Did you know that once fired, ceramics never return to nature?

Every cup, plate, or bowl ever discarded still exists – buried in landfills, inert for eternity. No wonder we find pottery among ancient ruins.

It’s counterintuitive, but the environmental impact of ceramics is not far removed from that of plastics. While ceramics feel “natural,” their production consumes precious soil – disrupting biodiversity – and requires high-temperature firing, leaving a significant carbon footprint. And their waste lives on forever. In Japan alone, more than 25,000 tonnes are discarded each year, with recycling still virtually nonexistent. It’s a quiet but growing crisis.

Mino, my hometown in central Japan, produces around 60% of the nation’s ceramics. The industry flourished for centuries thanks to access to high-quality clay formed by an ancient lakebed. But after generations of extraction, we are now reaching the last layers of that natural deposit. The environmental cost is becoming impossible to ignore.

Two decades ago, a small group of local ceramic producers – Green Life 21 – began collecting used ceramics for recycling to conserve natural resources. It was a visionary initiative, but after 20 years, it processes just over 100 tonnes a year – a drop in the ocean. The industry is big but fragmented. No leadership for historic industry transformation.

Scaling this effort requires more than innovation. It demands alignment – among fragmented producers, national and local regulators, and retailers – and a shift in mindset: even humble, traditional industries must be part of the sustainability agenda.

I saw an opportunity to contribute and decided to lead the movement. I’ve worked with both national and local authorities to align regulations – and perhaps more importantly, to align with the local community. The Mino ceramics sector is large but fragmented, with no central leadership. So I stepped in, leveraging my relationships with policymakers and global partners, including colleagues from The B Team. A conversation with Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group (IKEA) and Chair of The B Team, in particular, reinforced my conviction: this isn’t just a local project – it could have global impact.

And that’s the lesson we need right now.

The global sustainability agenda is losing momentum. Climate, biodiversity, and inclusion – the pillars of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) – are being sidelined in some political and investment circles. But these are not passing trends. They are systemic realities. Ignoring them won’t make them go away.

For years, Edelman’s Trust Barometer has shown that business is more trusted than government. That trust didn’t emerge by chance – it grew alongside stakeholder capitalism and ESG, as society called for responsible leadership. If business loses that trust now, where else will people turn? A world without trusted institutions is dangerously unmoored.

I see this anxiety among students at Kellogg and Oxford. Many tell me they no longer know what to believe. They hear leaders who once spoke passionately about sustainability now go silent – or, in some cases, retract their commitments. They feel the widening gap between stated purpose and real practice.

We can bridge that gap – not through more promises, but through grounded, consistent action. Local projects matter. They rebuild trust and remind us that progress is possible, even when global forums stall.

I spent the last 10 years promoting sustainable investment to help transform global capital markets. I never expected to be this deeply involved in transforming a local industry. At first, I questioned myself – was I retreating into a comfort zone instead of facing global challenges?

But now I’m convinced: for global leaders, local engagement isn’t a fallback – it’s a way to recharge. It renews clarity, purpose, and resolve, so when the global climate shifts, we’re ready to lead again.

The recycled clays we now use in Mino are sometimes less perfect than virgin clay. But neither is the road to sustainability. Both carry signs of their past – flaws, resilience, persistence. Both point us forward.

So when the world turns inward, go local. Ground yourself. Rebuild trust. And when the time is right, rise again – with clarity and courage. That’s how we’ll see recharged leaders driving global systems change.

Hiro Mizuno is Founder and CEO of Good Steward Partners, former UN Special Envoy on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments and a B Team Leader. Learn more about Hiro.

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