Advancing sustainability: the role of credible schemes in Europe and beyond

ISEAL's Sustainability Policy Forum brought together policymakers and practitioners to discuss the sustainability agenda in Europe and the role of credible sustainability schemes. This came at a pivotal moment in shaping how voluntary and mandatory approaches can work together to support long term environmental, social, and economic goals, particularly as the EU refined its sustainability agenda. Through interactive and engaging plenary panels with expert insights, keynote speeches from European policymakers, and technical deep dives on relevant policy areas, the agenda explored how European sustainability policies and voluntary sustainability tools can complement and strengthen each other. 

The event brought together participants to shape the dialogue and the future of sustainability implementation in the EU and beyond

Key questions we explored include:

• What direction is sustainability policy in Europe taking and what are implications for the sustainability movement?
• How can mandatory laws and voluntary instruments reinforce each other to advance the sustainability agenda?
• How can we inform and strengthen mandatory regulation by drawing on the decades of experience that multistakeholder sustainability schemes have in implementing voluntary requirements?
• How do we recognise credible market-based practices in the context of sustainability due diligence, green claims, forced labour, and reporting and disclosure?
• How can leveraging voluntary sustainability systems enhance the reputation, resilience, and competitiveness of EU businesses and markets?

On this page, you can find the event programme and recordings of the plenary sessions.

Achieving Europe’s sustainability goals: EU's policy journey on sustainability | Keynote speech

Heidi Hautala, former Vice President of the European Parliament and long-term MEP

The European presidency: key sustainability priorities | Welcome remarks

Mathias Bach Kirkegaard, Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU, Environment attaché

Sustainability, credibility, and business resilience: the role of EU policy | Opening panel

Panellists: 

• Emanuelle Maire, European Commission, DG Environment, Deputy Director & Head of Unit for Circular Economy, Sustainable Consumption and Production
• Allan Jorgensen, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Head of the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct
• Joseph D’Cruz, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, CEO
• Marcela Gaviria Botero, Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC), Director of Alliances and Projects
• Joana Barata Correia, Inter IKEA Group, Global Head of Strategic Sustainability Topics
• Monika Weber-Fahr, Hertie School for Governance, Adjunct Professor and ISEAL Board Chair (moderator)

Part 1: Role and impact of voluntary standards in advancing sustainability | Expert insight & Part 2: Getting the smart mix right: opportunities and challenges | Panel session

Expert insight: Dr. Axel Marx, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, Deputy Director

Panellists:

• Monica Rubiolo, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Head Trade Promotion
• Xavier Gine, World Bank, Lead Economist
• Solomon Boateng, Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union, Executive Secretary and Cocoa Farmer
• Christine Moser-Priewich, GIZ/Green Button, Head of Green Button Secretariat & Team Lead in the Social-Ecological Transformation of Textile Supply Chains (SETTS) project
• Jeff Milder, Rainforest Alliance, Director, Accountability Framework initiative
• Vidya Rangan, ISEAL, Policy and Engagement Director (moderator)

The roadmap to 2030 and the future of sustainability policy | An open debate

Panellists:

• Anna Cavazzini, Member of the EU Parliament (Chair of IMCO. Committee)
• Amaryllis Verhoeven, European Commission, DG GROW, Deputy Director & Head of Unit, Responsible Business Conduct
• Linda Kromjong, amfori, President
• Stefan Crets, CSR Europe, Executive Director
• Jack Yao, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Commercial Sub-Council, Secretary General; Organization for Trade Development and Standards Cooperation, Secretary General
• Joshua Wickerham, ISEAL, Senior Advisor (moderator)

Closing keynote speech

Jan Dusík, European Commission, Deputy Director-General for Climate Action

The event was hosted with generous support from: