Mint Sustainability Summit: Net zero’s next phase demands deeper changes across supply chains
Industry leaders at the Mint Sustainability Summit 2026 said net zero's next phase will depend on embedding sustainability across supply chains, products, and partnerships, not just compliance.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
The next phase of net zero will require companies to embed sustainability deeper into supply chains, product design, and business strategy to achieve lasting competitive advantage. Industry experts argued that the next phase of value creation will come from circularity, partnerships, customer trust, and long-term resilience.
Imagine you have a toy that you can play with for a long time, and then you can give it to someone else to play with. That's what circularity is - designing things so they can be reused, repaired, or recycled. Companies are trying to do this to reduce waste and make their products more sustainable.
Analysis
The Next Phase of Net Zero: Embedding Sustainability Across Supply Chains, Products, and Partnerships
The Mint Sustainability Summit 2026 brought together industry leaders to discuss the next phase of net zero. The discussion centered around the evolution of sustainability beyond compliance to become a strategic business priority. Panellists argued that the next phase of value creation will come from circularity, partnerships, customer trust, and long-term resilience rather than quick operational fixes.
Circularity refers to designing products and materials so they can be reused, repaired, recycled, or remanufactured instead of being discarded, keeping resources in use for as long as possible. Masood Mallick, managing director and group CEO at Re Sustainability Ltd., pointed out that sustainability is no longer merely an environmental issue but one of business continuity. He emphasized that companies need to control their supply chains to ensure sustainability makes sense today.
Amit Kumar Sinha, managing director and CEO of Mahindra Lifespace Developers, highlighted that while sustainability could lower the cost of capital, the gains were modest. He added that the bigger prize lay in "overall lifetime economics with the customer" and the trust built by being a responsible business.
The next big step for sustainability is moving beyond existing decarbonization targets. Sreedhar N., senior VP and CEO, APAC and India, Saint-Gobain, noted that one model India could replicate from Europe is building insulation. Such insulation could reduce electricity bills by up to 40% in India, compared with savings of about 70% in Europe.
Industry experts emphasized that the shift towards sustainability requires a paradigm change. Sudhanshu Vats, managing director, Pidilite Industries, pointed out that companies need to start looking at partnerships rather than transactional relationships. He added that total cost of ownership and running a place is a phenomenon that can be compensated.
For BMW Group India, sustainability has required rethinking products as well as business models. Hardeep S. Brar, president and CEO, pointed out that electric vehicles had to outperform conventional internal combustion engine models on key parameters. He also highlighted the need for changing after-sales economics, saying the rise of EVs meant companies were reassessing the need for large service networks as maintenance requirements declined.
In conclusion, the next phase of net zero will require companies to embed sustainability deeper into supply chains, product design, and business strategy to achieve lasting competitive advantage. Industry experts emphasized that the shift towards sustainability requires a paradigm change and that companies need to start looking at partnerships rather than transactional relationships.
Key points
- The next phase of net zero will require companies to embed sustainability deeper into supply chains, product design, and business strategy.
- Circularity, partnerships, customer trust, and long-term resilience will be key to achieving net zero.
- Companies need to control their supply chains to ensure sustainability makes sense today.
- The shift towards sustainability requires a paradigm change and companies need to start looking at partnerships rather than transactional relationships.
If companies can successfully embed sustainability across their supply chains, products, and partnerships, they may be able to achieve lasting competitive advantage and ensure business continuity. This could lead to increased customer trust and loyalty, as well as improved long-term resilience.
If companies fail to embed sustainability across their supply chains, products, and partnerships, they may face significant risks, including reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and decreased customer trust. This could lead to decreased competitiveness and potentially even business failure.
