We’re excited to launch a new dialogue series exploring the key issues shaping the future of sustainability standards. The first session draws on insights from the World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development.

The report, by the World Bank Group, offers a timely assessment of how standards can drive economic growth and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries. For the voluntary sustainability standards community, it highlights how voluntary systems can influence business behaviour and complement government regulation.

This dialogue will unpack what this means in practice, exploring the role of standards within a smart mix of regulatory and voluntary tools, and the importance of credibility in delivering inclusive, scalable sustainability solutions. We’ll explore how different approaches can reinforce one another and what this means for the future of sustainability standards.

We’ll be joined by:

• Xavier Giné, Director of the 2025 World Development Report
• Sugumar Raman, Fair Trade USA
• Additional expert perspectives to be announced

This conversation is for those working across the voluntary sustainability standards movement who want to engage in a forward-looking discussion on scaling impact over the coming decade.