There’s no doubt 2025 will bring its fair share of challenges and opportunities for businesses working towards becoming more sustainable. From adapting to a changing climate and progress in the circular economy to transparent reporting and regulatory changes, the year ahead is set to keep sustainability professionals on their toes.
While international progress may be influenced by political and economic uncertainty, the need for financial, environmental and social sustainability remains the same. Businesses must prepare for increasing scrutiny from consumers, investors, and regulators, demanding robust data, transparency, and tangible action.
This blog features insights from thinkstep-anz’s experts, offering predictions and practical advice to help you stay ahead. Whether it’s aligning with new legislative requirements, quantifying circularity, or adapting to climate realities, the message is clear: success lies in proactive preparation and a commitment to long-term goals.
Explore what 2025 holds and discover where to focus your attention to stir your organisation towards a sustainable future.
Emily Townsend
Services Director
My predictions for 2025
I see the global turbulence of 2024 continuing into 2025. While it looks hopeful that some issues will be resolved early in the year, the overall trend will likely be increased disruption, nationalism, and uncertainty. This is likely to affect international progress on sustainability goals as attention is diverted to more immediate concerns. It may also reduce some of the short-term external pressures on businesses to report and manage their impacts.
We are also seeing many new legislative requirements affecting sustainability that are not necessarily standardised. These are a positive in themselves, but will add to the confusion of what is needed for different markets.
Your focus for 2025
Remember that succeeding sustainably means being financially sustainable as well as environmentally and socially, so there are huge benefits in pushing forward even if external pressures reduce. Understand what will matter to you and your stakeholders in the longer term and keep working towards your goals.
Jim Goddin
Head of Circular Economy
My predictions for 2025
We’ll see the circular economy go mainstream!
With the need to capture, quantify and communicate the circularity of products becoming an export requirement for the EU, manufacturers will need robust data and verified metrics that align with the circular economy ISO standards ISO59020 to maintain market access.
With Green Star for Buildings introducing circularity metrics, those in the construction sector who have quantified their circularity will start to see rewards during project development.
Pilots in the EU to embed circularity in EPDs will start to provide greater clarity on embedding metrics like the MCI into third-party-reviewed assessments.
Your focus for 2025
Start getting your data lined up and understand how you will report how circular and sustainable your products are – this will take time, and you don’t want to lose market access by being unprepared.
If you’re doing an EPD for your product, it’s easy to add on a circularity metric. The MCI uses much of the same data. Even if you’re not, calculating your circularity is a good idea so your products stand out.
Katharina Bauch
Head of Carbon
My predictions for 2025
In 2025, sustainability efforts will focus on climate resilience and adaptation, as the world accepts that limiting warming to 1.5°C – or even 2°C – may not be achievable. Businesses will prioritise transparent carbon disclosures, grounded in high-quality data, and work closely with suppliers to get accurate emission factors.
Your focus for 2025
“Working with your suppliers to get better data on your Scope 3 emissions does more than improve accuracy. It builds stronger relationships and helps you find ways to cut emissions together.”
Martin Fryer
Head of Strategy and Disclosures
My predictions for 2025
I see the trends of 2024 continuing into 2025, in short, we are heading into increasingly uncertain times. This will attract people to organisations, products, and other people, who are genuinely transparent about their commitment to, and performance towards a sustainable future. Consumers, employees and investors will increasingly vote with their feet/wallets and avoid those organisations who are not walking the talk.
Your focus for 2025
“Understand your stakeholder needs and embed them into your business strategy.”
Nicole Sullivan
Impact Director
My predictions for 2025
I foresee a year of paradox. There are positive actions everywhere, with recognition of the significance of embodied carbon, circularity metrics and resource efficiency, and how the three combine. Climate-related financial disclosures are now on our doorstep and few are prepared for what that means. When coupled with a public focus on avoiding the risk of greenwash, this bodes well for driving progress.
We also have headwinds of political and regulatory uncertainty at home and abroad, which can destabilise action.
But my prediction is that we will spend the first half of 2025 feeling a little ‘stuck’ and waiting to see what happens, and then the second half will hit with a bang, with more action needed than we can manage.
Your focus for 2025
Get ready NOW for when the big action hits later this year. Once uncertainty subsides, we will see a huge drive for action that will be difficult to resource. Get your house in order so that you can respond quickly to changing expectations when they arrive.
Caroline Noordijk
Head of Creative
My predictions for 2025
In a world where separating fact from fiction is becoming harder, clear and evidence-based communication is more important than ever.
While AI is driving incredible progress, it also blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. As people adapt to new technologies, their hunger for clarity will only grow. They’ll want information delivered in a way that makes sense to them—relevant, easy to understand, and actionable.
For us, this means staying laser-focused on who we’re speaking to and what they need to know. It’s about empowering informed decisions with the right information, tailored to the right audience, at the right time.
Your focus for 2025
Once you’ve completed your sustainability work, ask yourself: Who needs to know about this? Getting your insights into the hands of the right people is key to making a real impact. Clear, engaging communication—especially with great visuals—can go a long way in driving change and moving the needle.