Hey friends,
Everyone talks about the "E" in ESG—emissions, climate change, renewable energy. And yes, environmental impact matters tremendously.
But here's what most ESG professionals miss: Governance is the real engine that drives everything else.
Think about it this way—
You can have the most ambitious Net Zero strategy on paper. You can promise stakeholders the moon. But without strong governance structures in place, even your best sustainability plans will collapse.
Here's why governance matters more than you think:
Governance is the system that ensures:
Your sustainability strategy actually gets executed (not just documented)
Accountability flows through every level of your organization
Your disclosure numbers actually reflect reality
Decisions get made at the highest levels—and stick
Without it? You're building a house of cards.
The Kodak Lesson for Sustainability

Photo: kodic.com
Remember Kodak? They literally invented the digital camera in 1975. They had the technology, the market position, everything.
But they failed to evolve their vision. They stuck with "business as usual" while the world shifted around them.
By 2012: bankruptcy.
The same thing is happening right now with sustainability.
Companies that don't understand the governance structures needed to navigate this transition will be left behind—just like Kodak was with digital.
The sustainability transition isn't gradual. It's rapid. And it requires sustainability literacy at every level of your organization.
Want the Full Picture?
This insight is just one piece from my comprehensive ESG Masterclass (normally €80, now completely free on YouTube).
In the full governance session, I break down:
Why businesses ACTUALLY care about sustainability (spoiler: it's strategic, not altruistic)
The 6 major drivers making sustainability a business imperative right now
How double materiality changes the entire game
The sustainable finance cycle and why disclosure alone won't cut it anymore
Or if this is your first time seeing this series, I highly recommend starting from the beginning to get the full professional value:
The knowledge you'll gain could be the difference between leading the sustainability transition in your organization—or getting left behind.
See you in the course,
Zyad
