Earth Day should not be treated like a yearly reminder to post something about sustainability and move on. It can be regarded as a leadership test.
On 22 April, we’re all invited to reflect on the future of the planet. But reflection alone is meaningless. If Earth Day is going to mean anything in 2026, it has to push businesses from good intentions into operational decisions: how we buy, who we do business with, whether we measure our outputs, and what we are willing to change, in order to actively restore, renew, and improve the ecological system we operate within.
Earth Day began in 1970 and has grown into a global movement involving more than 1 billion people across more than 192 countries.
This year’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet, is a useful reminder that change starts where people actually have influence: in organisations, teams, budgets, policies and supply chains. It also comes at a moment of urgent global challenge – energy volatility, rising fuel costs, and the pressures of increased extreme weather events mean the transition to regenerative business is no longer a distant goal, but a strategic and operational imperative.
Regenerative businesses aim to create a net-positive impact.
Producing more energy than they use. Restoring more resources than they consume. Improving human and ecological health.
For many organisations, moving from awareness to activation is the greatest challenge in regenerative business adoption. Leaders know sustainability matters. Teams know customers care about the environment. Many organisations already talk about values, purpose, impact and responsibility. But too often, those ideas are still disconnected from day-to-day business practice. They may not show up clearly enough in purchasing decisions, travel policies, event planning, supplier selection, internal culture, financial planning, or strategic priorities. Let me ask you – do you already measure your business outputs, what gets budgeted, and how risks related to climate or social impact are assessed?
This is where Earth Day becomes powerful. It gives businesses a clear lens – and asks a challenging question: if sustainability is truly part of your business, where is the proof?
A good place to start is procurement. How you make purchases in your business is one of the simplest ways a business can turn values around sustainability into action. Every purchasing decision sends a signal and tells the market what kind of production, labour, packaging, energy use and local economic participation your organisation is willing to support.
The most practical sustainability strategies include procurement decisions that are built into operations: choosing reusable products over single-use items, preferring suppliers with credible environmental and social certifications, reducing unnecessary travel, selecting local vendors where possible, building waste-conscious events, and asking harder questions about supply-chain ethics before a contract is signed. These are leadership decisions that build resilient organisations that can withstand the complexity and uncertainty in a world where supply chains are increasingly exposed to climate, geopolitical, and energy risks.
At Impact Business School, that thinking is already reflected in practice. We created an Environmental and Local Purchasing Policy that prioritises environmentally responsible procurement, support for local Australian suppliers, including diverse suppliers, renewable and efficient resource use, waste reduction, and annual tracking of emissions and resource consumption. We provide our team with guidance on travel practices, home-office sustainability, event planning, and merchandise responsibly.
An Environmental and Local Purchasing Policy creates consistency. It helps our team make better decisions and turns commitment into repeatable action. It also makes sustainability visible across the organisation, not just in marketing language, but in the way people travel, source materials, plan events, choose partners and define accountability. It allows leadership to integrate environmental and social performance into risk management, procurement strategy, and long-term planning – linking everyday operational choices with wider organisational goals.
So what can your business do to become regenerative?
First, audit what you already do. Before launching another initiative, understand where your organisation currently stands. Are you measuring waste, energy or emissions? Do you have clear standards for suppliers? Are sustainability goals reflected in strategic planning, finance, workplace culture and procurement?
Second, activate an Environmental and Local Purchasing Policy. A useful policy should shape decisions on purchasing, travel, events, resource use, ethical governance and supplier relationships. It should be practical enough that your team can apply it, not just approve it.
Third, treat supply chains as a leadership issue. Regenerative businesses work with nature not against it. For example, a construction company that designs buildings that generate energy, capture water, and improve air quality. A food company that uses farming practices that restore soil and biodiversity. A professional services firm that invests profits into environmental initiatives with its team and community wellbeing.
Fourth, make regenerative business a priority for your team, not just an operational output. If the people in your organisation don’t understand why it matters, it will remain a compliance issue, rather than a shared objective. Organisations with strong organisational culture connect sustainability to employee wellbeing, community trust, innovation, and long-term adaptability. Done well, sustainability is not a burden on business performance. It strengthens business relevance and resilience.
If you want support to transition into a regenerative business, there are two ways to begin: 1) complete our self-paced Sustainable Development Audit to assess your organisation across environmental footprint, community engagement, culture, supply chain, finance and strategic planning; or 2) work with Impact Business School to design a customised Environmental and Local Purchasing Policy to embed regenerative business into operational and strategic decision-making. You’re invited to book a conversation with Patricia Kaziro,Director of Global Learning Solutions to discuss further.
