NET ZERO
Net Zero 50 2025 Celebrated at the House of Lords
Leaders from business, policy, and innovation gathered at the House of Lords on 28th November 2025 to celebrate the Net Zero 50 Awards, honouring individuals, organisations, and projects showing outstanding leadership toward a sustainable, carbon-neutral future.
Hosted in one of...
Government steps up security for green economy
The northwest of England is the chosen location for a government-backed initiative to secure critical infrastructure and the green economy.
The 10 North West SMEs which have joined the region’s Cyber Runway: NW Net Zero programme were chosen to help...
Growth without compromise: supporting the UK’s sustainable exporters
Government support is available to businesses of all sizes looking to export sustainable goods, says Tim Reid, Chief Executive Officer, UK Export Finance.
Global attention is often focused on climate action and the UK has a real opportunity to take...
Works starts on London’s first large-scale, all-electric energy centre
Planning permission has been granted for London’s first large scale, all-electric energy centre at Brent Cross Town, signalling a landmark moment in the capital’s journey to net zero.
The new park town in North London is one of Europe’s largest...
Prove it or lose it: The credibility test for corporate sustainability
By Maria Wowro, Climate & Ecosystem Services Programme Manager, FSC International.
Corporate sustainability has reached an inflection point. After years of bold commitments and pledges, stakeholders are asking a more urgent question: What’s real?
Without evidence, even well-intentioned climate claims risk...
UK’s First Carbon Accounting Courses
The Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) has launched a new course specification for carbon accounting.
It will allow training providers to develop and run accredited courses for the first time – supporting efforts to prevent greenwashing and underpin trust in...
Lidl ‘first UK retailer’ to back Planetary Health Diet
Lidl GB says its sustainability strategy is making strong progress.
Its fifth sustainability report, Beyond the Basket, focuses on efforts to promote healthier, more sustainable diets and provide more targeted support for communities and the environment.
Lidl has expanded its range...
Start-ups will lead the race to net zero – here’s what they need to succeed
Tackling the climate crisis seems to have fallen off the radar of many world leaders, despite global temperatures predicted to rise as high as 3°C by 2050 – double the net zero target of 1.5°C. Without a doubt, the...
Sustainability regulations: a barrier or catalyst for innovation?
The real challenge is how companies respond to rules and regs, says leading innovation strategist Barbara Salopek.
Sustainability regulations often arrive with a familiar chorus from business leaders: more reporting, more paperwork, more rules that take time away from actually running the business.
For...
Tough CLAMPDOWN on greenhouse gases
A government consultation has been launched on a more ambitious phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) commonly used in refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump systems.
Harmful greenhouse gases used in commercial and industrial refrigeration, and in air conditioning and heat pump units,...
Join discussion on changes to sustainable supply chains
Large companies could face new obligations to manage the impact of their own operations and those of supply chain partners under the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), coming into force by July 2026.
The new Directive applies to...
Outdated infrastructure is ‘biggest challenge’ for net-zero energy
Sustainability and net-zero goals are futile without addressing data science roadblocks and outdated technology infrastructures, says tech consultancy Leading Resolutions.
With the UK government’s aim to deliver zero-carbon electricity by 2030, low-carbon electricity infrastructure is key to cutting down the...
UK pension schemes back net zero despite global backlash
Against the backdrop of anti-ESG sentiment among many global institutional investors, analysis shows defined contribution (DC) schemes in the UK are swimming against that tide and increasing their allocations to funds with climate targets.
The research, conducted annually by independent...
Pet brand offers ‘paws-up’ for the planet
Europe’s largest fresh dog food brand, Butternut Box, takes its environmental responsibilities as seriously as its mission to “deliver health and happiness to dogs and their humans”. The company has partnered with sustainability data management platform, Sweep, to build...
Brands are still ‘winging it’ on green claims’
The majority of ASA greenwashing rulings could have been avoided, says new analysis.
Almost 2 in 3 greenwashing-related advertising complaints upheld by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) could have been avoided if the claims had undergone independent ESG assurance...
Tackling Scope 3 compliance in the CSRD era
Proposed changes to the first EU Omnibus Simplification Package are a welcome initiative to streamline sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements. The aim is to boost European business competitiveness and unlock investment potential, while maintaining commitments to climate targets...
Spotlight on engineering for Net Zero Week campaign
Engineering firm adi Group is championing sustainability in engineering by launching a week-long campaign to celebrate Net Zero Week 2025.
The firm, based in Birmingham, is hosting a series of events designed to inspire action, spark innovation, and accelerate progress...
A leadership opportunity for the private sector in an era of policy retreat
Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it’s a strategic imperative, says Chris Hopton, CEO, Ricoh UK and Northern Europe.
Governments throughout the world are reconsidering their climate change agendas. In recent months, many have adjusted, delayed or scaled...
Why green brands can’t afford to ignore authenticity
How can brands stay true to their beliefs in a political world? Some brands are feeling the pressure to abandon sustainability measures, but ignore customer values at your peril, warns Verity Barr, Cavendish Consulting.
In the first week of President...
The big news about small-ticket sustainability
George Littlewood, Siemens Financial Services, UK, says private finance has a vital role to play in the SME move to net zero.
Financial services association, UK Finance, notes that, despite their relatively small individual eco footprint, SMEs collectively account for...
Rethinking carbon markets: Why treating carbon credits as commodities may have unintended consequences
Stuart Rowland, founder and CEO of Revalue, explains why current certification goals are missing the net.
Since the early days of carbon markets, we’ve treated carbon credits like commodities: raw, fungible units indistinguishable from one another. This has been our...
Pensions schemes pull ahead of businesses on ESG
Pensions schemes are leading the way - ahead of scheme sponsors - when it comes to progress on ESG factors.
New research asked finance leaders in private sector companies with DB pension schemes to rank who was leading the charge...
Push for decarbonisation in NE Asia drives demand for UK sustainability tech
Region’s net-zero ambitions offer opportunities for UK innovators, says new report from Intralink.
As Japan, South Korea and Taiwan race to decarbonise their economies and embed sustainable industrial practices, opportunities are emerging for UK companies with cutting-edge technologies that can...
CCC Heat Pump Target ‘wishful thinking
The Plumbing and Heating Federation has criticised the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest 2040 heat pump targets as “completely detached from reality,” warning that without a trained workforce to install them, these targets amount to little more than empty...
Cut corporate waste, put food on tables
An appeal has gone out to Manchester’s business community to reduce waste from their events and help raise £3million to put better quality food on the tables of local communities.
Menu for Change Greater Manchester is the brainchild of Corin...
The rise of the electric cabbie
A new campaign, Cabbies for the Climate, has just launched to challenge outdated perceptions about London’s black-cab drivers and their stance on environmental issues. Sam Pooke, of FREENOW UK, explains all.
Backed by the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) and...
Cutting the scourge of returns waste
The retail sector has a unique opportunity to tackle the growing environmental challenge of product returns, says Inge Bujakiewicz-Baars, Head of Sustainability at ReBound.
Growing volumes of returns create concerns about the carbon footprint of sending items back, especially when...
Green revolution starts AT NHS birthplace
Trafford General Hospital will be making history once again when work begins in January on a £20 million initiative to transform it into the UK’s first inpatient hospital with a Carbon Net Zero energy system.
This pioneering project will replace...
UK greentech companies urged to capitalise on Taiwan’s net zero commitment
Major opportunities highlighted in a UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme study.
Taiwan’s ambitious drive to reduce its reliance on imported fuel and achieve its net zero targets is opening significant opportunities for UK renewable energy companies, according to a new report.
In...
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR): six steps to compliance
The upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainability Products Regulation (ESPR) is no longer news to a lot of businesses operating in the EU.
Many are aware of why the legislation has come into play but struggle to understand the initial actions they...
