Our first decade

A decade of system change, and what comes next

Systemiq was founded in 2016 out of hope and frustration in equal measure. Hope that humanity already had many of the solutions needed to build a better economy. Frustration that those solutions were not being implemented fast enough, or fairly enough. 

Ten years on, this publication reflects on what the Systemiq community has built, and what the next decade will demand. It is a record of how system change happens in practice. Through: 

  • Agenda-setting work that shifts what is considered possible. 
  • Coalitions that mobilise industries, investors and governments. 
  • Advisory support to organisations willing to move first. 
  • And, country-level transitions that connect global ambition to local reality. 

Across energy, nature and food, materials and circular economy, and sustainable finance, Systemiq’s work has helped translate analysis into real-world tipping points. Today, the organisation spans eight offices across five continents. Our work has taken us to more than 60 markets and over 700 employees and alumni have been part of the Systemiq story. 

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What's next?

The world has changed since 2016. Geopolitical tensions are intensifying. The costs and trade-offs of transition are real. Political consensus is fragmenting, and the gap between ambition and delivery remains dangerously wide. That is why Systemiq’s mission feels more urgent than ever.  

The decade ahead will require stronger partnerships, harder choices and deeper engagement with the political economy of transition. It will require resilience, implementation on the front line and technology, including AI, used in service of collective action and real impact. 

Systemiq’s tenth anniversary has been an opportunity to reflect on what we have built, where we have fallen short, and what we want to achieve next. Our commitment for the decade ahead: to deepen our work across energy, nature and food, materials and finance; to double down on the capabilities that drive real change; and to keep placing partnerships at the heart of everything we do.

If you are a business leader, investor, government or philanthropy ready to move faster on the transitions that matter, we look forward to working with you.

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The systems we work in

The energy transition is central to tackling climate change, reducing air pollution and unlocking clean growth. We combine rigorous system-level analysis with hands-on advisory work, connecting actors who cannot move without each other. We help align decision-makers, mobilise investment, deploy market mechanisms and turn high-level commitments into industrial reality. 

Materials underpin our global economy, from energy infrastructure and digital technologies to buildings, clothing and packaging. We work to shift material systems towards models that are healthier for people and planet, create new economic opportunities, and design out waste and pollution across value chains. 

Finance sits at the centre of every system transition, yet capital is not flowing at the speed or scale required. We help reshape the systems, instruments and incentives that governing capital flows. We identify where value pools will shift, translate real-economy transitions into investable opportunities and work to reduce risk in emerging markets. 

Food and land-use systems directly determine the health, livelihoods and food security of hundreds of millions of people. We combine analysis, coalition-building and implementation to help corporates, governments, investors and philanthropies value nature as a productive asset, build resilience and unlock competitive advantage.

Our impact

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coalitions convened and supported
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million hectares brought under sustainable management (through P4F)
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leading industrial companies endorsed sector transition strategies
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governments citing Systemiq analysis at the global plastics treaty negotiations
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billion
blended finance mobilised or committed across multiple sustainable investment vehicles globally

Working in partnership

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"What sets Systemiq apart is their ability to translate complex challenges into practical, high-impact actions.

Systemiq has been a trusted partner to Walmart over several years, supporting the evolution of our packaging strategy across reduction, reuse and recycling. This work has played an important role in helping Walmart continue our efforts to transition to circular approaches."

Kathleen McLaughlinCSO, Walmart
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"Since 2019, Systemiq has been a critical strategic partner on our journey to advance global clean industry transformation.

Together we pioneered industry-backed Sector Transition Strategies that have become a reference point for policymakers and finance players, and established our first Project Acceleration Programme in Brazil, a model since replicated across multiple geographies."

Dick BenschopMission Possible Partnership
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"Together, we've catapulted food systems transformation onto global political, climate and health agendas.

Since co-founding the Food and Land Use Coalition with WRI in 2017, Systemiq has combined big vision, sharp insight and analytical heft to drive a sustainable food system transition."

Ani DasguptaWorld Resources Institute
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"Systemiq stands out for its relentless focus on high-impact global change, balanced with practical policy insights.

Our ongoing collaboration on the Global Commons Stewardship Framework aims to establish a clear pathway for recognizing the true value of natural capital across energy, cities, circular economy and food systems."

Naoko IshiiUniversity of Tokyo
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"Systemiq has a distinctive ability to connect public ambition with private sector execution, converting commitments into investable structures.

They were a critical part of the shift that the ‘Bridgetown Initiative’ helped spur: from incremental steps toward system-level solutions that can truly mobilise capital at scale."

Avinash PersaudInter-American Development Bank
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"Systemiq has helped advance Ukraine's critical raw materials strategy with intellectual honesty and solutions tailored to our realities.

Their willingness to challenge ideas constructively and their practical insight have helped translate our ambitions into actionable priorities and strengthen our long-term economic resilience."

Yegor PerelyginDeputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine
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"Systemiq has been a trusted partner on some of the most urgent questions in food and conservation.

Together we have explored converging global disruptions and China's food future, and are now anticipating shifts in the agricultural sector within planetary boundaries."

Sabine MiltnerThe Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
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"Systemiq has been a key partner in advancing Indonesia’s waste management systems and circular economy.

Through Project STOP, launched in 2018, integrated practices have delivered tangible impact in reducing plastic leakage into the ocean - offering best practices that are now replicable across Indonesia."

Rofi AlhanifCoordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, Indonesia
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"What distinguishes the ETC and Systemiq is the ability to anticipate a decade ahead of consensus.

Ten years on, the Commission’s conclusions have become broadly accepted. The central role of electrification, credible pathways for hard-to-abate sectors, and the power of energy productivity now sit at the core of national strategies around the world."

Jean-Pascal TricoireSchneider Electric
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"The results have been game-changing; doors have opened that we simply couldn’t have unlocked alone.

Working with Systemiq across multiple alternative proteins projects, their ability to draw on expertise spanning energy to food systems brings a richness few others can offer."

Ellie WaldenGood Food Institute (GFI) Europe
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"Systemiq’s ability to bring together diverse groups and find systemic solutions to the most complex challenges of our time is truly unique.

Together, we launched the Leaders of the Urban Future Initiative, building a shared vision of net zero for the real estate sector and creating a new north star for our industry."

Mikkel Bülow-LehnsbyUrban Partners
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"I deeply appreciate the expertise, the rigour of thinking, the whole-system perspective, and the quality of the people.

Through their work, Systemiq has significantly contributed to the circular economy transition over the past decade – and I look forward to seeing what the next decade brings."

Rob OpsomerEllen MacArthur Foundation
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