The Wild West of sustainability is over | Cool Planet’s Daniel Harper

Sustainability has shifted from a “nice to have” to a core business risk conversation.

In this episode, Daniel Harper, Director of Cool Planet, unpacks what nearly 20 years of working in climate strategy has taught him about how businesses really move. From the early “wild west” days of carbon offsets to mandatory climate disclosure, supply chain pressure and the pivot from carbon neutral to net zero, this is a grounded look at what’s actually happening in the ESG space..

You’ll hear why regulatory certainty matters more than most people realise, how supplier tiering is reshaping procurement decisions, where carbon offset distrust comes from (including why some carbon credits cost under $2 while others sit closer to $50… and what that gap means for credibility) and why some industries like hospitality are evolving faster than others.

If you’re unsure whether to start or scale your sustainability efforts, this episode breaks down the steps and tools to get moving in a way that makes clear business sense.

You’ll hear and learn:

• Why mandatory climate disclosure reframes sustainability as business risk, not environmental charity
• How large organisations are quietly ranking suppliers based on net zero targets and carbon reporting
• The real difference between carbon neutral and net zero — and why offset quality matters
• Where reputational risk and greenwashing scrutiny are increasing, and how to protect your brand
• Why starting early reduces future compliance pressure, protects profit and creates commercial advantage

Founders, sustainability leads, procurement teams and business owners who want clarity on climate reporting, supplier pressure, net zero strategy and how to turn sustainability from a compliance task into a commercial advantage.

MENTIONS:

• Cool Planet
• Climate Active
• Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs)
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

LINKS:

Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com

Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast

Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok

Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial

CREDITS:

Host: Kiarne Treacy

Guest: Daniel Harper

Guest Company: Cool Planet

Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au

Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.