A growing number of companies are firmly committing to climate-neutral and circular business models. They simply talk about it less. A phenomenon often referred to as green hushing. Around the world, more and more businesses are adopting science-based targets to reduce their CO₂ emissions. And in Belgium, support for sustained and well-founded climate action remains strong. Companies know that the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term effort and that taking action is essential to ensure they can continue to operate in the future.

For more than ten years, The Shift has been bringing together businesses, public authorities and organisations to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. We offer tools to help members develop a solid strategy and work towards net-zero emissions. Through our communities of practice, participants from different sectors exchange experiences and insights. We are already seeing pioneers reap the rewards of this approach.

The first step? Energy efficiency, a straightforward way to lower costs and future-proof a business model. The next step is electrification: a relatively affordable route to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. The biggest challenge, however, lies further down the value chain. For most companies, suppliers and customers account for 90 per cent or more of total emissions. Many organisations struggle with similar questions: how do I discuss this with suppliers? How do I gain visibility on their emissions? And how do I bring internal teams along on this journey?

No organisation can tackle this transition alone. We connect professionals and experts to discuss cross-sector obstacles, share solutions and accelerate innovation. Examples from companies such as Proximus, VELUX and Delhaize show that collaboration with suppliers is often the key to turning transition ambitions into tangible results. We approach sustainability with an eye for opportunity rather than risk, embracing innovation as a lever for robust, future-ready business models.