Sustainability Meets Innovation in Brand & Licensing Industry: Insights from the 2025 Products of Change Conference

On 5 November 2025, London’s Royal Geographical Society hosted the annual Products of Change (POC) Conference, uniting over 400 participants across the brand, licensing, and retail sectors alongside United Nations representatives. The event underscored sustainability’s integral role not only as a moral imperative but as a driver of long-term business success.

Integrating SDGs into Business Strategy

Prominent brands such as IKEA, LEGO, Tesco PLC, and Open Planet shared their commitments to embedding the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into business models. The conference emphasized that sustainable practices yield benefits for both the planet and profitability.

Caroline Petit, Deputy Director of the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC), urged businesses to “create products with people and the planet, not just for them,” spotlighting the importance of genuine consumer and community partnerships in achieving impactful change.

Practical Innovations Driving Change

Smol, a UK homecare startup, illustrated how small-scale, innovative products can catalyze broad shifts. Its plastic-free laundry and dishwasher capsules, launched in 2020, challenge industry norms by focusing on everyday sustainable choices. With the average UK household operating washing machines over 200 times annually, Smol’s model demonstrates how minor product innovations ripple into systemic environmental impact.

IKEA exemplified sustainability at scale: between 2016 and 2024, it grew business by 23.7% while reducing its absolute carbon footprint by 30%. Crucially, IKEA appoints each retail manager as a chief sustainability officer to embed environmental responsibility into local decision-making.

Storytelling as a Catalyst for Environmental Action

Open Planet, a member of the UN’s SDG Media Compact, highlighted the critical role of storytelling in addressing the climate crisis, described as a “communication crisis” by Kate Goldman-Toomey, Executive Director of Partnerships at Open Planet. By providing an open-source library of environmental footage, Open Planet empowers educators and changemakers to inspire urgent climate action.

Heritage Brands Advancing Sustainability

Delegates from heritage institutions like the Natural History Museum, Eden Project, RSPB, and ZSL London Zoo demonstrated how licensing can combine revenue generation with social and environmental stewardship. The RSPB’s partnership with Cornwall chocolatier Chocolarder supports sustainable cocoa farming in the UNESCO-protected Gola Rainforest, embodying a 30-year conservation commitment intertwined with community livelihoods.

Recognizing Leadership: 2025 Products of Change SDG Awards

The conference celebrated companies advancing the SDGs with awards presented on trophies crafted from traceable marine plastic by Waterhaul, a British social enterprise. Awardees included:

• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Eden Project, Dayrize, Pure Table Top, Fabacus
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): RDP Creative x LEGO Group
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Moose Toys
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Universal Music Group & Bravado

Caroline Petit closed the event urging accelerated, unified action: “With five years to go until 2030, we must act with urgency and unity to transform lives everywhere.”

Conclusion

The 2025 Products of Change Conference reinforced that sustainability and innovation are inseparable forces in modern brand and licensing industries. From small-scale product breakthroughs to multinational operational reforms, and from narrative power to strategic partnerships, businesses have a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future aligned with the SDGs.

References

• United Nations Information Centre for Western Europe. (2025). Sustainability meets innovation in brand & licensing industry. [Online] Available at: https://unric.org/en/news/sustainability-meets-innovation-brand-licensing-industry
• IKEA Sustainability Reports (2016–2024)
• UN SDG Media Compact
• Products of Change Conference proceedings, London, 5 November 2025

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.