not necessarily because they are better for the planet.Saif also questions the idea of a universal green premium. While some identity-led brands can command higher prices, most consumers remain highly price sensitive. In some cases, sustainability messaging may even undermine sales if customers associate it with weaker performance, such as 'the paper straw problem'.As AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini become more influential, brands will need to communicate the identities and values they serve. The biggest opportunity may not be selling sustainability directly, but creating a strong match between what a product represents and how consumers want to see themselves.Let Saif know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.Join us at the State of Sustainability Summit: LondonOn 14 October, Altruistiq is bringing together senior sustainability, procurement and supply chain leaders from leading consumer goods companies for a day of practical discussions on the challenges shaping the future of the industry. From product carbon footprints and supply chain collaboration to AI, regulation and the next generation of sustainability leadership, the summit is designed to equip practitioners with actionable insights and meaningful connections.Register your interest here: https://www.altruistiq.com/events/the-state-of-sustainability-summit-londonThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Product carbon footprints promise to make Scope 3 emissions more useful, but can they really deliver the precision businesses expect?In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed, founder and CEO of Altruistiq, revisits product carbon footprints (PCFs), exploring how they have evolved and why they are becoming increasingly important for companies, suppliers, and procurement teams.Saif explains the relationship between corporate carbon footprinting, life cycle assessments, and PCFs, describing a product carbon footprint as the carbon element of a product’s wider life cycle. He explores how the PACT initiative is helping establish common standards and data-sharing infrastructure, allowing companies to exchange comparable PCFs across complex supply chains.The conversation examines why PCFs can make Scope 3 emissions more specific, actionable, and defensible than generic emissions factors. They can help businesses move from broad footprint estimates to targeted discussions about materials, energy, sourcing, and supplier-led decarbonisation projects.Saif also addresses the challenges. PCFs are still built on emissions factors and proxies, meaning they can create a false impression of accuracy. Different providers may produce different results, while suppliers face new costs, capability requirements, and educational demands. The episode also explores the tension between procurement teams seeking practical progress and sustainability professionals seeking maximum rigor.Find out how ambitious requesters and suppliers are using PCFs strategically, not simply as compliance exercises, but as tools for stronger customer relationships, shared transition plans, and competitive advantage.Let Saif know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.Join us at the State of Sustainability Summit: LondonOn 14 October, Altruistiq is bringing together senior sustainability, procurement and supply chain leaders from leading consumer goods companies for a day of practical discussions on the challenges shaping the future of the industry. From product carbon footprints and supply chain collaboration to AI, regulation and the next generation of sustainability leadership, the summit is designed to equip practitioners with actionable insights and meaningful connections.Register your interest here: https://www.altruistiq.com/events/the-state-of-sustainability-summit-londonThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Water sounds like a familiar topic until you actually dive into how messy, local, and operationally sensitive it really is. In this episode of State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed breaks down why water can’t be treated like carbon: it’s not fungible, it’s not evenly distributed, and its impacts are far more tied to place, regulation, and business risk. He explains why water is often overlooked in corporate sustainability, especially in the food and beverage sector, even though it can be just as critical as carbon - and in some cases more immediate.This episode also explores the current regulatory landscape, showing how disclosure requirements may be easing while expectations for permitting and monitoring are tightening. Saif highlights the growing importance of water permits, the role of microplastics and pollutants in new rules, and why the first water permit refusals may signal tougher scrutiny ahead. He also makes the case that companies need to think beyond efficiency alone and focus on scarcity, basin-level risk, and the real business consequences of water stress, supply disruption, and license-to-operate challenges.The episode also covers practical considerations: understand where your business is exposed, map water-related risk by geography and supply chain, and treat water as a strategic issue rather than just a reporting metric. Saif’s core message is simple: if you want to manage water well, you need to think about it as a business resilience problem first.Let Saif know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.Join us at the State of Sustainability Summit: LondonOn 14 October, Altruistiq is bringing together senior sustainability, procurement and supply chain leaders from leading consumer goods companies for a day of practical discussions on the challenges shaping the future of the industry. From product carbon footprints and supply chain collaboration to AI, regulation and the next generation of sustainability leadership, the summit is designed to equip practitioners with actionable insights and meaningful connections.Register your interest here: https://www.altruistiq.com/events/the-state-of-sustainability-summit-londonThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

What does rewilding really mean? And do people championing it really understand how it works in practice? In this episode of The State of Sustainability, Saif unpacks the differences between organic, regenerative, and rewilding practices. As well as why so many sustainability advocates misunderstand rewilding, despite promoting it. Saif explains the contrast between organic farming's strict, input-focused certification process and regenerative agriculture's more flexible, outcomes-based approach centered on biodiversity and soil health.Saif also examines the structural realities of mainstream farming across the world. He points out that big, single-crop farms and most of the money in farming are concentrated in wealthier northern countries. Meanwhile, in poorer southern countries, land is often split up among many small owners, making it much harder to run large farms or get organic certification.Rewilding itself is still an abstract concept requiring a major mindset shift that isn't feasible for every farmer. Despite the challenges, Saif remains cautiously optimistic, seeing rewilding as a necessary evolution in how we approach agriculture and land management going forward.Let Saif know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.Join us at the State of Sustainability Summit: LondonOn 14 October, Altruistiq is bringing together senior sustainability, procurement and supply chain leaders from leading consumer goods companies for a day of practical discussions on the challenges shaping the future of the industry. From product carbon footprints and supply chain collaboration to AI, regulation and the next generation of sustainability leadership, the summit is designed to equip practitioners with actionable insights and meaningful connections.Register your interest here: https://www.altruistiq.com/events/the-state-of-sustainability-summit-londonThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

In this episode of The State of Sustainability, Saif explores the rise, decline, and future opportunities of plant-based proteins, focusing on the technological innovations, branding challenges, and market dynamics. He shares insights from the industry’s early boom with Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods to the recent slowdown, along with predictions on where the space might go next.Saif covers the initial hype around plant-based meat and why the sector captured so much attention in 2019 and 2020. He also outlines the core obstacles that slowed momentum, including taste, texture, price, and the difficulty of competing with the deeply established emotional pull of meat brands.Saif shares his insights into where the category may still win, especially in emerging markets, B2B channels, and ingredient-level innovation. His long-term view is that plant-based protein is not a dead end, but a space that may succeed through sharper targeting, better economics, and new technologies like fermentation and tissue culture.Let Saif know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.Join us at the State of Sustainability Summit: LondonOn 14 October, Altruistiq is bringing together senior sustainability, procurement and supply chain leaders from leading consumer goods companies for a day of practical discussions on the challenges shaping the future of the industry. From product carbon footprints and supply chain collaboration to AI, regulation and the next generation of sustainability leadership, the summit is designed to equip practitioners with actionable insights and meaningful connections.Register your interest here: https://www.altruistiq.com/events/the-state-of-sustainability-summit-londonThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

In this episode of State of Sustainability, we take a deep dive into cocoa - one of the world’s most familiar commodities, and one of the most vulnerable. Host Saif Hameed opens with a personal path into commodity markets, from early fascination with cocoa trading to a brief stint in potato trading, before turning to the serious question at the heart of the episode: can cocoa remain viable in a world of rising climate risk, disease pressure, land competition, and market volatility?The story begins with cocoa’s extraordinary price swings, which have taken the market from relatively stable levels to historic highs and then back down again. Those moves are not just about trading noise. They reflect deeper structural stress in a supply chain that is heavily concentrated in West Africa, where Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana account for the majority of global production. That concentration makes cocoa especially exposed to weather shocks, political instability, and agronomic decline.Saif also explores the challenges facing the farmers who actually grow cocoa. Most are smallholders working on tiny plots, often with aging trees, low margins, and little room to absorb risk. Disease is another major threat, especially cocoa swollen shoot virus and black pod disease, both of which can severely damage yields. The episode also looks at land loss caused by illegal mining in Ghana and the way regulation, including EUDR, is reshaping where cocoa can and cannot be grown.The demand side is changing too. Manufacturers are reformulating products, shrinking bar sizes, and substituting ingredients as cocoa becomes more expensive and harder to source. Saif closes with a sober prediction: cocoa supply is likely to keep under pressure, volatility will remain high, and the industry may be heading toward a less abundant future.Let Saif know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

In this episode of State of Sustainability, Saif Hameed explores how artificial intelligence is moving beyond simple chat tools and into agentic systems and AI native services, with major implications for sustainability teams. He breaks down the difference between traditional AI use, agentic AI connected to tools and context, and service models built around AI plus humans in the loop. The core theme is clear: organisations are increasingly looking for outcomes, not headcount, and sustainability work is likely to feel that shift sooner than many expect.Saif explains why sustainability functions are especially exposed to automation because so much of their work is repetitive, cyclical, and information-heavy. He argues that AI is well suited to handle tasks like supplier risk scanning, data acquisition, and due diligence workflows, which means teams will need to rethink what value really looks like. Rather than relying on deep subject matter expertise alone, future value will come from leverage, system design, and the ability to combine people, process, and AI effectively.The episode also looks at how organisational hierarchies may flatten as AI makes information flow, decision-making, and performance management easier to automate. Saif shares lessons from his consulting background and warns against becoming a “translator” role that the business no longer understands or values. For sustainability managers and analysts, the message is practical and urgent: focus on delivering outcomes with fewer resources, because the market is already moving in that direction.Let me know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

This time, Saif Hameed dives into the new corporate net zero standard from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This isn’t just another regulation; it’s a pivotal moment for companies looking to thrive in a sustainable future. SPTi has seen explosive growth, especially in Asia, where businesses are stepping up to meet climate compliance. This shift isn't just about numbers, it’s about redefining what it means to be responsible in today’s market. But with challenges, such as a crisis of confidence and the need for guideline clarity, what does this mean for your business? In this episode we explore how these changes impact your sustainability journey and why understanding the new standard is crucial for success.Let me know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

In this episode of State of Sustainability, we explore the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), one of the most significant developments in climate policy, carbon pricing and international trade. As the European Union begins implementing CBAM, businesses around the world are assessing what the new regulations mean for imports, exports, supply chains and decarbonisation strategies.We break down how CBAM works, why it was introduced, and which industries are expected to feel the greatest impact. From steel and cement to fertilisers, aluminium and hydrogen, the mechanism is designed to prevent carbon leakage and ensure imported products face similar carbon costs to those produced within the EU.The discussion explores the latest CBAM carbon certificate pricing, the potential impact on global trade flows, and the challenges businesses face as they adapt to new reporting and compliance requirements. We also examine concerns around competitiveness, trade barriers and whether CBAM could accelerate the global adoption of carbon pricing systems.The episode looks at how major economies, including China and the United States, are responding to Europe's carbon border tax, and whether similar mechanisms could emerge elsewhere. We discuss the implications for emissions trading schemes, green steel production, industrial decarbonisation and the future of sustainable manufacturing.Topics covered in this episode include:• What the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is and why it was introduced• How CBAM is designed to prevent carbon leakage and support EU climate goals• The industries most affected, including steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium, hydrogen and electricity• The latest CBAM carbon pricing and what it means for exporters• The potential impact on international trade and global supply chains• Whether CBAM creates a level playing field or acts as a trade barrier• How China is responding through the development of its emissions trading scheme• The possibility of similar carbon border taxes being introduced in other regions• The role of CBAM in accelerating industrial decarbonisation• Challenges around emissions data collection, reporting and verificationKey statistics discussed:• Steel accounts for approximately 69% of the trade volume affected by CBAM• Fertilisers represent around 15% of affected imports• Cement accounts for approximately 11%• Aluminium represents around 5%• Current carbon certificate prices are approximately €75 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent• Green steel currently carries a premium of approximately €200–300 per tonneWhether you're involved in sustainability, ESG, manufacturing, procurement, international trade or climate policy, this episode provides a practical overview of one of the most important regulatory changes shaping the future of low-carbon industry.Listen now to learn how CBAM could transform global trade, influence carbon pricing strategies and drive the next phase of industrial decarbonisation.Do you think CBAM will accelerate global decarbonisation, or create new challenges for international trade? Let us know what you think by emailing [email protected] discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.This episode was produced by thepodcastcoach.co.uk

Assets under management in the impact and ESG space are close to an all-time high, somewhere between $1.5 and $1.6 trillion. So why is capital actually leaving the sector? In this episode of the State of Sustainability, host Saif Hameed takes a detour from resilience and volatility to dig into what's going wrong, and where the genuine opportunities still exist.The short answer: the industry has an identity problem. ESG labels get applied to mainstream tech stocks on the basis that they carry low environmental risk. Returns across impact funds are wildly inconsistent and the gap between what the sector promises and what it can actually deliver has become impossible to ignore.Saif traces how impact investing developed along two tracks. Private markets had early pioneers like the Acumen Fund building something genuinely mission-led. Public markets then borrowed the language through ESG frameworks, with rather looser results.Three lessons from that history:ESG was never designed to do this job. It emerged in the 1990s as a risk-assessment tool, not as a valid basis for investment inclusion. Retrofitting it into a mainstream strategy was always going to cause problems.The trade-off question needs an honest answer. You cannot simultaneously maximise financial returns and social impact without giving something up. The industry has spent years avoiding that conversation.Measurement doesn't scale. Comparing affordable housing projects with renewable energy infrastructure under a single performance framework produces numbers that mean very little.Where does that leave things? Saif argues the sector needs a significant rebrand and a serious recalibration of financial expectations. But there are three areas where impact investing still has real potential: generating brand equity and strategic value for corporate venture capital; venture philanthropy, where charitable capital gets recycled for compounding impact rather than disappearing into operational costs; and catalytic first-loss capital inside blended finance structures run by multilateral development institutions.The through-line: accepting below-market returns might be the only way to preserve what impact investing was actually supposed to be.What are your thoughts on this? I'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected] to transform your sustainability reporting? Start your journey at Altruistiq.comThis podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.