NET ZERO
Building a sustainable workforce
A coalition of UK businesses has launched a national research programme to set a clear standard for the private sector’s role in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. However, with corporations responsible for over 70% of the world’s greenhouse...
Attracting Gen Z talent through social impact
Gen Z is slowly taking over the labour market and expected to make up 30% of the workforce by 2025. Employers need to do a deep dive into their collective mindset to understand attitudes and attract top talent, says...
A new direction for business travel
Eleanor Akers, of Innovative Energy Consultants, innovative-energy.org, has seen first-hand the challenges of decarbonising business travel around the world. Here she shares her team’s latest research into the true cost of business travel and reflects on the emerging technologies...
The pitfalls of carbon offsetting: Rethinking our approach
The trendy concept fails to tackle the root causes of climate change, says Ella Yarrow, Sustainability Manager, Zedify.
As the climate crisis intensifies, the concept of carbon offsetting has emerged as a seemingly convenient solution for businesses (and individuals) looking...
BUSINESSES MUST PREPARE As EU circularity legislation comes into play
With the right strategy and groundwork in place, businesses can ensure they not only comply with the ESPR but thrive, says Lars Rensing, CEO of DPP Solution Provider, Protokol.
Over the last decade, waste has become a growing concern for...
Raise a glass to a ‘greener’ tipple
While many businesses are pivoting towards greener, cleaner processes, more traditional industries face challenges in moving away from methods that have served them for hundreds of years. Craig Groeneveld, Master Brewer at Lyras, investigates the brewery industry’s role in...
Cleaning’s unexpected role in hitting ESG targets
An effective cleaning regime can have a surprising impact on your sustainability efforts, says Alastair Scott, sales director at Robert Scott.
Examining ESG
91% of business leaders believe their company has a responsibility to act on ESG issues1. While big ticket...
Closing the Biodiversity Funding Gap
By Robert Nussey, Nature Positive Manager, Ramboll.
As humanity grapples to protect and restore biodiversity, addressing the funding gap is paramount.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aims to put us back on track toward a world where nature thrives, ecosystems...
UK fashion failings in ethical trade
One-third of UK fashion retailers do not publish ethical sourcing data.
Approximately 33% (five out of 15) of UK fashion retailers do not publish any ethical sourcing data in their Annual Report, their sustainability report, or elsewhere on their website.
Ethical...
Rethinking strategy for the net zero transition
Traditional tactics are no longer enough, say Yassir Ahmed, Principal, and Johann Franke, Director at Marakon.
Transitioning the world to net zero will require successfully rewiring the global economy to function with carbon emissions as a constraint. The changes needed...
Affordable housing group builds first net zero homes
Legal & General Affordable Homes is building its first net zero homes in Essex.
The 100% affordable scheme is being delivered by Legal & General Affordable Homes (LGAH) in partnership with Rose Builders to tackle the acute local shortage of...
How supply chain transparency can help businesses achieve even more on ESG
Diego Tedesco, Director of Commercial, Product and Marketing at Virgin Media O2, explains the importance of supply chain transparency and how to ensure your suppliers keep their side of the bargain.
Over half (54%) of UK consumers base their buying decisions...
Thames River economy focuses on electrification
A new generation of electric vessels could help power London’s energy network.
Thames vessel operators and London’s electricity network could become partners on an ambitious project.
The Electric Thames project is assessing the possibility of using electric vessels to feed stored...
How companies big and small can tackle Scope 3
Alan Riley, Director at epi Consulting, discusses the challenges of reducing Scope 3 emissions and the steps to meet emissions targets head-on.
Big brands like Microsoft and Unilever have recently been removed from SBTi’s (Science Based Targets Initiative) net zero...
Accelerating Decarbonisation in 2024: The Critical Role of DERMS
Sally Jacquemin, Vice President & General Manager - Power & Utilities, AspenTech, explores the strategic advantages of deploying Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems.
Over recent years, Europe has been hit by a series of severe climate events, including droughts, floods, forest...
Industrial gas: journey to a cleaner future
Described by its representative body as the ‘invisible industry’, the industrial gas sector is little known, yet essential. Suzanne Lowe, UK & Ireland Vice President for Air Products, explains the sector’s journey to decarbonise its operations, and those of...
UK execs report big gap between green vision and execution
A large majority (87%) of British executives report a moderate to significant gap between their sustainability vision and execution.
Globally, 97% of executives believe their sustainability agenda is adding commercial value, while more than 50% feel that recent economic uncertainty...
Why sustainability branding’s patchy impact means it needs to evolve
Telling consumers a product is better for the planet has a questionable impact on sales, but can still help both brands and consumers meet their sustainability goals, says Katie Thomas, Lead at the Kearney Consumer Institute (KCI).
Virtually every consumer...
Fungi tested for green building potential
Tests are underway on natural and recycled resources that could become the building materials of the future.
These include prefabricated wall panels comprising waste wood and insulation made from fungal mycelium.
INBUILT is a major European project, including a research team...
Plug into the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to power a sustainable future
Phase 3 of the £185m Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) is now open. Karim Budabuss, Director of Grant Advisory, ForrestBrown, explores the benefits - and potential pitfalls - businesses need to be aware of when applying.
Although greenhouse gas emissions...
Maintaining momentum: three key carbon trends in 2024
With more than 25 years’ experience in energy management, Kam Singh of EMCOR UK shares his insight into this year’s carbon reduction trends and how businesses can keep their net zero journey on track.
The recent news that 2023 was...
Almost half of CEOs gloomy about survival as climate pressures accelerate
Nearly one-third of CEOs believe the climate crisis will force major changes to their company operations in the near future.
While almost half don’t see their business as viable in a decade, again partly due to climate pressures.
However, many see...
Decarbonisation can be daunting. It helps to work together!
Many big businesses aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050, but with complexities in each industry, achieving net zero alone is not easy - especially when trying to reduce scope three emissions - the emissions from the company’s...
And the greenest country in Europe is… Norway!
The Hemsol study used data from the European Environment Agency, the Odyssee-Mure Project and the Energy Institute to create an index with factors such as Renewable energy share, recycling rates, carbon dioxide emissions and more, to find out which...
Biochemicals: stepping into a future without fossils
By Dominik Müller, Senior Manager Sustainability, UPM Biorefining.
Science is crystal clear about it – time is running out and the mercury is still rising. We have 10 years or less to significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions if we...
UN agency launches green performance toolkit for small businesses
Small businesses can use their resources more efficiently with the help of a new Green Performance Toolkit (GPT) developed by the International Trade Centre (ITC).
T
he tool allows small businesses around the world to use data to establish baselines, benchmarks...
‘Wicked problems require complex solutions’
Debra Lam, Founding Executive Director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, believes that public-private partnerships are the glue that can bind global initiatives to grassroots realities.
A few weeks ago, NASA officially declared July 2023 as the hottest month on record...
Greenhushing firms miss the chance to inspire positive change
Companies have a duty to be transparent about sustainability credentials and should celebrate their major achievements, says Steve Pearce, of Kyocera Document Solutions UK.
Recent research shows that almost 25% of medium and large businesses in the UK have been...
Find suppliers who share your values
Charlotte Scallon, Head of Sustainability and Regulation at Biffa, offers a three-step strategy to help businesses understand how to choose a sustainable supplier.
Sustainability has become a fundamental pillar of responsible corporate practices in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.
Companies have...
Net Zero surgery under the microscope
As a research programme into ‘green surgery’ in the UK NHS launches this autumn, the University of Birmingham is bringing together clinicians, policy makers and industry for a major conference aimed at reducing the healthcare sector’s contribution to...
