Sustainable Business Digest - Issue 30

As part of our knowledge exchange in the build-up to this year’s Reuters Events: Sustainability USA 2024 we sat down with one of our leadership speakers, Lauren Riley CSO at United Airlines, to get insights into their strategy, actions and innovations as they look to transition the business behind their 2050 net zero goal.

Despite being the first U.S. airline to publicly achieve carbon neutrality in 2018 and earning notable accolades for its environmental strategies, Lauren Riley acknowledges significant challenges lie ahead in United Airlines sustainability journey.

United Airlines is projected to exceed its emissions budget up to 2035 and needs to reduce emissions by 4% annually until 2025. Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Riley is focusing on a variety of strategies including operational efficiencies, policy incentives, and fleet renewal to meet these goals. However, she also emphasises a critical need for innovation in propulsion technologies and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to achieve the airline's long-term net-zero ambitions.

Click here to read the in-depth interview

Other analysis on Reuters.com:

• Comment: Taxing the super-rich is critical for our economies, the planet and closing the wealth gap
• Comment: 20 ways policymakers can help businesses fight nature loss
• Comment: Labour’s green growth agenda has made it the UK’s party of business

Event updates of the week

I wanted to bring to light some of the leaders that have confirmed for both Reuters IMPACT in both New York, and London:

Sustainability USA

Leaders confirmed for Reuters IMPACT & wider Sustainability USA stages in New York:

• Polly Trottenberg enberg, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Rob Bonta a, Attorney General, State of California Department of Justice
• Sanda Ojiambo ambo, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Global Compact
• Brad Lander , Comptroller, NYC Office of the Comptroller
• Andrew Steer , CEO, Bezos Earth Fund
• Elizabeth Seeger , Member of the Board-ISSB, IFRS
• Curtis D. Ravenel , Senior Advisor to the Co-Chair & Vice Chair, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)
• Carlos Ruiz , Chief Operations Officer, North America, L’Oréal Groupe
• Stewart Lindsay y, Chief Sustainability Officer, Campbell’s
• Jon Hixson , Chief Sustainability Officer, Yum! Brands
• Ivan Frishberg , Chief Sustainability Officer, Amalgamated Bank

Sustainability Europe

Leaders confirmed for  Reuters IMPACT and the wider Sustainability Europe stage in London:

• Jim Skea, Chair, IPCC
• Connie Hedegaard, Chair of the Round Table on Sustainable Development, OECD / Former EU Commissioner for Climate Action
• Dr James Richardson, Interim Chair and Acting CEO, Climate Change Committee
• Hein Schumacher , CEO, Unilever
• Linda Jackson , CEO, Peugeot
• John Neal , CEO, Lloyd’s of London
• Nick Canney , CEO, Innocent Drinks
• Archana Jagannathan , Chief Sustainability Officer Europe, PepsiCo
• Richard Barker , Board Member, ISSB
• Tom Dodd , Team Leader, Sustainability Reporting, European Commission
• Roel van Poppel , Chief Sustainability Officer, Ofi
• Dr. Antoine Sautenet , Chief Sustainability Officer, Michelin

Now booking: Reuters IMPACT Studio

In addition to the live journalism interviews at Reuters IMPACT, we recently announced the Reuters IMPACT studio which will run concurrently to the overall events in both London (30th September) and in New York (7th October).

In a bid to help organisations, and businesses communicate their climate leadership beyond the stage, the Reuters IMPACT studio will provide an unrivalled platform for companies to showcase their climate ambitions, their thought leadership, innovative technologies & solutions and to a worldwide audience. Through exclusive Studio interviews, messages can reach millions via Reuters.com and our social channels.

Get in touch here if you are interested in being involved in the Reuters IMPACT studio

That’s it for this week, I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead of you!