KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Keynote speaker for sustainability: Prof. Dr. Johanna Gollnhofer
Are you looking for a keynote speaker on sustainability who doesn't moralize, but rather provides concrete data? I'm a marketing professor at the University of St. Gallen and I demonstrate how sustainable products and services can move from niche markets to revenue-generating businesses. I offer presentations for both B2C and B2B, in German or English, and always tailored to your specific industry. Inquiries should be sent directly to me, without an agency.
THE CONTEXT HAS CHANGED
Less reporting, more precise advertising
- and still sell
The pressure on companies to undergo sustainable transformation has just reversed. As a keynote speaker on sustainability, I experience this in every preliminary meeting: Customers' willingness to pay is decreasing, and the commercial justification is becoming more stringent.
1,000+
Companies with over 450 million euros in revenue and more employees will be required to report in the future.
EU Omnibus: drastically reduced reporting requirements
09.27, 2026
From this date, new binding regulations for environmentally related advertising claims will apply in the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG).
10 min.
This is how long it takes for management to back out when sustainability is presented as a purely ideological issue.
Experience from preliminary discussions and stage performances
Anyone who still presents sustainability as a matter of attitude in this context is losing ground. That's why my keynotes start from a different angle.
THE CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE
What is the point of a keynote address on sustainability that doesn't moralize?
Instead of asking "Why should we become more sustainable?", she asks: "Why is nobody buying our sustainable products?"
01
This is a marketing question, not a question of conscience. And it can be answered—with data from consumer research instead of appeals.
02
The difference is immediately apparent to the audience. Persuasive presentations generate agreement in the room but no change in the product range. In contrast, those who demonstrate where purchasing decisions actually tip the scales will give your team a task for Monday.
03
I head the Institute for Marketing and Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen and conduct research at the intersection of marketing and sustainability. What I claim on stage can be found in my research on sustainable consumption.
REFERENCES
I have already given these keynote speeches.
Stage experience is hard to claim but easy to demonstrate. Here's an excerpt:
Sustainability Keynote Topics
My keynote topics on sustainable transformation
All presentations can be booked as keynote speeches, impulse talks, or workshop kick-offs.
THE CLASSIC
The 60% potential - From niche product to bestseller
How do we inspire the general public to embrace sustainable products and services so that green consumption benefits both sales and the environment? This is the classic topic among my sustainability presentations.
COPING ERROR
The 7 Sins of Green Marketing
Seven common misconceptions that systematically make sustainable products unsellable. From the polar bear image to the CO₂ figure that no one outside the sustainability department can interpret.
B2B
Sustainability in B2B
Why the same logic applies even if your customer is a purchasing committee.
REGULATORY
Communication according to EmpCo
Was ab September 2026 noch gesagt werden darf — und wie Sie glaubwürdig werben, wenn pauschale Aussagen wegfallen. Die weitergehende Green-Claims-Richtlinie liegt derzeit auf Eis, die EmpCo-Vorgaben kommen trotzdem.
TOPIC IN DETAIL
Why are sustainable products selling worse than expected?
Because people describe their ideal self in surveys — and pay for their current self at the checkout: price-conscious, comfortable, in a hurry.
This gap is well-documented and it's not getting any smaller. Anyone basing their product range on survey results is planning out of touch with reality.
75% vs. 31%
75 percent of Germans are worried about climate change — but only 31 percent would pay a premium for sustainable products . For 61 percent, price is the primary factor when buying groceries. (PwC)
This very group is the focus of my book " The 60% Potential ," which I co-authored with Jan Pechmann. Two key insights from it appear in almost every keynote address:
The word "sustainability" has an image problem for these 60 percent. And: They want to do the right thing — but with as little effort as possible.
RECORDS
Keynotes in video
An impression of how the content is received on stage — directly from my playlist “Keynotes & Moderation”.
B2B
Does this also work in B2B?
Yes — and the gap is often even bigger there. It's rarely a lack of supply. The problem is a lack of translation into customer value.
The apparent relief provided by the omnibus is also misleading. Even companies below the new thresholds will still be required to provide ESG data by their major customers who are subject to reporting requirements. Those who are well-positioned in this area will win tenders—regardless of their own legal obligations.
In B2B, at the end of the day, there is also a person with limited attention and a budget that they have to justify.
The same applies to purchasing committees: sustainability is mentioned as a purchasing criterion, but is rarely willingly paid for.
TOPIC IN DETAIL
Where does the growth actually originate?
Not through increased awareness, but through availability, good value for money, and normalcy on the shelves. The organic market is currently providing the best proof of this: it is growing at a double-digit rate, even though awareness of sustainability has not measurably increased.
18.7 billion
Euro sales of organic food in 2025 — an increase of around ten percent.
6.9%
Share of food sales — the highest level since the introduction of the organic label.
13.3%
Growth of organic private label brands. They account for around two-thirds of total organic growth.
This is supported by two groups: committed sustainability enthusiasts — and people who are simply looking for good value for money.
Study author Stephan Rüschen puts it bluntly: With falling inflation, people buy less price-consciously; however, an increased awareness of sustainability cannot be proven .
This is the central message of my keynotes: The second group is the lever to achieve your business goals. They will achieve them not through climate arguments, but through taste, quality, price, and convenience.
PROCESS
How does the process for requesting a sustainability keynote address work?
My keynote speeches typically last 30 to 60 minutes, in German or English, live or online. I tailor each presentation to the industry, B2B or B2C context, and audience.
01
You write to me directly
No agency loop — you'll get a response from me.
02
Short briefing
Occasion, date, target group and the core message that should stick.
03
Offer & Cut
I will tailor examples, data, and recommendations for action to your industry.
04
On stage
Keynote, presentation, panel or moderation — preferably with a subsequent Q&A.