Sustainability systems are responding to growing demands around traceability, credible data, due diligence and measurable outcomes. A recent ISEAL Innovations Fund event brought together sustainability leaders to explore what drives innovation in sustainability systems and how successful approaches can scale.

The sustainability landscape has changed significantly over the last decade, but challenges ranging from climate change and nature loss to improving livelihoods and working conditions remain as urgent as ever. As expectations evolve, sustainability systems are exploring new ways to support more effective, credible and scalable responses.

The ISEAL Innovations Fund recently convened ISEAL members and external guests with expertise in sustainability and innovation to identify good practice, persistent barriers and practical learning on scaling effective approaches.

Responding to evolving demands

Discussions reflected growing pressure on sustainability systems to respond to evolving regulation, increasing demands for traceability and sustainability reporting, and concerns about producers being excluded from supply chains as requirements evolve.

The group also explored how sustainability systems can help companies go beyond compliance as expectations around due diligence, traceability and sustainability outcomes continue to evolve.  

Participants highlighted the growing importance of credible, independently verified data to support sustainability claims, reporting and decision-making across supply chains.

What helps sustainability approaches scale?

Creating a culture of innovation: Sustainability systems need to take innovation seriously. Organisational support and senior-level buy-in are critical, but it’s equally important that employees at all levels feel they can contribute ideas, experiment with new approaches and support ongoing learning.

Building the business case: While pilot projects may rely on grant funding, innovations need to be financially viable in the long term to be adopted and scaled. Identifying the business case and potential revenue streams is essential.

Anchoring innovation in stakeholder priorities: Including producers, communities and other stakeholders throughout the process, from planning and design to feedback, helps ensure new solutions and tools are accessible, relevant and focused on what is needed.

Collaborating with the right partners: Mobilising the expertise, support and knowledge of partners can help design, refine and scale an innovation. Many sustainability systems are working on similar issues, and working together can drive collective action, improve learning and avoid duplication of effort.

Testing, learning and adapting: Few innovations work perfectly first time. They need ongoing testing and adaptation, including when replicated in different contexts. Innovations that don’t achieve their objectives can still offer valuable learning and opportunities for improvement.

Scaling sustainability innovation

These findings and more are published in the new brief ‘What is driving innovation in sustainability systems?’, which also features innovation spotlights from Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, Preferred by Nature, Sustainable Rice Platform, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Accounting for Nature, Fairtrade and Assurance Services International.

Insights from the event will continue to inform learning shared through the ISEAL Innovations Fund throughout 2026, helping sustainability systems and their partners explore how scalable, effective innovations can respond to rapidly evolving sustainability demands.