Scaling Sustainability in Sports, Tourism, and Global Events with José Retana

In this episode of CARBON x CHANGE, we host José Retana, a sustainability leader with over 25 years of international experience across governments, mega-events, and large-scale infrastructure, for a conversation on sustainability in the world of sports, tourism, and hospitality. We begin by exploring José Pablo’s professional journey and what first drew him to sustainability and energy transition. From there, the discussion dives into his experience working across diverse sectors, and what principles remain consistent when approaching sustainability at scale. We then shift to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing sports, entertainment, and tourism sectors, exploring how lessons from mega-events can translate into long-term destination development. The conversation also highlights the unique challenges and opportunities within hospitality, particularly in delivering sustainability without compromising guest experience.

Finally, the discussion focuses on execution of what separates real sustainability programs from strategy, how governance can drive actual decisions, and what credible carbon offsetting looks like for hard-to-abate emissions. We close by exploring the role of emerging talent and what the future holds for sustainability across these industries.