Sustainable Supplier Edge

We provide the practical and proven steps to help B2B companies get ahead and take full advantage of this shift in your customer's buying criteria.

Sustainability Has Become a Commercial Imperative

Across B2B markets, sustainability has moved from message to mandate.

It now drives growth, shapes procurement priorities, and defines long-term value.

Suppliers who fail to embed it commercially risk losing relevance, reputation, and revenue.

Yet as the market accelerates, many sales and marketing teams are struggling to keep pace.

They see sustainability shifting from a corporate initiative to a buying decision—but lack the tools to translate it into credible client value.

Common symptoms include:

Limited knowledge of sustainability principles and evolving regulations.
Unclear internal messaging about the company’s own sustainability story.
Insufficient data to back claims in tenders or conversations.
Weak linkage between sustainability goals and commercial outcomes.

The result is understandable hesitation. Teams know sustainability matters but feel unsure how to talk about it with authority—or how to prove its business impact.

The Confidence Gap That Costs Sales and Market Share

While 92% of organisations maintain net zero timelines and 82% are increasing sustainability investment, most suppliers are still catching up.

Sustainability is now projected to become the second most important buying criterion—ahead of price and delivery—yet fewer than 30% of suppliers feel confident discussing it.

59% of sales teams don’t fully understand their product’s sustainability impact.
Only 34% understand their customer’s sustainability goals.

Buyers now expect transparency on embedded carbon, lifecycle data, and supplier commitments.

Some, like Haleon, have already introduced carbon pricing into tenders.

When sales and marketing teams lack the fluency, data, or alignment to engage credibly, opportunities are lost before they even reach proposal stage.

This confidence gap directly translates into weaker positioning, slower growth, and shrinking market share.

How Can You Build Commercial Sustainability Capability

Cambium’s Supplier's Pathway to Sustainable Growth (SP2SG) Framework provides a five-stage pathway from recognition to results

—building the commercial, operational, and people capabilities modern buyers expect.

FOCUS

Form partnerships and ecosystems for shared innovation.

OUTCOME

Market expansion and long-term resilience.

FOCUS

Translate sustainability focus into commercial performance

OUTCOME

Revenue, retention, and brand strength.

FOCUS

Back claims with verified data and proof points.

OUTCOME

Stronger buyer trust and differentiation

FOCUS

Equip sales and marketing teams with language, tools, and confidence

OUTCOME

Credible client conversations, earlier qualification

FOCUS

Understand how sustainability reshapes buyer priorities.

OUTCOME

Clear view of market opportunity and positioning.

What Commercial Results Can You Expect?

Suppliers using the SP2SG framework consistently outperform their peers.

Our clients have achieved:

Pipeline growth by focusing on sustainability-led opportunities.
Tender win rates up 25–40% through verified capability evidence.
Earlier executive access by aligning with C-suite sustainability goals.

Over 80% of B2B buyers already pay a premium for sustainable products.

Those who lead in sustainability command trust, margin, and market access.

Why Cambium?

With 15+ years of ESG market experience, Cambium delivers integrated consulting, capability development, and partnership enablement.

We equip your commercial function with three essential skills:

Fluency – Speak your client’s sustainability language.
Evidence – Back every claim with proof and measurable data.
Alignment – Tell one coherent sustainability story across marketing, sales, and leadership.

Our programmes span market evaluation, proposition development, content strategy, and sales enablement.

We help suppliers turn sustainability ambition into commercial advantage by focusing on carbon reduction, circular economy, supply chain resilience, and climate risk.