This month bares important news for Anthesis. On 23rd October, Anthesis announced the appointment of Dr. Matthew Bell as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st December, 2025. As part of a planned succession, co-founder Stuart McLachlan will step down as CEO and remain on the Board of Directors, ensuring a smooth transition and to provide ongoing advice and support as we continue to tackle some of the world’s most critical environmental and societal challenges.
A career-long sustainability professional and published scientist, Matthew joins Anthesis from EY, where he served as Global Leader for Climate Change and Sustainability Services, advising multinational corporations and governments on sustainability strategy, decarbonisation, reporting, and long-term value creation.
Dr. Matthew Bell
“I am honoured and excited to work alongside Anthesis’ deep bench of talent to build on the positive momentum Stuart and his team have created. Anthesis has a unique combination of talent, breadth of services, and global reach to deliver this at scale for our clients. I believe in the strong growth potential of Anthesis to create lasting impact, and look forward to working with our team, partners, and clients to drive sustainability at scale.”
Stuart McLachlan has overseen more than a decade of rapid growth and transformation for Anthesis, including the acquisition of 24 businesses and expansion to over 1,400 sustainability experts worldwide. The Anthesis community and network is incredibly thankful and proud of the transformative journey that we have been on with Stuart at the helm, and we look forward to our next steps with Matthew.
This transition is part of a planned leadership evolution to support the next phase of our strategy and growth, driven by purpose. Fittingly, this month we have also launched our 2025 Purpose Gap report, which speaks to the importance of aligning purpose with business strategy. You can find out more, as well as learn about our latest insights and upcoming events, below.
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The Purpose Gap: the difference between what organisations say about their purpose, and how they actually deliver it.
At Anthesis, we’ve been tracking the Purpose Gap for four years. While we saw steady improvement across the first three years of our research, 2025 has seen the picture shift sharply. Sixty-one percent of employees now say their company’s purpose statements don’t match reality – a near 10-point increase from last year.
However, the data is also clear that closing the Purpose Gap can have measurable impact: Purpose-driven companies see 58% more revenue growth and 63% higher capital growth, and employee engagement can rise upwards of 75% when purpose is embedded in strategy and feels personally relevant.
When done well, purpose can act as a transformation agenda — a platform for growth, a blueprint for impact, and a rallying force for employees.
Two-thirds of employees say they would leave their job over the Purpose Gap. 1 in 5 are actively looking for a role right now because of it.
COP 30 | UN Climate Change Conference
November 10-21 | Belém, Brazil
Will you be attending the UN Climate Change Conference COP 30 this year? Our experts are looking forward to engaging with sustainability leaders on the pressing challenges and new opportunities of addressing climate change today. Let us know if you'll be attending, and what you're looking forward to most.
Climate Week takeaways, and WWF’s innovative new model for funding wildlife conservation
In a recent episode of Activating Sustainability, host Chris Peterson joined Anthesis experts Justin Imiola, Barret Lawson, and Alison Gilbert to discuss the themes and key takeaways from Climate Week 2025, including reflections on Anthesis’ 11 dynamic sessions across climate, nature, and equity.
Meanwhile, on Purposing, Financing Green Lead at WWF Netherlands, Stanley Anyetei, reveals why WWF is redefining how conservation is funded, shifting from traditional philanthropy to innovative financial models that bring in private capital and long-term resilience.
Join Anthesis experts for a dynamic and forward-looking webinar exploring how private equity firms can strategically engage with the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM).
GUIDANCE | Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)
The EU Council and the European Parliament have recently put forward additional proposals that affect the scope and implementation of CSDDD. Our updated guide walks through these suggested amendments and provides 6 key steps for embarking on your CSDDD journey today.
Regulations affecting various products and packaging are shifting rapidly in North America, Europe, and around the world:
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programmes for packaging are currently being rolled out across the United States, and laws are also evolving in Canada and Europe.
Recent changes were made to the EU Batteries Regulation (EUBR), which affects entities that are placing batteries on the EU market.
The French Eco-Score, applicable to all manufacturers, distributors, and importers placing textile products on the French market, recently came into effect on October 1.
Enhancing Nature Stewardship
Ecolab is committed to the protection of biodiversity in its operations and through its products and services. Since 2023, Anthesis has partnered with Ecolab to chart a path for integrating biodiversity considerations in strategic decisions.
As a result of our work in 2025, Ecolab now has a list of prioritised sites based on physical, regulatory, and reputational nature risks in which to implement biodiversity impact mitigation strategies.
