We have just five years left to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. If we are to navigate this decisive decade safely, principled and courageous business leadership is needed — now.

There is nothing inevitable about business causing harm. Profit doesn’t have to come at the cost of the planet, people, or diversity in leadership. In fact, the businesses that will thrive in the future are those that steward both profit and purpose. Future generations are counting on it.

Let’s also not forget the role of small businesses — 400 million of them globally — making up over 95% of all firms and 60–70% of employment. SMEs are driving real behaviour change every day. On this Earth Day, we celebrate their power to make a profound difference.

At  Arksen,  I’m proud that our brand helped co-produce Ocean with David Attenborough — a film already shifting public perception of our oceans. That a business can help deliver such a message speaks to a new kind of enterprise: one that measures success in both impact and income.

But here’s the stark truth: despite the ocean producing over half of the oxygen we breathe, just  0.3%  of global philanthropic giving goes to ocean conservation. We spend 100x more  on ice cream, 7000x more  subsidising fossil fuels, and 4x more  on cat food than protecting the ocean.

That’s why Arksen founded 10% for the Ocean  — a mutual fund for the sea, pooling donations to support vital conservation, research and restoration across 27 countries. To date, we’ve funded 70 organisations, championing local leaders and community-led marine protected areas.

We invite individuals and organisations to pledge 10% of their annual giving to ocean conservation — to restore what sustains us all.

This Earth Day, let’s champion a new model of leadership — one that is inclusive, transparent, urgent, and boldly collaborative. Happy Earth Day.