News

Low carbon transport plans will be drawn up by a new research hub that aims to decarbonise the UK transport system. Low carbon transport is needed to ensure the UK meets its net zero targets. The scale of the challenge is illustrated by the fact that transport accounts for 27 per cent of the UK’s emissions, the largest contributor of any sector. And for transport systems to be able to continue to operate they will need to be able to adapt to more extreme weather, whether it’s hotter and drier...

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 is a comprehensive, ambitious and long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. The EU biodiversity strategy aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of people, climate and the planet, and contains specific actions and commitments. It is the proposal for the EU’s contribution to the upcoming international negotiations on the global post-2020 biodiversity framework. A core part of the European Green Deal, it will also support a green recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic....

Non-executive directors have a vital role to play in corporate governance to ensure ESG commitments are met. With a growing expectation for companies to care for more than just their bottom line, this pressure is being directed at the top. Non-executive directors (NEDs) and board members must be more devoted to good corporate governance more than ever before, otherwise they could fall foul of shareholders, court cases and increasingly critical public, media, and national and international legislation. “For non-executive directors, whose job it is to keep executives and boards in...

There are almost 20,000 businesses currently in the net zero economy which are contributing £71bn to the UK economy according to a new report The total gross value added by businesses involved in the sustainability economy is more than twice that of the energy sector itself, finds the study by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), CBI Economics and DataCity. It also shows that 840,000 jobs are supported by businesses in the net zero economy, with an average wage of £42,600 compared to the £33,400 national average. The sustainability economy...

Food systems must be transformed to align with action on climate change and biodiversity loss, according to a new report from Chatham House. Food system transformation is critical in enabling meaningful, joined-up global action on both climate change and biodiversity loss, the Chatham House report urges. International cooperation on climate, biodiversity and land issues, biodiversity and climate has not been aligned with global treaties to tackle these critical issues, and the decade ahead must be a major turning point to avoid the worst impacts. Current global biodiversity and climate change...

With new laws requiring greater validity of reporting and ongoing doubt about the credibility of carbon offsetting, there is an urgent need for more transparent, credible, and standards-aligned environmental reporting solutions. Key to meeting this need is robust, comparable data along with alignment to new financial reporting frameworks. With over 600 environmental reporting frameworks and standards worldwide, according to Ernst & Young, the alphabet soup of reporting requirements can leave organisations needing clarification regarding the correct route to take in credible reporting. Positive steps are being taken, with 97 per...

Water sector innovation to improve water quality, supply and resilience is sought with the launch of a new £4m competition. The Water Discovery Challenge is an open-access competition that seeks innovators with bold and ingenious ideas that can solve the biggest challenges facing the water sector today and in the future. The competition is the latest from Ofwat’s £200 million Innovation Fund which seeks to generate new ideas to tackle issues including managing leaks, preventing pollution, improving water efficiency, reducing emissions, boosting flood and drought resilience, prioritising sustainable practices, and supporting vulnerable customers.  Ofwat...

Wildfires create 20 per cent of global carbon emissions and the figure will rise to 30% by the end of the century, according to Dryad Networks. Wildfires are wrongly categorised as natural disasters and therefore not included in global carbon emissions reporting, despite the fact that 80 per cent are caused by humans and the fact that there is much more governments can do to prevent them. The extent of wildfire emissions is often miscalculated or underestimated. Wildfires are consistently discounted from countries’ CO2 emissions reporting as they’re written off as carbon...

Sustainability professionals are calling for new process-specific technology to make environmental reporting simpler. Current systems are failing to keep pace with changing compliance demands and the lack of dedicated full-spectrum reporting tech is adding to the complexity that many companies face. Technology is essential for compiling and collaborating on environmental data, validating data for accuracy and mapping disclosures to regulations and framework standards. Still, current solutions must catch up to rapidly evolving compliance issues and increasing volumes of data. In a recent survey of global businesses, 51 per cent said...

Sustainable investment on Swiss financial markets will have to abide by new rules introduced by the Swiss Federal Council. Financial products and funds labelled as ‘sustainable’ or ‘ESG’ on Swiss financial markets will have to align or contribute to specific sustainability goals and pursue at least one investment objective under new rules introduced in December 2022. Sustainable investment products or services that aim to reduce ESG risk will not qualify for a sustainable label without pursuing a specific sustainability goal. Firms should consider adopting third-party verification standards that provide independent...