Bridging Purpose and Practice
Key Insights from the Anthesis Ireland Connect November Event
Insights
Key takeaways from the event
- The Purpose Gap is real and it’s costing businesses
- Purpose in practice: the FoodCloud story
- Turning purpose into value
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Following the inaugural Anthesis Ireland Connect event held in June 2025, Anthesis brought together another group of sustainability professionals from across a variety of organisations and industries in November 2025 to explore two highly relevant themes in today’s business landscape: organisational purpose, and the business case for sustainability.
Picking up on challenges and topics that were raised back in June, the group reflected on insights from Anthesis’ latest Purpose Gap report, which looks at the difference between what organisations say and do around purpose. The group discussed how purpose can move beyond words to become a tangible and meaningful part of how businesses operate and, ultimately, succeed.
Anthesis Ireland Connect aims to be a forum in which sustainability professionals can discuss shared challenges and opportunities in an inclusive, pre-competitive space whilst also strengthening connections and relationships with peers. From the latest research, inspiring case studies and open discussions at our November event, three key insights stood out…
Key takeaways
Insight #1: The Purpose Gap is real and it’s costing businesses
- Anthesis shared new research showing that while 89% of Irish employees believe purpose is important in their workplace, 18% are thinking about leaving their job because they don’t see that purpose in action within their companies. This disconnect can have real consequences, impacting negatively on both company revenue and reputation.
- The Purpose Gap is the difference between what companies say in terms of their purpose statements, compared with what the company does in practice. This year’s report showed that the gap is widening for the first time in four years. Attendees were eager to explore what’s behind the trends that are causing this widening gap, from challenging global conditions to leadership perceptions.
- Among the problems identified were a so-called “glass floor” on corporate communications; and too much focus on external-facing initiatives rather than internal ones that truly engage the workforce.
The big takeaway: Leaders and employees often see purpose very differently. Until organisations close that gap, they risk losing both productivity and talent.
Insight #2: Purpose in practice: the FoodCloud story
- The story of FoodCloud’s evolution brought purpose to life in a powerful way. The organisation exists to connect surplus food with those who need it most. In a world where one billion people go hungry and 40% of food is wasted, FoodCloud has created a smart, scalable solution leveraging logistics, technology, and strong partnerships.FoodCloud’s success is further derived through the alignment of its own purpose with that of its partners, enabling them to achieve their own social and environmental goals. Beyond food redistribution, the team also educates charities on how to make the best use of food donations and supports the Irish Government in reaching national food waste targets.
- Even with its strong social impact, FoodCloud recognises there’s more to do, particularly around understanding and reducing the environmental impact of its own operations.
The big takeaway: A reminder that purpose-driven organisations are also on a journey of continuous improvement, leading towards true Sustainable Performance.
Insight #3: Turning purpose into value
- The event wrapped up with a practical session to help organisations understand where and how sustainability creates business value. Participants wanted to establish a credible business case linking sustainability initiatives to revenue and tangible business growth.
- Attendees worked together to apply an Anthesis value creation framework to real-life examples.
- Individuals emphasised the critical nature of the sustainability function acting – and being treated like – any other business function. It was stressed that sustainability teams, when interacting with those functions, must speak the business language in terms of performance metrics, expected growth, opex, capex etc.
The big takeaway: Sustainability isn’t an add-on; it’s a core driver of business growth and long-term success. When organisational purpose and sustainability meet business performance, it can create real value for people, the planet, and the company.
The Journey to Sustainable Performance
Sustainable Performance is the strategic journey that starts with purpose and ends with measurable business value.
A copy of the The Purpose Gap report which informed part of the agenda can be found here. Now in its fourth year, the 2025 report shows where purpose is thriving, where it’s faltering, and how teams can learn from purpose leaders to turn it into a strategic advantage.
The October episode of Anthesis’ Purposing podcast, featuring Sarah Gillard, CEO of A Blueprint for Better Business, discusses the 2025 Purpose Gap report in more depth, specifically around what the ‘purpose gap’ reveals about leadership and trust.
We are the world’s leading purpose driven, digitally enabled, science-based activator. And always welcome inquiries and partnerships to drive positive change together.
