Sustainability, Not a Sprint

The Journey to Regeneration

Apr 19, 2025

What does it truly mean to be on a journey to becoming a more sustainable business? For some, it begins with small steps—reducing waste or choosing alternative transportation. For others, like Brompton Bicycles, it spans decades of innovation, reflection, and recommitment. In this week’s Featured Article, we explore Brompton’s 50-year path to becoming a global symbol of responsible design, culminating in its recent B Corp certification. It’s a story that reminds us sustainability isn’t just a goal—it’s a continuous evolution.

In Essential Reads, we spotlight diverse expressions of sustainability across travel, sport, hospitality, and education. From Aman Hotels redefining conscious luxury, to grassroots change led by footballers and students, these stories show how sustainability can be meaningfully tailored to different contexts while remaining grounded in shared values and measurable impact.

This week’s Research Corner adds a theoretical lens to the idea of “journey,” illustrating how sustainability transitions can be better understood through evolving networks, timelines, and systems thinking—insights that speak directly to regenerative innovation in practice.

Let’s dive into this week’s stories and uncover what a sustainability journey looks like—across time, sectors, and scale.

Featured Article:

Brompton Bicycles’ 50-year journey is a testament to how sustainability can be embedded from the ground up—literally. In this Forbes article, I explore how the iconic folding bike brand has evolved from a garage-born idea in 1975 to a global advocate for urban freedom and climate-conscious living. Now a certified B Corporation, Brompton continues to refine its operations to reduce emissions, eliminate plastic packaging, and use renewable energy across its global footprint.

President for North America Juliet Scott-Croxford shares how Brompton’s design innovation is paired with social responsibility—from living wage employment and in-house training programs to community-building initiatives in cities around the world. The company’s impact goes beyond mobility—it’s shaping a more connected and climate-friendly urban future. With biking proven to reduce emissions and boost wellbeing, Brompton’s enduring mission remains clear: make everyday transportation healthier, more efficient, and accessible.

This story highlights how legacy brands can lead sustainability by example, innovating through consistency and purpose.

Essential Reads:

Conscious Luxury

Kristina Romanova and Yuki Kiyono are leading Aman Hotels towards a sustainable future by combining wellness with environmental consciousness. From eco-friendly skincare and timeless fashion to ancient healing therapies and clean nutrition, their initiatives promote thoughtful living and long-term impact. Their approach highlights that true luxury lies in mindful choices and holistic wellbeing.

Fair Trade

Illinois State University and United Planet led students on a transformative journey through Nepal, exploring fair trade, human rights, and cultural heritage. Over nine days, participants engaged with artisan cooperatives, women-led social enterprises, and ethical producers. The program highlighted how sustainable practices can empower communities, preserve traditions, and inspire future global leaders.

Green Travel

Goodwings, a Danish platform focused on sustainable business travel that I have written about before, has secured nearly $3 million to expand globally and develop Sustainability Suite 3.0. The update will add tools for tracking and reducing travel emissions. With backing from prominent investors, Goodwings continues to redefine eco-conscious corporate travel through enhanced features, support services, and responsible travel practices.

Racing Green

Motorsport UK is driving sustainability by guiding clubs toward eco-friendly practices through its Sustainability Accreditation. By implementing Environmental Management Systems, clubs like Bath Motor Club are reducing emissions, waste, and noise. With simplified processes and community engagement, motorsport is proving it can innovate and adapt while preserving its high-octane spirit for a greener future.

Eco Captain

Footballer David Wheeler, now the PFA’s first Sustainability Champion, uses his platform to promote environmental awareness in football. At Wycombe Wanderers, his green initiatives sparked a club-wide shift and inspired local schools. Through workshops, speaking engagements, and ethical investments, Wheeler champions small, achievable steps that encourage widespread climate action across the sport and beyond.

Greener Dining

Newport Restaurant Group has deepened its partnership with Greenplaces to improve carbon tracking and sustainability efforts. By offsetting all Scope 1 emissions, adopting renewable energy, composting, and recycling cooking oils, NRG is making data-driven changes to reduce environmental impact. Their strategy sets a benchmark for the hospitality industry’s role in climate action.

Pedal & Oar

Julen Sánchez cycled and rowed from Paris to Pittsburgh (echoing Trump’s first term withdrawal from the Paris Agreement by claiming he was elected to represent Pittsburgh, not Paris) to promote sustainable travel and personal responsibility in the face of climate change. His 200-day journey, blending endurance and environmental consciousness, highlighted nature's beauty and power. By choosing zero-emission transport, Sánchez challenged conventional travel norms and inspired others to rethink their environmental impact.

Research Corner:

This paper by Raghu Garud and Joel Gehman, published in Research Policy, explores how different metatheoretical lenses—evolutionary, relational, and durational—shape our understanding of sustainability transitions. Each perspective offers a distinct view: how environments evolve, how networks shift, and how time matters. These insights challenge conventional strategy and policy approaches, urging practitioners to consider sustainability as a multi-layered, ongoing process rather than a fixed destination.

The regenerative business practices and sustainability innovations highlighted in this week's Regenerative Insights directly tackle the critical issues of corporate responsibility explored in my recent book explored in my recent book, The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost.

Quick Takeaways:

Mindful Luxury: Align wellness with sustainability for lasting impact.
Global Learning: Use travel to explore fair trade and human rights.
Track Emissions: Leverage tools to cut business travel emissions.
Eco Racing: Apply green standards to motorsport practices.
Sport Leadership: Use influence to promote climate action in sports.
Smart Dining: Use data to guide carbon reduction in hospitality.
Sustainable Journeys: Choose low-impact travel to inspire change.
Clear Concepts: Build sustainability knowledge through science-based insights.

Regenerative Insights