QMU brings people and organisations together to rethink sustainability
Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh is set to spark fresh conversations about the future of responsible business with a new symposium that challenges organisations to rethink sustainability as a strategic opportunity, rather than a tick‑box exercise.
The event will bring together industry leaders, third‑sector organisations and academics to explore why sustainability has become such a debated topic, and how organisations can move beyond basic compliance towards approaches that create real, long‑term value. With terms like greenwashing and greenhushing causing increasing confusion, the symposium aims to offer clear, practical insight into how sustainability can genuinely benefit people, communities and the planet while helping organisations operate more confidently and responsibly.
‘Beyond Compliance: Rethinking Sustainability as a Business Model’, hosted by Queen Margaret Business School, will take place on Tuesday 17 March 2026. The discussion will focus on the pressures facing organisations today and highlight values‑led models such as circular economy design, regenerative practice and place‑based value creation - areas that reflect QMU’s strong commitment to social justice, community impact and environmental responsibility.
Organisations feel increasingly caught between regulatory demands and stakeholder expectations, but sustainability done well is not a burden - it’s an opportunity. We want to open up a conversation about how organisations can shift from risk‑avoidance to value‑creation, and how they can lead in building socially and environmentally fairer communities.”
Joining the panel are Gordon Robertson, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Edinburgh Airport; Nick Pollard, Finance Director at Link Housing; Dr Yuan Yuan Zhou, an expert in green consumption and behavioural change; and a representative from the social enterprise sector.
The event is designed for business leaders, policymakers, academics, students and anyone interested in how organisations can take a more meaningful and confident approach to sustainability.
This free event, ‘Beyond Compliance: Rethinking Sustainability as a Business Model’ takes place on Tuesday 17 March 2026, 5pm – 6pm (registration 4.45pm), Room 2156, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Secure your place via Eventbrite.
For further media information contact Lynne Russell, Communications Manager, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: lrussell@qmu.ac.uk (copy to E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk).
