The Economics of Circularity: Fashioning Sustainability for Business Longevity | London Climate Action Week Panel
The Economics of Circularity: Fashioning Sustainability for Business Longevity
Fashion is one of the clearest case studies for the bottom-up climate awareness movement: Its economics connects capital and markets, regions and geopolitics, brands and consumers, manufacturing and infrastructure, cultures and generations.
This event, as part of 2026 European Sustainable Fashion Forum (ESFF) at London Climate Action Week hosted by DEPLOY with Bates Wells, explores what action it takes to move circularity from ambition to implementation from start-up to scale up whilst maintaining mission & resilience — with the economic staying power to outlast trend phase-outs & commercial buy-outs.
Programme to cover:
Commercial Perspective: Tidal Challenges vs. Consumer Appetite for Sustainable Fashion?
Investment Perspective: Impact Investment Objectives vs. Business Mission Longevity?
Civic Perspective: Circular Transition Mandate vs. Societal Cultural Change?
Panellists:
Lisa O Donnell | Sustainability Consultant
A mathematician by training, Lisa O’Donnell is a leading consultant in sustainability-ESG strategies and reporting, corporate governance and risks assurance with over 20 years experience, previously as Director at PWC and more recently as Partner at S&W.
Lisa founded and grew the ESG-sustainability reporting team within PWC to 250 strong and was the business sponsor for an AI CSRD gap analysis tool, working with both private & public sectors; embedding ESG into long term solutions in navigating global challenges & improve business performance for all stakeholders.
John Atcheson | CEO, Circular Way
John Atcheson is a serial entrepreneur and believer in innovation for good, focused on advancing the circular economy – an economy that’s restorative & regenerative by design. John is the Co-Founder/CEO of Circular Way, a startup reimagining fashion retail as a closed-loop system, and previously served as Founder/CEO of Stuffstr, an award-winning platform that pioneered branded takeback and resale in the fashion industry.
John has spent most of his career in Silicon Valley, and has founded or helped to launch multiple ground-breaking startups including MusicNet, the first digital music service, RealNetworks (RNWK), the creator of web-based audio and video, and Getaround (GETR), the leading peer-to-peer carshare service. John’s thought leadership and companies have won recognition at the World Economic Forum, World Retail Congress and Ellen MacArthur Foundation amongst others.
Moderator: Dr. Bernice Pan, Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Bernice is an award-winning sustainable entrepreneur combining vision, theory & practice, applying systems thinking & creative innovation to combat over-consumption. She founded DEPLOY on its novel 3600Sustainability compass as a strategic action plan to reform fashion – now the world’s highest scoring fashion B Corp and Winner of Great British Brand and Marie Claire Sustainability Awards.
Her speaking engagements span from global summits including the UN, American Chamber of Commerce, UBS Asia Investment Conference to top-tier institutions. She is the Co-Editor of book title Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Clothing & Textiles.
About The ESFF | Turning Ambition into Action Through Cross-Sector Alignment, Expertise & Collaboration
The European Sustainable Fashion Forum (ESFF) was founded by DEPLOY as part of its Global Changemakers programme-partnership series; launched in Brussels in March 2022 upon the European Green Deal’s Textiles Strategy publication.
Its purpose is to create ever-more important bridges between UK-EU, aligning perspectives and sharing knowhow across public-private-NGO-education sectors to expedite effective regulation and public education – in order to champion commercial excellence and resilience whilst facilitating business and citizens transition towards a sustainable-circular Fashion System.
The aim is to develop a coherent agenda and framework with viable resolutions for both multi-nationals and SMEs (99% of the UK & EU fashion sector) as agents of change; in turn scale-up the holistic transformation to economic equity, civic wellness and environmental sustainability.
About DEPLOY Est. 2006 | Multiple award-winning British brand founded on its 360° Sustainability compass, DEPLOY is a strategic action plan to reform fashion; reconceptualising clothing as an interface for care.
Pioneering zero-waste design with 20 years of proven case in changemaking, its mission, model, methodology and merchandise demonstrate that sustainability, creativity and profitability are mutually enhancing in delivering commercial advantage, brand value, social-environmental equity, and collective good. It is the world’s highest-scoring B Corp across fashion, manufacturing, and retail (176.8); actively contributing towards 12 of 17 UN SDGs.
Bates Wells | A purpose-driven full practice and the first UK law firm to become a certified B Corp, Bates Wells is recognised for its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, with a specialisation in advising organisations on ethical business practices, governance, and sustainability to drive positive impact.