The Noise We Make: Hannah Cox on the Power of Collective Action
.png)
“The noise we make is less of a megaphone and more collective drumbeat, all working together to help each other do better.”
___________________________________________________________
Every sound tells a story.
The Noise We Make is a Hope Solutions series that listens to the people behind the noise: the artists, organisers, and changemakers using creativity as a force for good. Together, we explore what progress sounds like, and how the choices we make today will echo in the future.
Hannah Cox believes that business can be one of the most powerful forces for change: if it’s organised with intention.
A sustainability consultant and founder of the Better Business Network, Hannah has spent the last decade building movements, communities, and practical tools that help organisations turn purpose into action. Through her impact agency betternotstop, she works with businesses and leaders to develop strategies that improve both environmental and social outcomes, while also demonstrating that sustainability and profitability can move in the same direction.
To amplify that work, Hannah created the Better Business Network, a growing national community of hundreds of businesses and thousands of employees committed to doing things differently. The network provides training, resources, and opportunities for collective action, bringing together organisations that believe business should actively contribute to a fairer and more sustainable world.
Hannah has also played a role in shaping industry-wide conversations around sustainability, contributing to initiatives such as Vision 2025’s “The Show Must Go On” report and publishing sector-leading research including the More Than Music Report, now developed in partnership with Deloitte, which provides festival organisers with practical tools to improve their environmental performance.
But Hannah’s commitment to climate justice doesn’t stop at boardrooms and strategy sessions. In 2026 she completed one of the most ambitious personal challenges of her life: running 100 marathons in 100 days across India, covering more than 4,200 kilometres while retracing the route of the forgotten Inland Customs Line. The challenge, known as Project Salt Run, is raising funds for 1% for the Planet while shining a light on communities facing the sharpest impacts of climate inequality.
At the heart of Hannah’s work is a simple belief: when ordinary people and businesses come together around a shared purpose, they can mobilise extraordinary change.
So without further ado, let’s explore the noise Hannah Cox is helping to make.
The Noise You Make: What kind of impact are you (or your organisation) making through your work right now?
I've spent the last twenty years trying to prove that doing business with purpose is a competitive advantage. Through Better Business Network we bring together hundreds of businesses actively trying to do things differently: on climate, on governance, on how they treat people. The noise we make is less of a megaphone and more collective drumbeat, all working together to help each other do better.
Most recently I ran 100 marathons across India in 100 days, tracing the route of the British Inland Customs Line. We raised over £90,000 for climate justice charities. What that proved to me, more than anything, is that ordinary people taking collective action is still the most powerful force there is.
The Noise You Hear: What signals, movements, or shifts in the industry are catching your attention?
Two major things catch my attention. Businesses are genuinely waking up to the fact that ESG isn't a PR exercise anymore. Procurement teams are asking for it and supply chains require it. The businesses that have been quietly doing the work for years are suddenly the ones winning contracts. That's really good to see.
The second is concerning: the sustainability conversation is getting louder at exactly the same time as it's getting hollower. More reports, more pledges, more panels and less accountability. I think this greenwashing bubble will burst soon and I wonder what the fall out will be.
The Noise That Needs to Change: What’s still too loud, too quiet, or missing altogether in the sustainability conversation?
Too loud: The idea that individual consumer choices will solve a systemic problem. They won't. Buying the right trainers isn't the answer. Business model change is the answer.
Too quiet: Small and medium businesses. Every conversation about sustainability in business seems to be aimed at corporations with dedicated ESG teams and large reporting budgets. The majority of the UK economy is SMEs. They want to do better. They don't always know how and nobody's really talking to them.
Missing altogether: Sharing failure and why. We celebrate the accreditations, pledges and the net zero targets. We almost never talk about the attempts that didn't work, the targets that were missed, the things that are genuinely hard. That silence is making the whole conversation less credible.
The Quiet Work: What behind-the-scenes actions make the biggest difference?
The most impactful thing I've done in twenty years of this work isn't a campaign or a report or an event. It's the conversations I've had with business owners who were ready to change something but didn't know where to start and then actually followed through. That happens slowly and over time.
The other thing I'd say is evidence. Businesses that document what they're doing properly, specifically, in a format that means something to someone outside the organisation are the ones that create lasting change. Not because the documentation is the point, but because the process of evidencing your impact forces you to actually have some.
The Next Sound: What’s next for you? What sound would you love the future of live events to make?
The best events I've been part of as an attendee, a speaker, or an organiser, have had a quality of intentionality about them. People in the room who chose to be there for a reason. Whether to learn or network with others to work together.
For me personally, I'm building something called the Better Business Standard. It's an accreditation framework for SMEs that proves their values rather than just stating them. And I'm working on a book. And I just ran 100 marathons across India. So what's next is: making some more noise haha!
___________________________________________________________
Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn
Join changemakers in The Better Business Network
Discover the Better Business Standards
%20(30).png)
.jpg)