Putting Substance Behind the Story: Key takeaways from Beyondly’s panel at the Walpole British Luxury Summit
On 27th April, Beyondly had the pleasure of being a part of the Walpole British Luxury Summit 2026 at The Londoner, hosting the lunchtime panel, "Putting Substance Behind the Story". Joined by valued Beyondly members, Tradelinens and Gusbourne, the panel session explored how luxury brands can place real substance behind their narratives. With a focus on environmental, ethical, and sustainability claims, the session highlighted the opportunities environmental initiatives and ethical marketing present, along with the potential risks and challenges posed by the ever-changing landscape.
Bringing insight and perspectives from across luxury hospitality, wine, sustainability and resource efficiency, the session featured a diverse panel of industry experts:
Liz Wood – Head of Consultancy & International at Beyondly
Charlotte Davies – Senior Consultant in Resource Efficiency & Circularity
Catherine Morris – Managing Director at Tradelinens
Jonathan White – Chief Executive Officer at Gusbourne
Beyond Compliance: Building Trust Through Transparency.
We were delighted to see the session attract a wide range of brands across multiple industries, from food and drink, automotive, and home décor; all united by a thread of luxury and the opportunity to share cross-sector insight. That said, many common themes and challenges resonated across the room throughout the session.
With the EU’s evolving PPWR (Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation) legislation due to apply from 12th August 2026, the session delved into the importance of keeping up to date with regulatory change and engaging with suppliers to obtain high-quality product and packaging data; not only to ensure compliance, but as a foundation for credible storytelling and transparency. Additionally, the session explored one of the first requirements to apply under PPWR from August 2026 – restrictions on PFAS, a group of oil and water resistant chemicals found to have detrimental environmental and health implications, will be introduced for food contact packaging. This will affect businesses placing food contact packaging onto the EU market, bringing significant impact across supply chains.
Opportunities for Luxury Storytelling: Circularity, Craft and Collaboration.
The panel unpacked the key opportunities being introduced through a transition to a circular economy, including design for longevity and durability, and the use of high-quality materials; classic design approaches inherently aligned with many luxury brands. There is also opportunity for the luxury sector around repair, refurbishment and resale, with example initiatives including Mulberry Exchange and Gucci Preloved. The rental and leasing of luxury goods also offer opportunity to connect with customers beyond initial purchase - growing engagement and bringing brand storytelling to life by reinforcing quality craftmanship, longevity, and timeless design.
Collaboration across the luxury sector presents significant opportunity, with a standout example shared being Mulberry’s partnership with James Cropper. Transforming disposable coffee cups into their distinct premium ‘Mulberry Green’ packaging, the collaboration has seen 4.4 million coffee cups, a notoriously hard-to-recycle waste stream, diverted from landfill. The topic reinforced the power collaboration has in unlocking impactful innovation, as well as the value of reframing waste and environmental responsibility as hallmarks of luxury.
Rising Risks for Luxury Storytelling: Regulation, Credibility and Consumer Trust.
The panel explored the introduction of the EU’s ECGT (Empowering Consumers in the Green Transition) Directive, and how the landscape for sustainability communications is changing rapidly as a result. The Directive will intensify regulatory enforcement around unverified sustainability labels and misleading environmental claims, such as greenwashing, for products placed on the EU market. With fines for non-compliance due to exceed 4% of annual turnover and the Directive expected to redefine consumer trust and what it means to be a credible and purpose-driven business, brands must ensure their environmental claims are backed by clear, verifiable evidence. There is also an expectation that AI-driven enforcement will play a role in monitoring compliance, in line with the Advertising Standards Agency’s approach in the UK.
What Does Substance Really Look Like?
The session concluded by offering insight into what real substance behind storytelling means. Compliance, a common theme of discussion throughout the session, was again raised as a key factor. Compliance with current and upcoming legislation such as EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) for packaging, CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), PPWR, and the EGCT Directive, is crucial. However, so is understanding what these mean for a business’ future and how associated costs can be mitigated through planning accordingly.
The importance of leaning into established and growing standards such as the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and B Corp™, or sector-specific initiatives including the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative and Better Cotton, was encouraged. Such frameworks and certifications provide a structured way to build credibility and can serve as benchmarks for inspiration and ambition.
It was great to meet up with customers including Gusbourne and Tradelinens, as well as make new connections in the British luxury sector. We thoroughly enjoyed hearing compelling insights from a wealth of luxury brands, and look forward to continuing the conversations sparked at the Summit and further supporting the Walpole community with all environmental matters.
Discover more about Beyondly’s partnership with Walpole, the UK's official sector body for luxury goods, here.
Liz Wood – Liz is a Chartered member of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment, also sitting on their Climate Change Steering Group. Head of Consultancy & International at Beyondly, she has over 10 years' experience gained through academic research and the delivery of carbon and sustainability support to customers in a multiple industry sector. Liz specialises in carbon and energy measurement and reduction at organisational, supply chain and product level.
Charlotte Davies – Charlotte is a Chartered member of the Institute of Waste Management and Senior Consultant in Resource Efficiency & Circularity at Beyondly. Charlotte supports the delivery of a range of services, focused on the circular economy and wider resource policy. Since 2024, Charlotte has also held the position of Early Careers President at Chartered Institute of Waste Management.
Catherine Morris – Catherine began her career at Nestle before moving to Tradelinens in 2014, where she became Managing Director in 2019. Tradelinens are advisers and suppliers of luxury bedding to the world’s best 5* hotels. With over 80 years of experience, they understand every inch of the linen trade.
Jonathan White – Jonathan is a strategically focused business leader with deep expertise in marketing and commerce. With over 18 years in the wine industry, he brings extensive sector knowledge, having previously held senior marketing roles at Armit Wines and Berry Bros. & Rudd before joining Gusbourne in 2018. Gusbourne planted their first vines in 2004 with a vision to craft the world’s finest sparkling wines. Crafting vintage only bottlings from estate grown, hand harvested grapes.
Contributor: Liz Wood
