I think that geopolitical shifts seem to be top of mind right now. The focus on this appears to be on the implications for multinational corporations (MNCs). However, we need to also think about what this means for SMEs which make up most of the businesses in the world in most places. How can SMEs take advantage of the shifts in their local communities and fill in the gaps that MNCs might be leaving behind.
Answer to Question 3:
Define the social and environmental impact you want to achieve in the business, set targets and regularly review and report against these targets. What gets measured, gets managed! Integrate this purpose within the businessâ strategic goals and ensure the goals around profit and purpose are jointly operationalised.
Focus on alliances that can deliver practical and systems change and beyond what you can do individually.
So-called âbackbone organisationsâ that drive forward sustainability in particular sectors are useful. Prior to joining Practical Action, I ran the Ethical Tea Partnership and I could see how staff from different companies learned from each other and expert staff at ETP on how to galvanise support for change in their own companies, as well as constructively challenge each other to go further. Organisations like ETP can use collaborative approaches to drive forward issues that individual businesses were not ready to tackle at the time e.g. living wages or gender-based violence.
And use these and other types of networks for support. We all need it. I benefited from networks like She is Sustainable, particularly early in my career when I needed sounding boards and support when things felt too tough and I still find their events useful. And nowadays I find CEO groups in y field helpful both help me understand how similar many challenges are and support each other to fund ways to move forward important work.
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To join the community at Business Fights Poverty!
A3. Prioritize and focus. In 2025, resources may be limited, and the challenges will be realâshrinking budgets, competing priorities, and external skepticism. Sharpen your strategy, lean into your support networks, and find partners who can amplify your strengths and opportunities. Take care of yourself; mental health and resilience are essential to sustain impact. Above all, stay hopeful and committedâhold firm to your values, and donât let external pressures compromise your vision for change.
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Work with local communities, especially women, and keep your head down.
Sharing again, now in the right place!
3. One piece of guidance to a corporate social impact leader for 2025
My observation is that corporate social impact strategies are in almost constant flux, making it difficult to have the longer-term view and impact. My guidance would be, as much as possible, to focus on a core thread that cuts across business imperatives and social impact partnerships that will help you stay the course and continue to make impact while bigger picture strategies evolve.
As: We are looking at making a business case for public health measures. We need to change our language to reflect the cost savings for businesses to increase buy-in. Help from our business partners to write and make this case would be incredibly beneficial.
We need our businesses and large non-profits to not stay quite on these measuers. We have heard many of them say that they are not putting out any statements for fear of losing their funding or for being targeted.
We are also looking for ways to make our clients feel safe when they are coming to us for health services. Education on the rights of people when approached by police, ICE, etcâŚ
Made this comment in the live group discussion too.
âOne thought on the advice to ourselves - not just to newcomers - is KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid. I think sometimes we can lose our audiences in the complexity of the Human Rights & Environmental Due Diligence challenges. For example, when HREDD first came along, I thought I had no clue⌠then realised I had been doing it for over 10 years!â
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A3. Stick to your values, even if it impacts you financially.
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Recognise the wisdom of local communities / beneficiaries to develop / create their own solutions
A3. Focus on making a real, lasting difference. In 2025, it canât just be about good intentionsâit must be about using evidence and data to make smarter choices that truly improve lives. Lean into partnerships, stay transparent, and always ask yourself: are we creating meaningful change that people can experience on a daily basis.
See impact as a business opportunity not a burden that has to be tackled. There is good business to be done in doing good, you just have to be open to seeing it.
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A2 â Part 2: Businesses can enter into meaningful collaboration with partners and spend time to align on mission and vision. This then serves as the partnershipâs north star as it runs in to challenges. Collaborations also include engaging with the communities to co-design products and services to ensure market-fit to create social and environmental impact. Using participatory research can include human centered design (versus only designing in a lab) and also include giving back findings to the community who own the data. In addition to resources on human centered design, there is also excellent research from traditional business schools on design thinking and the shifts in managerial techniques to enable this. Also, as leaders begin to adopt AI into their processes, leaders must measure and understand who is left out especially the biases against women and vulnerable populations. This is especially critical when we think about building resilience.
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If you could offer one piece of guidance to a corporate social impact leader stepping into 2025, what would it be?
In an era of increasing scrutiny on corporate practices and increasing commercial challenges, companies must still focus on deep, sustainable change rather than superficial, short-term wins. While financial returns will always be important, social and environmental goals should not be compromised for the sake of quick profits and we must recognise that long lasting change takes time. Really try to prioritise the social impact areas where you can create the greatest impact. By integrating purpose into every aspect of your business, you not only help address critical social issues, but also build a stronger, more resilient company in the process. This in term will support commercial performance in the long term as well!
Q3: If you could offer one piece of guidance to a corporate social impact leader stepping into 2025, what would it be?
Prioritize authentic relationships and mission-aligned partnerships. Invest in local communities and stakeholders. Be transparent about your goals, your progress, and even your setbacks.
Going together is easier than going alone. Collaborate with others who share your mission, pool your resources, and amplify each otherâs impact. If people trust your intentions and see real outcomes, your work will speak for itself.
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Breathe! 
Without minimizing the many challenges facing this sector and its leaders, letâs stay resilient and focused on solutions - and keeping up our teamsâ morale.
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Pilot testing how to integrate purpose-driven businesses into your supply chains - the evidence will be clear to âland and expandâ and start significantly shifting away from unsustainable economic structures - regeneration is the key to survival, no longer just sustaining, we have passed that tipping point.
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A3: My advice to corporate social impact leaders in 2025 would be to make mental health central, especially when it comes to supporting vulnerable communities and tackling climate change. We canât address social and environmental issues without considering their impact on mental well-being.
- Invest in Mental Health and Child Protection: Businesses should prioritize mental health, particularly for young people, who are facing unprecedented challenges. Businesses can actually help reduce the burden of these crises by supporting mental health initiatives and advocating for better protection for children online. This investment can also extend to creating healthier, more supportive work environments for employees, which, in turn, benefits their families and communities.
- Integrate Mental Resilience into Climate Action: As climate change continues to affect communities around the world, mental resilience should be a core part of any climate action plan. Companies must not only reduce their environmental impact but also support mental health in communities that are already suffering from the consequences of climate-related disasters. This could involve providing mental health resources, creating climate-focused mental resilience programs, and supporting local initiatives that help people cope with the stress of climate change.
- Collaborate Across Sectors: No company can solve these issues alone. Corporate leaders should work in partnership with governments, NGOs, and civil society organizations to tackle these complex problems. By joining forces, we can scale up efforts to address mental health, child protection, and climate change in ways that are truly impactful. A perfect action towards achieving this was when UNICEF led the Global Coalition Mental Health Open Letter to lead global businesses and organizations join UNICEF to demand increased investment and action on child and youth mental health. The letter was signed by more than 40 entities, including ChildFund International, and published at the UN General Assembly, calling for a multi-sectoral approach to tackle the mental health funding gap.
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Thereâs a lot of great advice coming in here! Looking forward to reviewing all of it. From our side, the advice is to prepare for disruption and change.
We are living in an era of unprecedented challengesâclimate change, geopolitical instability, and rising displacement, among others. These global shifts will inevitably impact businesses in ways we cannot fully predict. However, what we do know is that companies that are flexible, adaptive, and proactive will be better positioned to navigate these changes.
As leaders in the social impact space, you have the opportunity to not just respond to these disruptions, but to lead through them. This means creating a culture within your organization that embraces change, invests in long-term resilience, and is committed to innovation, particularly in addressing the needs of displaced and marginalized populations.
Prepare for change, be proactive, and position your company as a driver of positive transformation, especially for the communities most affected by global disruptions. Itâs not just about managing risksâitâs about seizing the opportunity to be a part of creating a more resilient and inclusive world.
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