Every day, purchasing teams make decisions that lock in costs, energy use and performance for decades. Industrial solutions that reduce energy use, emissions and resource consumption are increasingly available, but the better solution is not always the easiest one to buy. Higher upfront costs, established purchasing practices and market structures can slow adoption even where solutions create substantial value over their lifetime.

This session brings together business, customer and policy perspectives to explore how we change that equation. Many organisations know change is needed, but changing established purchasing models requires trust, leadership and a willingness to rethink familiar approaches. How can companies build trust that better-performing solutions will deliver value over time? How can new commercial models, service and lifecycle thinking strengthen the customer business case? And how can policy and procurement create markets that reward long-term performance rather than focusing predominantly on upfront cost?

Through practical examples, the discussion will explore the courage required to challenge established models, test new approaches and learn from what does not work, while creating solutions that are both commercially successful and deliver greater value for customers and society.