Despite Setbacks, Sustainability Remains the Way Forward

This article was first published by Sourcing Journal on 26 June 2025

By Alan McClay, CEO of Better Cotton

What a difference a decade can make. Back in 2015, as I assumed the role of chief executive officer at Better Cotton, a world still reeling from the financial crisis dared to act to create a sustainable future. At COP-21, in France, 195 countries signed the Paris Agreement, committing themselves to keeping the planet’s temperature at no more than 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. From some of the most powerful seats in the world, politicians preached collective action, trying to appease the fears of an already concerned youth.

What a difference the past decade has indeed made—since 2015 we have witnessed a global pandemic, political earthquakes around the world, economic stagnation and a frightening resurgence of wars and conflict, while the global climate crisis continues to loom over the future of people everywhere. Collective action often feels like it belongs in a different era.

Reasons for optimism have been few and far between over the past decade and our world is no longer as simple as it was in 2015. As I leave Better Cotton—a decision I announced six months ago—I hear a growing number of voices warning that sustainability may be on the wane. They fear that the world that has emerged from the challenges of the past decade is reluctant to make sacrifices or to find a balance between the environment, economic activity, and social stability. Others have even said that the term “sustainability” is itself tired and no longer fit for purpose.

I would advise those voices not to be so quick to dismiss our prospects of success, or to ignore the progress we have already made. The journey towards a sustainable future is long and arduous, but it remains the only sensible path ahead. If the past 10 years have taught us something, it is to remain resolute. At Better Cotton, the more alarming some predictions sounded, the more determined we became and, as a result have made lasting changes that have embedded sustainability throughout the cotton industry.

Over the past decade we dramatically increased our participation in global cotton production, supporting more than two million farmers and ensuring that more than 20 percent of the world’s cotton aligns with Better Cotton’s standards. We launched our traceability system in 2023 and completed our transition to certification in early 2025.

Just as important as what we did, however, is why we did it. We did not do it because the past expected it from us, we did it because the future demanded it. This same future now demands even more—and deliver we must.

We cannot deny or ignore what is different from 10 years ago. There have been setbacks, but we must understand where this mood change really lies. The political discourse has changed in several countries, yes. Some corporations seem less vocal about their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policies, yes. There are also clear indications that regulation has lost some of its previous momentum, more visibly in the United States, but also in Europe—the European Union’s so-called Omnibus Packages have raised eyebrows with its push to “simplify business environment”, which in practice weakens both compliance and supply chain due diligence.

What has not changed, however, is the reality that forced ESG to be embraced in the first place. The climate emergency is as serious and threatening as it has ever been, with potentially cataclysmic implications on wellbeing and livelihoods for vast swathes of populations, as well as increasingly affecting the financial viability of businesses, with global insurance losses from natural disasters expected to rise 6 percent in 2025, reaching $145 billion.

As importantly, in the face of these global challenges, consumers continue to demand more—and expect even more significant change from the products and services they choose. This is a lasting trend that businesses cannot afford to ignore—and many companies are aware that sustainability is crucial for their survival in the long term. Even if the political discourse is less aligned with that of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world of industries, trade, and retail continues to shift in the right direction. The real-life dynamics, in which citizens scrutinize brands and product components, still moves with one trajectory: towards more transparency, accountability, and, as a result, sustainability.

It is equally heartening to see that most brands and companies recognise—and indeed welcome—this reality and the changes in corporate behaviour it demands. Traceability is neither a buzzword nor a bureaucratic exercise; it is already widely recognised as an essential tool to answer a question being asked by consumers across the world: “where does this product come from?” The answers are being collected in numerous industries, from agriculture to mining, from electronics to food and beverage, and the question cannot be unasked. As with many other steps already taken towards sustainability, once this becomes an established part of consumer expectations, there can be no going back.

Another strong indication of the hope and conviction that the sustainability path cannot be abandoned is right under our feet. If we manage to make our use of soil more sustainable, there isn’t much we cannot achieve to find the balance our planet desperately needs. That is why Better Cotton and many other ventures are increasingly embracing regenerative agriculture as a fundamental pillar of our sustainable future. Increasing biodiversity and soil resilience through regenerative farming is both effective and within our means.

Ultimately, as a sector if we can continue to demonstrate the underlying value of sustainability to consumers and corporations alike, we should be confident that we will continue to make steady progress. Companies will stick to the plan and expand their ESG policies, not limit them, consumers can have purchasing options that respect their growing demands, which will also help create the political pressure that will help ensure governments remain on board.

Real change remains within our grasp. Sustainability is an increasingly strong thread that ties together farmers, producers, retailers and consumers. We cannot afford to lose this momentum or fail to seize the opportunities it has created.