It’s not just about tracking what happened last year but anticipating what’s next and being agile enough to respond.
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At Ever Sustainable, as part of Design Portfolio, we were thrilled to be part of an alliance entered into earlier this year with S&P Global Market Intelligence, allowing us to bring together industry-leading data with a strategic approach to sustainability.
Together, we support businesses to understand exactly how sustainability can drive opportunity, resilience and business value.
One of our allies at S&P Global is Helen Wood-Gush, a Sustainability Solutions Specialist in the Commodity Insights business line who looks after the business’s offer to the marketplace and is constantly looking to share new data solutions with her clients. We chatted to her about what makes her tick, and why she thinks forward-looking data is the future of sustainability.
What do you do in sustainability, and how did you get there?
Helen: I’m Helen Wood-Gush,. My focus is on supporting non-financial corporates, governments, and academic institutions with their sustainability goals.
For 2025, my coverage includes part of the UK and the Netherlands, nearly all of Belgium, and Central Asia. My role in Sustainability has changed a few times at S&P Global, which keeps things interesting!
How I got here: I began as Deputy Financial Officer at Antofagasta PLC, a FTSE 100 mining company. I later transitioned to be Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Group Manager, where I became heavily involved in sustainability—supporting development of the group’s reporting and strategy. I then completed a postgrad master’s in sustainable business at Cambridge and spent 10 years consulting with companies like BG Group, Kingfisher, Pearson, and Responsible Investor.
What do you love about your job? What motivates you to get up in the morning and do this kind of work?
Helen: Well, coming from the corporate side, I know what it's like to be in the hot seat. What I enjoy most is the combination of the complexity of sustainability and the big ambition of creating global change. Climate change and other Environmental, Social and Governance risks are incredibly pressing, but they also present opportunities.
Each client brings a unique challenge, and I love helping turn complex sustainability issues into actionable plans. It's especially rewarding when clients start seeing ESG not as a burden, but as a lever for long-term value.
What would you say is the biggest challenge your clients are currently facing?
Helen: When I started in sustainability, was all new—investors and corporates were learning together, trying to figure out how to integrate ESG into the investment case. Fast forward 20 years, and now we’re seeing some fatigue. There’s a lot of pressure to disclose, navigate regulations, and address a wide range of stakeholders.
The real challenge is helping clients cut through that noise and focus on what drives impact for their business and stakeholders. Reporting is essential, but we need to also pivot more strategy—how to use data not just for compliance, but for insight and growth.
So, reporting should be a product of meaningful action, not the other way around?
Helen: Exactly. Reporting matters, and at S&P Global Commodity Insights, we help to support our clients at all stages of the process. But the real value is in using data to derive insights and support long-term planning. Shifting from viewing ESG as a compliance exercise to a strategic advantage. and delivering on this forward-thinking approach.
What does the future of sustainability and data look like to you?
Helen: The future is about moving from backward-looking reporting to forward-looking strategy. We're heading into a world of real-time sustainability data, AI-driven insights, and scenario planning tools. These tools will influence decisions from the boardroom to operations on the ground.
Companies will need to think faster, deeper, and smarter. It’s not just about tracking what happened last year but anticipating what’s next and being agile enough to respond.
What’s one innovation in your space that we should all be watching?
Helen: I’d say the fusion of financial-grade sustainability data with predictive tools—like Climanomics and our nature-related risk models. Coming from finance, I’ve seen the importance of strong audit trails and data quality. Sustainability is catching up fast in that respect.
Climanomics, for instance, lets us assess the dollar value of climate change risks through to 2100. It helps companies quantify what they need in OpEx, CapEx, and revenue to mitigate risks. We're also seeing growth in sustainability intelligence platforms and cross-industry benchmarking. The quality of data, paired with AI, is set to make sustainability a real business advantage.
That links well into our next question—how does your work help demonstrate that sustainability really is an opportunity?
Helen: My job is about helping clients see sustainability not as a cost centre, but as a source of innovation, resilience, and growth. Whether it’s identifying climate risks, understanding overlaps with credit risks, or helping clients become leaders in a low-carbon economy—our work sits at the intersection of risk and opportunity.
It’s about using sustainability to strengthen business models and make companies more resilient in the face of change.
For the Ever book club: Do you have a sustainability book or media recommendation for our audience?
Helen: Yes! I’d recommend Green Swans by John Elkington. He’s often referred to as the godfather of sustainability. The book is a few years old but still relevant—it explores regenerative capitalism and how business models need to evolve for the future.
And I’d also add Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth. Both are great for helping professionals zoom out and see the big-picture transformation that's coming.
Let's talk
If you'd like to share your sustainability journey in our next edition of the Ever Spotlight newsletter, please get in touch.