Why 90% of New Trees Die and Other Hard Truths About Changing Billion-Dollar Companies.

Sustainability pioneer Scott Poynton reveals the hidden realities behind corporate environmental transformation and why most tree-planting projects fail spectacularly. As founder of The Forest Trust, Scott spent decades mediating between major corporations and environmental groups, creating the world's first no-deforestation commitments and transforming trillion-dollar supply chains.

In this episode, discover:

• Why 90% of trees planted globally don't survive - and the specific failures at every stage from seed selection to community engagement
• The inside story of Greenpeace's viral orangutan KitKat video that forced Nestlé to create the world's first no-deforestation policy
• How Scott convinced CEOs of companies like Asia Pulp & Paper and Wilmar (the world's largest palm oil trader) to abandon destructive practices
• The "duck whispering" philosophy: why values-based leadership trumps data-driven approaches in creating lasting change
• How Earth Trust's radical transparency platform could end greenwashing by democratizing verification
• Real stories from Ghana: why top-down development projects fail and bottom-up relationship building succeeds
• The dark room negotiations that transformed entire industries - from palm oil to pulp and paper

Scott also reveals:

• Why certification schemes often become vehicles for greenwashing
• How to identify tree-planting organizations that actually achieve 80%+ survival rates
• The psychology of corporate transformation: why CEOs change when you appeal to their souls, not their spreadsheets
• Why the World Bank accidentally created incentives for deforestation
• How 3,300 women farmers in Ghana gained access to land for the first time through respectful engagement

This goes beyond just another sustainability conversation; it's a masterclass in authentic transformation from someone who's quietly reshaped how billion-dollar companies think about their environmental impact.

Connect with Scott:Earth Trust: https://earthtrust.life/Website: https://scottpoynton.me/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-poynton/

Check Out Scott's Current Projects:

Earth Trust: https://earthtrust.life/ - Radical transparency platform helping organizations prove their sustainability claims with verifiable data

The School For Duck Whisperers (Scott's Leadership Mentoring): https://www.duckwhispering.com/ - Online community teaching values-based leadership and authentic transformation

Pond Foundation: https://www.pond.foundation/ - Supporting companies to take serious climate action through regenerative supply chains and carbon impact reduction

Follow Earth Wise Conversations:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earth-wise-sustainabilityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthwiseconversationspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earthwise.conversations

Perfect for: Sustainability professionals, corporate leaders, environmental advocates, development workers, and anyone seeking authentic approaches to systemic change.