When it comes to sustainability, there are no shortcuts. It was former president Obama who warned that we, as sustainability advocates, should “gird [ourselves] for a marathon, not a sprint.” By its very nature, reducing environmental impact requires a long-term, continuous, and concerted effort. As many businesses push back their 2030 targets, there’s no better time to reconsider carbon emission reduction strategies and regroup to ensure your approach checks all the right boxes.

But is your strategy overly reliant on the reduction of carbon emissions? You may be guilty of ‘carbon tunnel vision.’ Today, our experts explain what a carbon tunnel vision approach means to them and make the case for a more holistic view of sustainability.

Meet our experts

What is carbon tunnel vision?

Carbon tunnel vision refers to the risk of ignoring a wide range of environmental impacts and sustainability challenges in favour of focusing solely or disproportionately on carbon reduction.

In an article heavily criticising carbon offsetting strategies and a narrow-minded view of climate impact reduction, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) defines carbon tunnel vision as an approach in which we “solely strive for ‘net’ zero emissions while ignoring other sustainable development goals.” Referring to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the paper goes on to highlight a range of other priorities outside of CO2 reduction – from biodiversity loss and deforestation to pollution and the impact on indigenous populations.

So why are strategies so reliant on carbon emissions – and is this a problem? Samareh provides a very logical explanation:

The most urgent crisis, and one of the most globally recognised, is climate change. And, as carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are its main drivers, we hear a lot about them. We also have well-defined frameworks around it.

Samareh goes on to emphasise how important reducing and reporting greenhouse gas emissions are, but it’s clear there are other important factors, too. And a head-in-the-sand approach is never the best path forward.

The problem with single-minded carbon emission reduction strategies

While they may prove easier for businesses to adopt, oversimplified sustainability strategies can ignore significant issues, while missing the bigger picture, which will likely slow down progress. As Nalise explains, a sole focus on carbon can have a knock-on effect, creating problems in other areas of your strategy:

“I think a lot of people treat carbon like it exists in some sort of vacuum. And that's where I see a lot of companies, for example, saying, ‘okay we're going to prioritise a low carbon material,’ and it's cheaper. But then they're not necessarily thinking about some of the additional negative things that the material might do.

For example, maybe it is lower carbon in terms of making the material, but it contributes more to plastic pollution, or it contributes more to deforestation. And so the win is initial and superficial rather than actually being a sustainable step in the right direction.”

So what are the wider sustainability considerations we’re at risk of overlooking?

Loss of biodiversity and deforestation

When we focus only on cutting carbon, we risk ignoring the damage to forests, oceans, and wildlife. Healthy ecosystems help fight climate change — losing them makes the problem worse. In Europe, there are regulations in place, so businesses ignoring deforestation and biodiversity also risk non-compliance.

“EUDR (the EU deforestation regulation) tries to ensure that lots of key products, whether we're talking about soy, palm oil, wood or rubber, that these aren't linked to any recent deforestation. And that's very important to remember, as well as any forest degradation that's happening.

I think what is really important, to keep the EUDR in mind, is that we spoke earlier about having this broader sustainability strategy, this broader view, to make sure that we're protecting biodiversity, we're protecting ecosystem stems because we're not just looking at emissions.”

Harm to local communities and indigenous populations

Some climate solutions might lower emissions but have a devastating impact on people – like polluting water sources, damaging land that communities rely on, or making their homes uninhabitable.

True sustainability protects both people and the planet. In the health and safety industry, this is a particular focus. Discussions around the impact of latex farming, for example, are nuanced. As Erik points out, this is becoming an important topic of conversation – especially in medical PPE procurement:

“There are correlations between deforestation, the impact on indigenous communities and the production of natural rubber. One question we hear quite a lot, especially in the medical industry, is whether there's a more sustainable alternative to the use of latex. What I usually recommend is a case-by-case evaluation process.”

Erik advises implementing lifecycle assessments, looking at the impacts of producing the raw materials, while tracking the impact of using these products from raw materials and manufacture to disposal and recycling. This can help you make an informed decision before buying into an alternative.

Wasting natural resources

By overlooking water use, land degradation and pollution, businesses can unintentionally contribute to resource depletion and ecosystem instability, undermining nature’s regenerative capacity and causing irreversible damage.

Monica highlights water stewardship as a commonly overlooked, yet vital consideration:

“When we focus solely on CO2 we run the risk of losing track of all these other important sustainability elements and limited resources. Water is a very limited resource.”

She also highlights the business case for a more holistic view, recommending a more comprehensive, clear and process-driven strategy.

“Sustainable long-term strategy and decision making needs to have clearly defined targets of what we are trying to achieve, and the projects and initiatives that are going to deliver on those activities – whether it's tactical procurement with a sourcing team or reducing water usage with our production team.”

Business risks of a carbon-only approach

When discussing the benefits of adopting a more holistic sustainability strategy, Nalise raised an important point around risk: businesses should be looking to build resilience and reduce risk through their sustainability effort:

“Companies are seeing that it doesn't really matter whether the impact is related to climate or whether it's a reputational issue or whether it's something further down the line, like a supply chain failure.”

If you are proactively anticipating risk and you are able to manage that risk, it's much less likely that you are going to actually see a significant disruption and so much less likely that you're going to see that negatively impact your financial performance.

So what are the risks of a tunnel-vision approach?

Damage to your reputation and eroded trust

Investors, consumers and regulators increasingly expect holistic sustainability efforts. A carbon-only approach may be perceived as greenwashing, damaging brand credibility and stakeholder relationships. Equally, businesses that are transparent around sustainability initiatives have a proven competitive advantage, making holistic sustainability strategies a no-brainer.

Falling behind on regulations

Emerging regulations are moving toward broader environmental and social disclosures. Companies that fail to consider biodiversity, water, and human rights may face ESG-related compliance risks risks and legal action.

Supply chain disruptions

If we continue to deplete resources at such an extreme rate, businesses may struggle to access the materials they need. That’s why sustainable supply chain management and procurement processes are so important.

Missed business opportunities and poor planning

Companies that only focus on carbon may miss out on bigger opportunities – like designing products with a reduced environmental footprint, cutting waste, building stronger relationships with communities, and building resilience as climate change shapes and changes our industries.

Building a holistic sustainability strategy

To build a truly holistic sustainability strategy, businesses must broaden their focus beyond carbon emissions and address the wider environmental, social and economic impacts of their operations. This means integrating sustainability into the core of corporate decision-making – embedding it in supply chain practices, resource management, employee wellbeing and community engagement.

A strong strategy should begin with a materiality assessment – ideally a double materiality assessment, according to Nalise – to identify the most significant environmental and social issues relevant to the business and its stakeholders.

From there, companies can set measurable goals aligned with frameworks like the UN SDGs or Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi). While global standardisation remains limited, aligning with established principles from frameworks such as GRI and CDP can provide structure and comparability, ensuring reporting is thorough and data-driven.

Equally important is stakeholder engagement – collaborating not just with shareholders, but with employees, suppliers, customers and local communities. Sustainability isn't a siloed initiative; it must be embedded in company culture, governance and innovation. This includes exploring circular economy models, responsible sourcing and social impact initiatives. Ultimately, the goal is to future-proof the business while creating long-term value for people and planet by doubling our efforts to reduce our environmental impact.

If you’re looking to collaborate on a more sustainable PPE supply chain or to reduce the impact of your equipment, simply get in touch and our experts will be happy to discuss your requirements.