The past year has been one of the most unprecedented in living memory; one which saw the onset of a global pandemic and sparked countless discussions around diversity, inclusion and civil rights.

Indeed, the last twelve months have also redefined how society functions. How we work, communicate and engage with each other has changed immensely and our habits as consumers and citizens have rapidly evolved.

Day One of Impact Summit 2021 explored these drastic changes and sought to contextualise how business is adapting to ever-changing societal norms – focusing on issues such as diversity, environmentalism and tech for good.

Impact Summit was founded on the premise that when focused in the right direction, business can be a force for good in the world.

This year’s event brought together a broad range of attendees from Scotland and further afield to network and share practical insights on how to cultivate a more purpose-driven business environment moving forward.

Values-led business

From the get-go at Impact Summit 2021, delegates learned how consumers have begun gravitating towards companies with values that match their own. And increasingly, organisations are incentivised to accommodate the varied and ever-changing consumer values they encounter.

To achieve this, businesses must implement policies that encourage and support consumer ideals on sustainability or diversity.

However, for consumers this does raise questions around authenticity. In recent years, companies have begun to ‘greenwash’ their activities – a maligned culture whereby organisations create the illusion of sustainability or alignment with progressive values.

Laura Young from Less Waste Laura explored some of the ways that consumers can identify companies which pursue genuine progressive and sustainable policies.

Young explained that transparency is crucial in order to differentiate between companies looking to imbed genuine sustainable practices into their businesses and those that are simply pretending to cash in on what some perceive to be a new cultural phenomenon.

It is important to question whether they are making their supply chains open, or if appointed representatives like ‘sustainability ambassadors’ provide access to companies’ operations.

Examining the reputation of the brand itself can often provide a clearer glimpse into the true nature of a company’s values, Young explained. Has it been involved in environmental causes in the past, or is this the first time?

Additionally, she noted, consumers must examine where the company is in the conversation. Is it looking to dominate the discussion and leave no room for questions?

Ultimately, one of the wisest – and most ethical decisions – that consumers can make moving forward is to shop small and shop local.

Diversity, inclusion and sustainable growth

Later on in the day, Impact Summit also explored the issue of diversity and inclusion in business. In her afternoon keynote session, Thandi Dyani, head of strategic partnerships at Girls are Awesome, underlined the importance of objectivity and transparency for organisations seeking to embrace diversity.

Notably, she said, efforts to improve diversity and cultivate an inclusive environment must be done so with an open mind and consider a broad range of complex variables.

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted a marked shift in how organisations address diversity and inclusion.

The Black Lives Matter protests last summer also brought the issue of civil rights firmly into global public domain and forced many citizens and organisations to consider what role they can play in breaking down barriers and facilitating positive change.

“I hope that people continue with the realisation that if you want to have impact you have to get out of your comfort zone,” Dyani said.

“That’s the core of diversity. If you want to impact a certain area, there are so many complex aspects of it that you can solve by yourself.”

Kehkashan Basu, founder and president of the Green Hope Foundation, also explored the issue of diversity and inclusion, this time with a focus on gender.

According to Kehkashan, many key sustainability hurdles have a disproportionate impact on women and girls. As such, viewing sustainable development through a feminist lens, she argued, will help to improve equality and sustainability in the long term – particularly in developing nations.

“Gender inequality is so deeply rooted in our society for centuries that it requires a complete change of mindset for the status quo to alter,” she said.

“It requires systemic change that involves all stakeholders, not just institutions but also our hopes. And given its multidimensionality, gender issues affect all the 17 goals of the sustainable development process.”

Rising environmental concerns

Day One of Impact Summit 2021 also saw talks exploring the growth of the circular economy, how to drive sustainable growth in business and growing environmental awareness.

With the COP26 Conference coming to Glasgow this year, world leaders seek to affirm their climate change goals and explore ways to combat the looming spectre of environmental disaster.

However, Rupert Read, associate professor at the University of East Anglia, warned that the situation may be worse than we think. During a fireside chat with Hazel Jane, Read explained that predictions from leading climate experts are based largely on provable and defendable positions.

Unfortunately, this means that many scientists believe that the environmental situation is worse than expected. Read noted that this is why many environmental changes we have seen in recent years far exceed predications outlined in worst case scenarios.

As such, more rapid and radical action is needed to manage climate change, even if many opportunities have already been lost.

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The final session of Day One saw a fireside chat with FutureX co-founder Zoi Kantounatou and Sian Conway-Wood, founding director of Ethical Hour.

In this fascinating discussion, Conway-Wood outlined the interaction between the individual, the community and businesses. Fundamentally, she said, companies exist to make a profit. So long as companies can do something, they will, providing it makes them money.

Pressure has to come either from legislation or by individuals working collectively to encourage and initiate change.

However, all too often we see businesses push back and put the responsibility to act sustainably on consumers. Organising as a community, Conway-Wood believes, helps provide a balance.

This works because traditionally, humans have tried to innovate their way out of problems by creating products that will solve them. They key is to look at ourselves not as consumers, but as citizens too.