IS SUSTAINABILITY ENOUGH? | Regeneration through Collective Action

The League of Intrapreneurs
7 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

THE DOING ENOUGH PARADOX

Sustainability is one of the most widely used words of our time, yet its meaning shifts depending on where we stand. For some, it is about cutting emissions and protecting biodiversity; for others, about fair wages, human dignity, and long-term economic resilience.

And yet, despite expanding efforts and initiatives, we face a stark paradox: emissions and biodiversity loss worsen, inequality and modern slavery persist, and workplace burnout rises—even as sustainability efforts multiply. This gap between growing effort and limited systemic change is what we call the “doing enough” paradox: much is being done, but not enough to drive the transformation we need—though that transformation is still possible.

During the Is Sustainability Enough? session at GIW2025, Daniela Elster, regenerative practitioner, program designer and facilitator at the League of Intrapreneurs, served as panel moderator. She was joined by Hugues Sygney Jr., senior racial equity program manager at B Lab US and Canada; Jolana Amara, CEO at the League of Intrapreneurs; and Jessica von Farkas, head of ecosystem and network-driven initiatives at the BMW Foundation, to explore why sustainability efforts continue to fall short and how integrated, trust-based collaboration can help close the gap.

What have decades of sustainability work in large organizations taught us, and what’s still missing?

Sustainability,” as Jolana Amara points out, literally suggests holding up or maintaining something over time. This can feel like a heavy lift and, at times, even work against our goals. By contrast, the principles of regenerative development focus on systems that sustain and thrive on their own rather than requiring constant upkeep. In practice, sustainability departments are often treated as “nice-to-haves,” sitting on the edges rather than being fully embedded as a strategic advantage. This is a missed opportunity because sustainability, even in its imperfect form, can and should be a source of strategic value and resilience, especially in today’s challenging times.

In the face of growing pushback, how can climate and sustainability efforts stay resilient and keep driving change?

Pushback against sustainability varies by region, explains Jessica von Farkas. In Europe, for example, wars, conflicts, and geopolitical shifts have raised questions about whether organizations can afford sustainability right now, which has led to defunding in some sectors. At the same time, this context creates opportunities to rethink approaches and build resilience through collaboration. Foundations can support scaleups bringing sustainability initiatives to market, connect them with multilateral and policy actors, and leverage platforms like the G20 to keep sustainability on the agenda even when public attention shifts. Trust-based relationships are essential. Honest, open conversations with partners and strategic collaboration with actors who hold institutional influence ensure that sustainability efforts continue.

Are sustainability efforts in large organizations too isolated, and how does that affect real change?

Organizational structures are naturally siloed, as Jolana Amara explains. This setup can help teams focus and be efficient, but it also has its downsides. Sustainability efforts often exist across departments, yet because of the fragmentation, visibility is lost, work can be duplicated, and opportunities to collaborate are missed.

Even a small group of intrapreneurs - as small as ten percent - can act as bridge makers; connecting different teams and creating real impact. This is why the League of Intrapreneurs focuses on building internal networks that link sustainability efforts across the organization, encouraging collaboration and innovation without needing to overhaul the structure.

“Sustainability already suggests holding up or maintaining over time, which is a heavy lift. Regenerative development suggests a system that maintains itself, contributing to its own thriving.”

JOLANA AMARA

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Photo Credit: Cop30 Brazil

Bhupender Yadav, Indian minister of environment, forest and climate change, speaks during a plenary session

Photo Credit: The Federal

“Metrics tell us what's happening, but communities tell us whether it matters. Community voices need to be part of the solution for collective movement.”

HUGUES SYGNEY JR.

How can sustainability move from metrics to meaningful, community-led impact?

To understand real community impact, we need to start with the why, says Hugues Sygney Jr. Why bring sustainability into your company, and what do you want it to achieve? It’s about being honest with ourselves and with where our company stands. Frontline communities—Indigenous, Black, and Global South voices—often feel the impact of unsustainable systems but are rarely consulted. Intrapreneurs can act as bridge makers, co-creating with these communities instead of designing initiatives for them. This transforms extractive storytelling into equitable partnerships, where communities define success and companies act as enablers. At B Lab, community consultation is now part of the JEDI standards certification, offering a safe way for companies to engage with frontline communities. When regeneration starts with those most affected, solutions emerge naturally as communities become co-authors of projects and initiatives.

How can the Action Fellowship, at the crossroads of climate, equity, and technology, drive new opportunities for systems change?

Jessica von Farkas highlights the complexity of the intersection between climate, equity, and technology, describing it as a multifaceted prism. She observes that each area often operates in its own ecosystem—tech, climate, and equity communities rarely overlap. When a few leaders cross-pollinate these spaces, the impact can be much greater, making efforts more efficient and successful. The Action Fellowship is an ambitious initiative in designing spaces where this collective wisdom can come together and translate into collective action. It allows leaders, who may typically focus on one or two agendas, to find complementary ways to increase their potential as bridge makers and create a collaborative “mycelium” across agendas that generates positive outcomes for people and the planet.

Photo Credit: Annie Spratt

Photo Credit: Mirna Wabi-Sabi

“Trust-based infrastructure is really always key. Honest, open conversations with partners, with other actors, to say: how can we support each other?”

JESSICA VON FARKAS

Hugues Sygney Jr. emphasizes that many sustainability initiatives have strong intent but lack the right infrastructure. This Fellowship provides a space for intrapreneurs across business, civil society, and creative sectors to co-design regenerative solutions.

It is not just another program, it is a trust infrastructure for systemic collaboration, turning collective learning into meaningful action across organizations, ecosystems, and communities.

What mindset and approach allow intrapreneurs to lead transformative systems change?

For Hugues, the mindset of intrapreneurs is rooted in purpose and guided by love. It means committing to continuous learning and unlearning, staying accountable, and building genuine relationships with communities. Leadership is about bridging, not separating, and creating trust across systems. Operating from love, grace, and care for people and planet transforms this work from a task into a shared human responsibility, allowing meaningful change to emerge naturally and impactfully.

“Operate from love. The world needs a whole lot more of it right now. Operating from love, from a place of grace, means understanding that humanity is a responsibility we all carry and how we step into that defines our legacy.”