With new sustainability regulations on the horizon, 2024 is likely to see more action and a shift in thinking. With game-changing regulations like the EU CSRD and the Global Plastics Compact looming, 2024 is the year that companies get serious about ESG. As we move from a year of record global temperatures to 2024, it’s clear that sustainability has become an ethical imperative. While a challenging 2023 meant that some businesses put sustainability on the back burner, the reality is that climate action cannot wait – and with new sustainability regulations on the horizon, 2024 is likely to see more action and a shift in thinking. Many regulations, including new rules in the EU and the US, are aimed at making data and progress towards sustainability goals more transparent and standardized – and this could mean that 2024 will be the year that many companies start collecting and reporting ESG data seriously. These new rules are likely to mark a shift in how organizations approach ESG, seeing it not just as a compliance and risk management task, but also as an opportunity to reimagine their business models. (Kate Birch)