Decarbonisation, the Circular Economy and the 'BlackBerry Problem'

Sustainability InSight: This month's round-up of sustainability reading, listening and learning

This edition covers responsible marketing, the state of the sustainability profession, corporate decarbonisation, the circular economy, and a surprising lesson in persuasion from an unlikely source.

Responsible marketing as a commercial advantage

Cambridge Marketing College tutor Neil Wilkins recently released an edition of his podcast that captures perfectly why responsible marketing is a genuine commercial advantage, not just a compliance exercise. It's well worth a listen for anyone thinking about how to make the business case for responsible marketing internally.

Neil and Nigel also co-run a regular course on carbon literacy and responsible marketing at Cambridge Marketing College. If you'd like to explore the topic in more depth, you can explore our short courses.

The state of the sustainability profession in 2026

The team at Trellis Group publish an annual survey and report tracking what's really happening in the sustainability profession. Given the ups and downs the industry has seen over the past year, the 2026 edition is a genuinely useful read for anyone who wants to understand what fellow professionals are actually experiencing, rather than what the headlines suggest.

PwC's third annual State of Decarbonisation report

PwC's latest decarbonisation report is another substantial piece of research from the past month, and even just the executive summary is worth your time. Perhaps contrary to popular opinion, PwC's findings suggest the business case for decarbonisation has strengthened, with leaders demonstrating that sustainability action can improve margins, growth and resilience, not just compliance.

Making the global circular economy transition happen

For anyone interested in the circular economy and how modern society can become less wasteful and more mindful of natural resources, the Chatham House Environment and Society programme's "Climate Briefing" podcast is a strong listen this month. It's a helpful primer on what a genuine circular economy transition requires at a global level.

The BlackBerry Problem | The Mistakes Series

This month's final recommendation doesn't mention sustainability at all, but it holds a lesson every sustainability professional should hear. In "The BlackBerry Problem," an episode of Pushkin Industries' "Revisionist History" podcast, host Malcolm Gladwell explores why being right doesn't guarantee you'll win the argument. Building relationships, telling a compelling story and understanding what others actually want and need often matter more than having the best solution, a lesson that applies directly to how sustainability professionals make the case for change internally.