As Pressure Mounts on Companies to Lead on Climate Action, Corporate Sustainability is no Longer A Side Initiative – It’s a Defing Leadership Challenge. In this interview, Colin Crooks, CEO of Act GroupDiscusses Tackling Scope 3, Act’s Act50 Platform, The Practical Steps Companies Can Take to Meet Climate Goals – And The Risks of Standing Still.
With insights on innovation, leadership, and the future of corporate responsibility, Colin Outlines Why Credible, Scalable Decarbonization is Both a Business Imperative and a Strategic Opportunity.
How has your leadership style evolved in response to the growing emhasis on sustainability in the corporate world?
I’ve always been motivated by doing the right Thing. I’ve dedicated my career to Contributing to more sustainable energy solutions – but in a way That’s Commercialy Vible.
I’ve Looked for Opportunities to Reduce Energy Usage, Lower Carbon Intensity, and Help Others Understand The Challenge and Opportunity in Doing The Same. That has guided my leadership for the past 15 years.
At Actwhere sustainability is our business, that motivation has only intensified. I’ve Had Incredibly Gegaging Conversations with C-Suite Executives About Their Ambitions and Challenges. My role is to Inspire Our Organization to Meet Those Needs – To Develop the Right Solutions, Whether For Scope 1, 2, Or 3 Emissions.
I therefore View my leadership as a thing of steering our people in the Direction We’Re Heading – The Future of Sustainability, The Future of our Clients, and the Future of Act – And To Give Them A Clear Sense of Purpose. We’Re on a journey, and every day is an opportunity to move closer to a better future.
What’s your personal vision for act’s impact over the next five years, Both Commercialy and Environmentally?
For me, Those Two Aspects, the Commercial and the Environmental, Are Completely Interlinked. There should be a profit motifs in sustainability, because the climate-positive actions are profitable, they can scale Faster. That’s how we accelerate impact.
At act, we want to keep help clients go Further in their sustainability journeys-pushing their goals and supporting increate investment in low-carbon technologies. Whether it’s Renewable Power, Biomethane, Or Agricultural and Carbon Projects, We Want to Offer the Most Effective and Scalable Solutions to Support Real Impact.
If you were speaking to a board of directors, what would you say is the biggest risk they’re underestimating when it comes to not decarbonizing?
The biggest risk of not taking action is how your business will be judged in the future. Today, stakeholder – From Customers to Employees – Expect Companies to Act Responsibly. Increasingly, Society is Looking to Businesses, Rather Than Governments, to lead on sustainability.
Many business leaders have Take up that challenge and are going above and beyond what regulation requires. But the Risk of Not Acting Includes Losing Your Competitive Edge, Becoming Less Attractive to Talent, Losing Relevance with Customers, and Ultimately Being Judged Harshly for Failing to Act When the Signs Were Clear.
What role Does Act Play in Shaping the Future of Corporate Sustainability Globally?
At act, our mission is to help company clarify their sustainability goals and then take Clear, Concrete Steps to achieve them. That’s our enttire business model. WE Offer a Full Suite of Solutions – Starting with Understanding Our Clients’ Objectives, Then Helping Them Set Targets and Source They Need to Meet Those Targets.
A big part of that is making sustainability work Across Borders. We Might Be Sourcing Renewable Energy in China, Australia, Or Brazil for Companies Headquartered in Europe – That Global Reach, Combined with local expertise, is what real sets us apart.
What Major Shifts Do You Foresee in Corporate Sustainability Over The Next Decade?
Most Companies already have plans for scope 1 and 2. The next big Frontier is scope 3 – Where the Majority of Emissions Often Lie, Whether Upstream in the Supply Chain Or Downstream with Customers.
Scope 3 is harder because it’s not Directly under your control. You can’t dictate What Suppliers or Customers Do – You Can Only Influence, Incentivize, Or Support Them.
Large Corporates are making progress, but the challenge is engaging suppliers – The Smaller Companies, Often Thousands of Them Across the Globe, who may not have the resources or regulatory pressure to act. For global businesses with Vast Supplier networks, The Question is: How do you active that community and drive meaningful change? It has to be easy, low cost, and low friction for them to take part. That’s where our digital solutions come in.
What is act50 and how is it Helping Businesses Adapt and Lead with these anticipated change in sustainability?
Act50 IS A Digital Platform That Allows Any Business, Anywhere in the World, Buy Renewable Energy Certificates Matched to Where They Use Electricity – Instantly and Easily. It’s designed to make decarbonization as simple as shopping online.
This makes global renewable energy purchasing vible for businesses of all size, including their suppliers, removing cost and complexity barriers. And it’s Already Working – Some of the World’s Largest and Most Complex Organizations Like Halma and ZF Are Using The Platform to Support their Decarbonization Goals. With act’s global sourcing and delivery capabilities Behind IT, Act50 Makes Credible Climate Action Accessible to All.