Climate resilience, corporate citizenship and the future of food

Rituj Sahu is the Director of Protein Transition at Asia Research & Engagement. With over a decade of experience in climate action, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and food systems, Rituj has dedicated his career to driving transformative change in how companies, regulators, and multilateral institutions, and philanthropists approach climate resilience. His unique journey from finance to climate advocacy offers invaluable insights into the critical elements needed to integrate climate action into corporate strategy.

Integrating climate action into corporate strategy

When asked about the most critical elements for successfully embedding climate action into a company’s corporate strategy, Rituj believes it requires much more than tweaking existing processes or introducing new sustainable products. "Businesses need to stop reacting to market shifts and start transforming the market itself," he asserts. According to Rituj, the future of business sustainability hinges on creating those shifts by integrating climate considerations into the very fabric of how companies operate.

One of the key challenges he highlights is overcoming the inertia that exists within organizations. Even though many companies are aware of the urgent need for climate action, they often find themselves stuck in a reactive mindset, waiting for regulatory requirements or market pressures to force change. "True transformation demands leadership commitment to not only set ambitious climate goals but to fundamentally shift how business decisions are made—from product development to capital allocation."

Rituj underscores the need for businesses to take ownership of their sustainability journeys, moving beyond compliance and into genuine climate stewardship. “Acknowledging that we do not know everything is at the heart of true stakeholder engagement,” he remarks, emphasizing the need for humility and collaboration across all levels of the business. This engagement should not be confined to internal stakeholders but extend to investors, suppliers, and even customers, creating a ripple effect that reshapes entire value chains. He also emphasizes the importance of aligning climate action with core business functions. Whether it’s supply chain management, marketing, or financial planning, sustainability should be interwoven into the decision-making processes that define a company’s long-term strategy.

A holistic approach to corporate sustainability

While supply chain resilience is crucial, Rituj believes that focusing solely on the supply chain misses the bigger picture of true corporate sustainability. His work with a philanthropic foundation, where he developed frameworks to benchmark regenerative agriculture commitments of leading global companies, exposed the prevalence of greenwashing. For instance, many companies claimed to be investing in regenerative agriculture but were still pushing chemical fertilizers under the guise of ‘nutrients’. Others would allocate a minimal amount of funding to small, peripheral projects and then use those efforts to bolster their reputations. "It’s not just about doing something for optics; it’s about embedding sustainability into the core of business strategy," Rituj asserts.

In his current role, Rituj takes a more comprehensive approach, analyzing not just the supply chains of publicly listed food companies but their entire sustainability strategy. This includes examining the role of boards, their engagement with climate issues, and whether companies are setting ambitious, science-based targets. For instance, the Asia Protein Buyers 100 report—an analysis of 100 companies with over USD 540 billion in combined capital expenditure—revealed that while 23 companies had supplier sourcing codes, only two demonstrated actual due diligence. Similarly, despite 13 companies reporting through frameworks like CDP or TCFD, only two had a validated Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi) for long-term emissions reduction. This data illustrates the need for businesses to look beyond superficial disclosures and integrate sustainability into their core operations, boardroom discussions, and long-term planning.

Challenges and solutions in climate finance

Financing sustainability transformations remains one of the biggest challenges for businesses today. While companies recognize the need for deeper climate action, they often face hurdles such as high perceived risks, inconsistent standards for measuring impact, and gaps in funding—particularly for early-stage innovations. According to Rituj, many businesses find themselves at a standstill, unable to access the necessary capital to scale their sustainability efforts, especially in sectors like regenerative agriculture and alternative proteins.

The solution lies in a multi-pronged approach to climate finance. Corporations need to leverage a combination of instruments like sustainability-linked bonds, venture capital for early-stage innovations, and internal carbon pricing mechanisms. Banks play a pivotal role here as well. By aligning corporate cash and liquidity management with banks that are committed to net zero financing, companies can further reduce their financial and environmental risks. This approach, as seen in the growing number of banks joining the Net Zero Banking Alliance, highlights how businesses can make smarter capital allocation choices, fostering long-term sustainability .

By working closely with investors and financial institutions, companies can integrate climate finance into their broader strategic goals. "It's not just about raising capital," Rituj explains, "but about aligning financial tools with sustainability outcomes, ensuring that both business and climate targets are met in tandem."

The role of policy in achieving net zero transitions

Public policy is pivotal in enabling net-zero transitions, particularly in sectors like food systems where sustainability challenges are deeply entrenched. Rituj highlights the role of policies such as India’s BioE3 policy, which focuses on harnessing biotechnology for sustainable economic growth and environmental stewardship. In his recent op-ed, Biotechnology and Corporate Stewardship: Seizing the BioE3 Policy Opportunity for a Sustainable Future, Rituj discussed how this policy is a catalyst for businesses to integrate biotechnology into their core operations, pushing for sustainable market transformation.

He believes that policies like BioE3 are important for setting the foundation, but it is ultimately up to businesses to lead the way in implementing real change. “Incentives and subsidies are helpful,” Rituj notes, “but businesses must go beyond compliance, aligning their operations with long-term sustainability goals.” Policies provide structure, but corporate action is equally critical to driving systemic change, and companies need to embed sustainability into every facet of their strategy—from climate disclosures to science-based targets.

In his current role as Director of Protein Transition for India at Asia Research & Engagement, Rituj focuses on enabling businesses to achieve sustainability through corporate stewardship. His work helps companies develop and execute robust sustainability strategies that align with market transformations, such as those driven by the BioE3 policy, while contributing to the global effort toward a net-zero future.

Strategic philanthropy and corporate stewardship: Partners in climate action

Strategic philanthropy and corporate stewardship, when aligned, have the power to catalyze deep, systemic change in addressing climate challenges. Rituj emphasizes that philanthropy plays a key role in de-risking innovations, while corporate stewardship scales these solutions, integrating them into business models to ensure long-term impact.

An example from the Food Systems Analysis Toolkit, developed by The Rockefeller Foundation, highlights how aligning philanthropic capital with corporate strategies can create transformative change. The toolkit presents a case where philanthropic investment in sustainable agricultural practices was essential for building capacity in nature-positive farming. By providing early financial support, philanthropy enabled private companies to adopt these sustainable methods in their supply chains, driving both environmental and economic benefits. This collaboration between philanthropy and the private sector illustrates how well-aligned capital can accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions and generate widespread impact.

For Rituj, the partnership between philanthropy and corporate leadership is crucial for fostering market transformation. Philanthropy initiates new approaches, while corporate stewardship ensures these innovations are scalable and embedded in strategic planning. This alignment creates ripple effects, encouraging companies to go beyond isolated efforts and contribute to larger, systemic changes that benefit both the climate and long-term business resilience.

Personal journey and core beliefs

Rituj’s personal journey is deeply intertwined with his professional mission. Born into a farming family that eventually moved to the city, he grew up in a lower-middle-class household in a low-caste ghetto in Delhi. This upbringing exposed him to issues of access, agency, and justice as lived realities. After spending five years in the private sector, Rituj took a leap of faith and dedicated himself to a full-time career in social impact and economic opportunity, , driven by a core belief that "complex problems like climate change cannot be solved by one or two actors alone—key stakeholders from businesses, governments, and philanthropy must come together to create a multiplier effect.”

In conclusion, Rituj Sahu’s work exemplifies the integration of climate action into corporate strategy, the critical role of policy in achieving net-zero transitions, and the catalytic nature of strategic philanthropy to drive meaningful change. His insights and experiences offer a roadmap for businesses and investors committed to creating a sustainable and climate-resilient future.