By Ben Richardson, Co-Founder and CSO and George Wade, Co-Founder and CCO, Zevero
Key takeaways:
- Gen Z leaders are demanding transparency over marketing: They reject vague sustainability claims and greenwashing, instead prioritizing measurable, verifiable environmental impact with real operational changes rather than carbon offset programs or green marketing campaigns.
- Scope 3 emissions are the critical blind spot: Most companies focus only on direct emissions while ignoring the majority of their carbon footprint that comes from suppliers, logistics, packaging, and waste throughout their supply chains.
- Systems thinking drives both environmental and business results: Companies that map their complete emissions footprint and treat sustainability as an operational strategy rather than a side campaign gain competitive advantages through better risk management, regulatory compliance, and cost savings.
As members of Generation Z, growing up we were bombarded with narratives about the environment and sustainability. As young professionals, we also saw how most businesses struggled to track their impact in meaningful ways. This shaped our perspective on the climate and the market challenges faced by food and beverage and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies.
As we started our careers, we saw firsthand how even well-intentioned companies failed to account for their complete emissions footprint, especially when it came to Scope 3 emissions, the indirect emissions tied to suppliers, logistics, and waste. Rather than accept that gap as inevitable, we looked for tools to help close it.
Why Gen Z’s leadership style is different
We know we aren’t the only ones of our generation blending technical fluency with environmental urgency. More than half of Gen Z and millennials identify climate change as a top concern and are responding as consumers and in roles as business leaders. We are excited to see many other Gen Z entrepreneurs, business owners, and activists demonstrating an enthusiastic commitment to creating transparent, accountable, and operational solutions that can be scaled across industries.
For food and beverage executives, this shift has real implications. Gen Z leaders are helping redefine what credible climate action looks like and setting new expectations for how it’s tracked, communicated, and improved over time.
- Gen Z is a growing economic force. About 68% percent of Gen Z consumers seek sustainability information when buying food.
- They back their values with their wallets. Nearly three-quarters are willing to pay more for products with verifiable environmental benefits.
- Their influence is already reshaping supply chains. As employees, buyers, and leaders, this generation expects sustainability to be part of day-to-day business, not a side campaign.
Companies that don’t consider these expectations are risking brand damage and losing consumer trust. They could also find themselves outpaced by competitors who are adapting faster to regulatory, investor, and customer demands.
From awareness to action
We have seen many organizations where sustainability is a talking point but not approached as a fully operational strategy. Across industries, most climate efforts often stop at carbon pledges and shadowy carbon offset programs or are focused only on Scope 1 and 2 emissions. However, in sectors such as food and beverage, the bulk of emissions are often hidden in Scope 3, encompassing the upstream and downstream impacts from suppliers, agriculture, distribution, and packaging.
Platforms that help companies map and manage those hard-to-track areas will spark true propulsion to their sustainability missions. This approach is grounded in systems thinking, a method that views supply chains and operations as interconnected parts of a whole. Companies that identify precise areas where emissions are highest and where reductions will have the most value and overall impact will go well beyond just meeting compliance.
More companies are adopting this model because it brings multiple benefits. Systems thinking enables end-to-end traceability, reducing blind spots that lead to greenwashing. It also provides more accurate risk management. Understanding how climate, regulation, and operations interact helps companies avoid disruption. With interconnected data, companies can prioritize changes that produce both environmental and financial returns. Systems thinking also supports compliance with upcoming rules around emissions disclosure, especially in the EU and growing U.S. markets.
The price of greenwashing
Our generation is simply not impressed with elaborate green-cred marketing. We do respect companies that invest in standardized systems to show the real work behind the claims. Our focus on scalable and repeatable results is in part a reaction to what we’ve lived through: decades of green marketing claims without meaningful follow-through.
And, it’s just not sound business practice to say you’re green without actually making the real efforts. Misleading labels and unverifiable carbon claims have led to public backlash and even legal challenges. Examples include:
- Companies exaggerating the recyclability of their packaging.
- Claims of carbon neutrality on animal products without third-party verification.
- Packaging changes that suggest environmental benefits without addressing upstream emissions.
- Court rulings against advertising products as “climate-neutral” without providing verification.
Where we go from here
For consumers today, sustainability is a baseline expectation. We are encouraged by the many new startups looking for ways to support real change. These are our allies in the fight to conserve resources, meet regulatory mandates, and save money on operational costs. For food industry executives, the path forward is clear. Companies that embrace transparency, invest in real data, and collaborate with the next generation of climate leaders will be the ones positioned to succeed in a world that expects more than promises.
As climate change intensifies, a new generation of entrepreneurs is stepping into leadership positions with a bold mindset. Ben Richardson and George Wade, co-founders of the sustainability platform Zevero, exemplify this generation’s more pragmatic approach. They are not interested in vague carbon pledges or branding statements that obscure actual process. These digital natives are realistic about what is happening with the changing climate and are focused on delivering measurable results. In the food and beverage industry, where sustainability claims are increasingly scrutinized, this shift in perspective is right on time.
