In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma welcomes longtime friend and experienced sustainability strategist Joss Tantram, Partner at Terrafiniti. Together, they dive into the evolution of corporate sustainability, the practical realities facing professionals in the field, and the challenges of driving real change within organizations.
Joss Tantram, Partner, Terrafiniti
Joss is a lifelong environmentalist and sustainability practitioner and is founding partner of Terrafiniti, a pioneering sustainability consultancy.
Joss has held senior roles in both WWF-UK and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and worked to develop the theory and practice of corporate sustainability in organisations across the world.
At WWF-UK in 2001, he was one of the first to propose the idea of sustainability as a strategic value creation concept and conceived and authored publications considered as source books on the business case for sustainability and sustainability and corporate strategy.
From 2019 to 2022, Joss was a Director in WBCSD’s Redefining Value team, where he was lead author of WBCSD's "Future Proof Business" guide, co-author of WBCSD's "An architecture for sustainable value transition within social and planetary boundaries" and since leaving WBCSD Joss lead and co-wrote their 2025 publication “Managing uncertainty in sustainability disclosure”.
He is passionate about sustainable change and retains hope in the capacity of humanity to become true stewards of this precious planet.
Joss is the author of the Towards 9 Billion book series – presenting big, playful, hopeful ideas for a sustainable, equitable future.
Joss consistently aspires to be a failed musician, and to that end has been writing and recording songs which very few people hear.
When not trying to foment global change he enjoys family life, walking, cycling and has an eternal fascination with springtime in bluebell woods.
Key Discussion Points
Career Journey & Early Sustainability Work
Emma and Joss Tantram reminisce about their long history together, starting in the late 90s in sustainability roles (01:03).
Joss Tantram shares insights from his time at WWF UK, building the Business Education Unit and pioneering work on the business case for sustainability (02:43).
The seminal work "To Whose Profit? Building a Business Case for Sustainability" and its follow-up are highlighted (06:46).
The Business Case & Organizational Challenges
Discussion around how sustainability is often counter to traditional business narratives (07:40).
Reflection on why embedding sustainability in strategy is still a challenge, despite years of effort (08:19).
Joss Tantram talks about the tension between operational and strategic approaches in companies, and the persistence of sustainability as a "lone ranger" role (15:11).
Current Trends in Sustainability
Joss Tantram explains Terrafiniti's current work: strategy, double materiality, skills development, and advising on avoiding greenwashing (10:24, 12:18).
Growing customer and regulatory pressures are driving more companies to act and request sustainability information (12:34).
A focus on building a “coherent narrative” to unite scattered or siloed sustainability initiatives (14:02).
ESG Headwinds & Maturity
The cyclical nature of ESG focus; things go in waves, but progress is evident over the decades (21:03).
Lip service to sustainability is declining—more companies appreciate the strategic importance of the function (24:42).
The critical listening skills needed for sustainability professionals, and the importance of adapting to the organization's stage of maturity (26:36).
Change Management, Moti vation & People
Sustainability roles require a complex set of skills: technical knowledge, people skills, and change management (29:56).
Facts alone don't drive change—motivation, narrative, and personality types matter (39:01).
The significance of recognizing subcultures within organizations, and how to adapt language and approach for different teams (41:01).
Practical Takeaways
Find leverage points: Identify nodal points in the organization (e.g., procurement, marketing) that can drive outsized positive impact (37:05).
Coherent narrative: Develop an integrated sustainability story to avoid siloed or disjointed efforts (14:02).
People & change skills: Cultivate adaptability, understand motivations, and tailor engagement to different audiences (29:56).
Testing the path: Roadmaps are valuable, but stay open to opportunities for action as they arise (32:34).
Resources Mentioned
"To Whose Profit" reports—findable on the Terrafiniti website or by searching "Whose Profit WWF" (07:02).
Terrafiniti articles, resources, and the "Towards 9 Billion" book series (43:10).
The Sustainability Insights Group networking community (23:06).
Learn more about Joss Tantram and Terrafiniti: terrafiniti.com
Book a Power Hour with Emma
https://calendly.com/emma-lighthouse/power-hour
Connect with Emma
Website
Email
Emma Burlow | LinkedIn
UK