October 2026 newsletter | Nexio Projects

Insights to inspire, act, share & inform

Welcome back to ‘Sustainability in motion’. In this edition, we cover:

Inspire | Redefining the sustainability role: the Green Collar Report
Educate | Making climate risk practical: a roadmap for action
Share | Event season is here: Where we’re hosting and attending
Regulatory updates | EmpCo now applies: a checklist for your green claims

The sustainability role is becoming a value creation role

Sustainability teams are managing a wider set of expectations. They are asked to support reporting, climate strategy, procurement, risk management, communications and commercial decisions. This raises a practical question: what should the sustainability role become?

The 2026 Sustainability Professional Benchmark will explore how teams are resourced, how they divide time between compliance and strategy, and where the profession is heading.

Nexio Projects and Salacia Solutions launched the benchmark to add insight from the professionals doing the work. The survey takes approximately ten minutes. It is anonymous and remains open until 27 November 2026. Everyone who participates will receive the Green Collar Report. The report will compare the findings with leading sustainability studies published during 2026.

The findings will be presented at the Green Collar Report launch event in Rotterdam on 10 December 2026. The discussion reflects a wider change in sustainability work. Teams need stronger leadership support, better data and greater influence across the organisation. They also need enough capacity to move beyond reporting activity and support decisions that create resilience and long term value.

Climate risk assessment tools: from disclosure to action

Climate risk is often treated as a disclosure task. Its consequences reach much further.

Physical hazards can disrupt facilities, suppliers, logistics, labour productivity and insurance coverage. Transition risks can affect energy costs, technology choices, market access and asset values.

The European Environment Agency estimates that weather and climate related extremes caused €822 billion in economic losses across the European Union between 1980 and 2024. More than €208 billion occurred between 2021 and 2024. [1] A climate risk assessment should therefore help the organisation make decisions.

Scope and identify

Start with the parts of the business where disruption would matter most.

Consider revenue contribution, workforce size, carbon intensity, operational criticality, supplier dependency, available alternatives and proximity to hazards.

The assessment should look beyond owned facilities. Important exposure may sit with suppliers, transport routes, customers or shared infrastructure.

Assess with scenarios

Use scenarios to test whether strategic decisions remain resilient under different conditions.

Physical risk analysis can consider hazards such as flooding, heat stress, water stress and storms.

Transition risk analysis can consider policy change, carbon prices, energy costs, technology shifts and changing customer expectations.

The ECB highlights the role of forward looking scenario analysis in assessing interactions between physical and transition risks. [2] Document assumptions clearly. A scenario is a decision support tool. It is not a prediction.

Turn findings into decisions

Each priority risk should connect with a practical response.

Flood exposure may lead to drainage improvements, alternative routes, facility protection or an insurance review.

Supplier dependency may lead to dual sourcing, inventory changes or supplier engagement.

Transition risk may lead to energy procurement changes, product redesign or capital allocation decisions.

Assign ownership

Every priority risk needs an owner, timeline and trigger for reassessment.

The trigger could be a major weather event, supplier disruption, acquisition, regulatory change or significant change in the business model.

Our article, Climate risk assessment: from disclosure to action, explains how teams can connect assessment findings with implementation.

“A climate risk register has limited value when it sits outside the decisions that shape the business. Ownership is what turns information into resilience.”

Events, conversations and the Green Collar Report

The autumn programme brings sustainability conversations into different professional settings.

At ESG Days, the discussion will focus on the cost of reducing carbon. At the EcoVadis CPO circle dinner, procurement leaders will explore growth, resilience and procurement leadership. The B Corp Beyond Summit will create space for discussions on decarbonisation and community building.

Nexio Projects will also host the EcoVadis World Tour in Amsterdam on 10 November 2026. The event will bring together sustainability and procurement leaders to discuss sustainable procurement, Scope 3, CSRD and CSDDD.

The RSM Sustainability Alumni event will create another opportunity for practical exchange. The Green Collar Report launch will connect professional benchmark findings with sustainability reporting in Europe.

These events share a common purpose. They create space to connect the needs of business and the planet through practical discussion.

Avoid greenwashing: what EmpCo changes for green claims

EmpCo has applied since 27 September 2026. It tightens EU rules on environmental claims and sustainability labels in consumer facing communication. [3]

The wording of a claim matters. Generic claims such as “sustainable”, “green” or “eco friendly” can create exposure when recognised environmental performance does not support them.

Images, icons and product names can also communicate environmental meaning. Teams should therefore review more than written marketing copy.

Sustainability labels must be based on a certification scheme or established by a public authority. [3] Claims based on external greenhouse gas offsetting can also be prohibited when they suggest that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive climate impact. [4]

Future commitments require a credible implementation plan. Interim targets, allocated resources, monitoring and independent verification should support the claim.

A practical review should record:

• The exact claim
• The product or business boundary
• The supporting evidence
• The data owner
• The approval process
• The review date
• Any limitations or assumptions

Our EmpCo green claims checklist gives teams a structured way to review these points.

A strong claim review does not remove ambition. It improves the connection between ambition, evidence and delivery.

Closing the month right

October’s themes point to a broader change in sustainability practice. The role is becoming more integrated with risk, operations, procurement and value creation.

Climate risk assessment, professional benchmarking and green claims governance all require the same foundations: relevant data, clear ownership and decisions that can be implemented.

“Sustainability teams create the greatest value when they help the organisation act earlier, understand trade offs and build confidence in its decisions.”

We help organisations move from climate risk information to practical resilience, credible communication and positive impact. Recognised as a Top Brand in sustainability by EUPD and included in the Verdantix Buyer’s Guide for boutique ESG and sustainability strategy services, we are here to help you assess exposure, prioritise action and strengthen the evidence behind your sustainability decisions.

Upcoming sessions

If you want to check out the rest of our webinars, check our webinars and events page.

If any of these topics are relevant for your organisation and you’d like to explore practical next steps, reach out. We’ll connect you with the right experts.

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