Impact Leaders: In Conversation with Justine Porterie

Justine Porterie is an impact leader with deep experience at the intersection of tech, fashion, and circular economy. Formerly Director of Sustainability & DEI at Depop, with earlier roles at PwC, Unilever, and EY, she also founded her own circular venture. Today, she’s exploring new ways to spark dialogue on sustainability and social change through writing and thought leadership. You can follow her on LinkedIn here and on Substack here.

Toby: Justine, let’s start with your journey. What first drew you into sustainability and impact?

Justine: I come from a very humble background - neither of my parents went to university and I lived in a one bedroom flat with my mother most of my childhood - so when I got into one of the top business schools in France, I knew my career would be secure.

When I started to explore potential paths, I wanted to give back - my work had to be about more than me. As I researched, I discovered that business could be a force for good with sustainability - and I never looked back.

Toby: What experiences shaped the way you lead and think about sustainability?

Justine: Two moments stand out. First, leaving the consulting world and moving closer to the action. Consulting taught me useful frameworks and structure. But creating my own circular start-up and helping to scale a mission-driven unicorn taught me how messy - and essential - it is to embed sustainability in operations.

Second, realising that people and planet are two sides of the same coin. I started out obsessed with the “E” in ESG. But the penny dropped that unless people’s essential needs  are met, you can’t expect them to address big systemic issues like the climate crisis. Environmental action has to be paired with an equity lens to be effective.

Toby: Where do you think your strong sense of justice comes from?

Justine: My upbringing instilled in me a strong sense of empathy and responsibility. I know what it’s like not to have much, and now that I’ve climbed the ladder, I’m very aware of my privileges and keen to leverage them so that others do not face unjust hardship. That means doing my part to dismantle systemic barriers and fight for current and future generations’ right to a liveable planet.

Toby: What kind of leadership do we need right now?

Justine: Pragmatic optimism. Doom shuts people down; blind positivity is tone deaf. The sweet spot is balancing realism about the challenges at hand with painting a desirable future anchored in action.

People have a natural desire  for agency. If you can show them where their role - however small - fits into designing solutions, that’ll get them out of bed in the morning.

Toby: A lot of people say, “What difference can I really make?” What do you tell them?

Justine: Everyone has a gift. If you’re brilliant in finance, marketing, product, engineering - whatever it is - you can use those skills for impact, by making suggestions for improvement within your organisation or in a volunteering capacity supporting mission-driven organisations. You don’t have to switch careers to “become” a sustainability person.

Toby: How do you handle commercial pressures that pull against impact goals?

Justine: The role of an impact leader is to align impact and commercial goals so they’re one and the same. That’s the holy grail. But tensions will arise as companies grow and the macro-environment changes.

The trick is to surface trade-offs openly, explain decisions, and not get paralysed by wanting everything to be perfect. I’m a big believer in piloting and testing, openly and imperfectly. Because otherwise fear of scrutiny stops companies from innovating at all.

Toby: You’ve worked at the intersection of fashion, resale, and digital platforms. What have you learned about scaling circular business models?

Justine: Three things:

1. Ease. It has to be as easy - if not easier - than the old way to scale. Early adopters will forgive flaws, but they’re a tiny slice of the market.

2. Affordability. If it saves people money as well as the planet, that’s a win-win. Resale is a great example.

3. Time. Behaviour change takes patience. You need repetition, social proof, and therefore time. It took years for resale to feel normal. Now it’s second nature.

   
   

Toby: What about the failures - the experiments that didn’t work?

Justine: Oh, plenty! Early in my career I tried to do everything, with equal passion and energy. I learned the hard way that not every battle is worth fighting. Prioritisation is essential - for both effectiveness and my sanity.

I’ve also learned to let go of some unhelpful red lines. For example, I once swore I’d never work with certain types of influencers. But if they are the bridge to reaching people who wouldn’t otherwise engage, then maybe that’s exactly where you need to be. We have to meet people where they are.

Toby: Big retailers are starting to launch resale pilots. Do you see this as genuine change, or just protecting market share?

Justine: Honestly? I don’t think it matters why they do it - as long as it leads to less new stuff being produced.

The encouraging thing is that what used to be a marketing experiment or sustainability-led project is now turning into real business units with dedicated teams. That shows intent. We’re still a long way from systemic change, but the direction of travel is promising.

Toby: Beyond consumer behaviour, where are the biggest levers for change?

Justine: Policy, hands down. Regulation turns sustainability from a “nice to have” into a C-suite issue. It aligns incentives across the board.

But we need balance. Some EU regulations tipped too far towards reporting in my opinion. If all sustainability resources go into disclosure rather than transformation, we’ve lost the plot.

Toby: How do we square rising awareness with the fact that Shein and Temu are booming?

Justine: That’s on us - corporates - to solve, not individuals. We can’t just point fingers at their “cognitive dissonance.” If sustainable products aren’t accessible and desirable, then of course the cheapest option wins.

We need to design better solutions and be radically transparent about their qualities and shortcomings. Glossy PR that claims perfection is not only unlawful, it erodes trust; whilst honesty builds it.

Toby: You’ve worked with B Corp frameworks before. What’s your take on the new standards?

Justine: I think B Corp is a brilliant framework for setting direction, and iteration is usually a signal of progress. But I worry that as certification becomes more resource-intensive, some companies might just drop out.

The intention - preventing cherry-picking - is commendable. But if the process becomes so complex and time-consuming that companies spend more time on reporting than action, then we’ll have missed the point. Time will tell.

Toby: What advice would you give to founders or sustainability leads in smaller businesses?

Justine: Three things:

1. Set a clear direction tied to the company’s mission and goals - and be transparent that it’s a journey.

2. Start small. Three material issues max. It’ll take more time than you think and fewer priorities help focus your narrative and the teams.

3. Make it everyone’s problem. Get leadership buy-in and build a culture where everyone feels responsible and empowered. Culture eats processes for breakfast.

   
   

Toby: If you could make one change in the next five years, what would it be?

Justine: More dialogue across lines of difference. Right now, we’re stuck in echo chambers. Everyone thinks they’re right, no one listens, and empathy is in short supply.

But if we can’t talk to people who think differently, how on earth are we going to address climate change, AI disruption, or political instability? Empathy and collaboration across divides are necessary.

Toby: What keeps you motivated in this work?

Justine: Two things. First, a sense of duty - I just can’t imagine not trying to do my part. Second, human connection. When someone tells me I’ve inspired them to make a change, big or small, that’s the fuel.

Toby: So what’s next?

Justine: I’m exploring new projects and experimenting with writing on Substack. It’s very “throw spaghetti at the wall” right now! But the goal is to create space for dialogue about the issues that matter. Not just hot air, but the kind of conversations that spark curiosity and  inspire to take action.

---

This series of interviews is in support of our mission to accelerate sustainability and decarbonisation across SMEs, NGOs and value chains. By sharing experiences, lessons learned and tips and tricks to embedding sustainability, we can all learn how to improve more, faster.

ZeroBees (certified B Corp) are experts advisors for impact, sustainability and B Corp. From measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to full support for B Corp assessment and re-certification, communication and impact reporting, we're here to help you navigate what's important and how to leverage your strengths. Book a call with us today.

Need support for your sustainability journey?

Get in touch with us at ZeroBees.

Book a Discovery Call