Staying Strategic Amid the Turbulence

Another week, another barrage of chaos. There’s too much to cover in one newsletter, and that may be the point. Of all the policy updates, layoffs, disruptions, and distractions, what stood out for us?

The disassembly of critical relationships and organizations will have ramifications for years to come. As optimism retreats, CEO voices are beginning to call out the turbulence.

In this week’s Spotlight, Alicia Bonner discusses what matters to the long-term health of the enterprise, and how business can stay strategic by doubling down on innovation and realizing competitive advantage.

Spotlight: Embedding Sustainability in Strategy Can Deliver Value for the Long-Term

In today’s volatile environment, companies aren’t just making sustainability commitments; they’re navigating a minefield of political scrutiny, shifting consumer expectations, and evolving regulatory pressures.

In this?new essay, Alicia Bonner reports on insights from the Aspen Leaders Forum. As leaders wrestle with how to handle the volatility of the moment, many are considering: what does business have to gain from the long view?

Key points:

• Linking Sustainability to Strategy Delivers a Clear Return
• Branding Integrated Sustainability Supports Better Engagement
• Sustainability Can Unlock New Business Value
• Actions Speak Louder Than Words
• Strategic Alignment is the Path Forward

For more on the benefits of making sustainability a core element of corporate strategy, read on!

???Funding Opportunity: The J.M.K. Innovation Prize

Are you working on a big idea in heritage conservation, the environment, or social justice? The J.M. Kaplan Fund’s 2025 J.M.K. Innovation Prize will award $175,000 to up to 10 early-stage nonprofits or social entrepreneurs.?

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News Roundup

1. CEO Optimism Plummets In March Amid Tariff Uncertainty?(Chief Executive: Melanie C. Nolen)?CEO confidence has fallen to “the lowest level since the spring of 2020, when the pandemic shut down businesses around the world.” What do leaders see coming down the pike? (also see CEOs Don’t Plan to Openly Question Trump. Ask Again If the Market Crashes 20%.)
2. Has Sustainability Become Unsustainable??(BCG Henderson Institute: Georg Kell , Martin Reeves , Helena Fox )?As short-term pressures undermine what will become long-term necessities, what are the authors’ recommendations as companies navigate an “inevitably messy transition”? (and run the numbers on Why Investing in Climate Action Makes Economic Sense?and Why Business Leaders Should Demand Stronger Climate Adaptation Policies From the Federal Government)
3. Climate Risk Is Business Risk—Why ESG Must Go Beyond Compliance?(The Free Press Journal: Shiva Rajgopal )?“With physical and transition risks mounting—from food inflation to supply chain disruptions—how should companies and regulators respond? Can ESG move beyond compliance to a strategy that integrates values with value?” (video with transcript; also see ‘Global Weirding’: Climate Whiplash Hitting World’s Biggest Cities, Study Reveals and?How the Most Resilient Companies Adapt to Disruption)
4. Musk’s Tweet-Fueled Bubble May Be About to Burst?(The New York Times: Mihir Desai )?Will “Musk’s business acumen and taste for politics” prove to be his undoing? (gift article; also see An Open Letter to My Former Colleagues at Tesla?and?DOGE Is Courting Catastrophic Risk)
5. Farmers Are Caught in a Political Brawl Over Climate and DEI Language?(The Washington Post: Sarah Blaskey )?Are the administration’s policies undermining its stated goals? (gift article; also see USDA Cancels $1B in Local Food Purchasing for Schools and Florida Is Now a Solar Superpower. Here’s How It Happened)

Also on Our Radar

What else caught our attention this week?

• Climate Group Funded by Bill Gates Slashes Staff in Major Retreat
• From Canada to Europe, a Movement to Boycott US Goods Is Spreading. Will The Dark Heart of Trump’s Foreign Policy undermine the “classic?positive-sum game” that has benefitted the US since WWII?
• As the administration pushes for more domestic manufacturing,?Chinese Battery Maker Gotion Faces Backlash Over U.S. Expansion.
• Call Him ‘Green New Donald’: This satirical piece raises interesting questions about the role of unintended consequences.
• Let’s wrap with some positive news: ‘It’s not because I want people to think I’m great’: Michael Sheen on paying off ï¿¡1m of his neighbours’ debts

Thanks for reading, commenting, and following. See you next week!

— The Business & Society Navigators

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Founded in 1998, the?Aspen Institute Business & Society Program?works to align business decisions and investments with the long-term health of society—and the planet.