Yesterday, on 1 October, we had the pleasure of inviting our members to a panel discussion on Business Challenges and Sustainable Opportunities hosted by DLA Piper. The seminar focused on the significant changes, challenges and opportunities of the world of business and sustainability emerging from evolving ESG regulations. We had the privilege of listening to three experts in the field, Malin Speace – CEO and founder of Ethos , Claes Bergström – Director Public Affairs & Sustainability at Stena AB and Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand – Chief Sustainability & Climate Officer at Handelsbanken. The panel was expertly moderated by Marianne Ramel – Partner at DLA Piper.

Malin highlighted how different regions are approaching sustainability: the EU is pushing sustainability through regulatory frameworks like the CSRD, while the US focuses more on incentives to encourage companies to seize sustainable opportunities. The UK is in a middle ground, balancing both approaches. Key themes included the importance of transparency in corporate practices, understanding the value chain and addressing biodiversity and labour issues as part of a company’s sustainable strategy. The main obstacles that a lot of companies struggle with right now are lack of general knowledge about sustainability work, not knowing where to start and the difficulty of mapping your value chain.

Catharina emphasised the importance of embedding sustainability into the business model, particularly in the financial sector, where indirect (Scope 3) emissions dominate. Handelsbanken’s strategy includes green lending and aligning sustainable finance with low-risk investments. She advised companies to engage stakeholders, move quickly, and adapt to obstacles along the way. A major challenge for financial institutions is making sustainable finance accessible to smaller businesses, while the next big focuses include biodiversity loss and the role of AI in sustainability.

Claes discussed how companies now must do more than simply produce goods – they must also contribute to making the world a better place. He stressed that aligning financial and sustainability goals is essential for all companies across industries. Collaboration with stakeholders and energy providers is critical for success in the green transition in his fields. However, he warned against moving too quickly without considering market realities. Claes noted that for sustainability to thrive, profitability must also increase, emphasising that regulations and political ambitions need to support business competitiveness.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this event and a special thank you to the speakers for an intriguing discussion and to DLA Piper for hosting us.