How Polestar Decoupled Emissions From Growth Amid Tariffs and a Global Fuel Crisis
Swedish EV maker Polestar cut greenhouse‑gas emissions per vehicle by 31% since 2020 while expanding production and sales. The company now sells more than 60,000 cars annually across 28 markets and has launched three new models, with manufacturing spread over three countries. Europe remains its core market, delivering over 75% of revenue despite U.S. tariff disputes and a global fuel‑price surge. The achievement shows Polestar can decouple growth from emissions amid industry headwinds.
Best-Selling Plug-In Hybrids More Costly than Electric Vehicles, Research Finds
New analysis by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit shows eight of the UK’s ten best‑selling plug‑in hybrids cost on average £4,150 ($5,300) more than comparable electric vehicles, a 10% premium. Real‑world fuel use is three times higher than manufacturers...
UK to Include Aviation and Shipping in Future Carbon Budgets
The UK government will formally count international aviation and shipping emissions in its carbon budgets through 2050, as announced by Climate Minister Katie White. A statutory instrument also sets the use of international carbon credits to zero for the Fifth...
Government Urged to Fast-Track ‘Flexible’ Data Centre Connections
Energy UK warned the UK government’s plan to fast‑track data centre grid connections could divert capacity from renewable projects and other essential users. The industry body urged that data centres offering flexibility services—such as demand‑side response and co‑located battery storage—receive...
Investors Are Pushing Back on a Transition Plan Mandate– but Still Want Deeper Climate Data From Corporates
Investors are resisting a blanket mandate for transition plans while still demanding richer climate disclosures from corporations. Research by Ashurst and Radley Yeldar identified nine essential components that investors expect in any transition plan. Approximately one‑quarter of companies reporting through CDP...
UK Development Finance Arm Updates Investment Strategy Amid Aid Cuts
The UK’s development finance institution, British International Investment (BII), unveiled a new five‑year strategy that targets economic transformation in Africa and Asia while mobilising up to $9.6 bn of private capital. At least a quarter of new core investments will be...
The Sustainability Layer Cake: For Successful Delivery, Focus on the Filling – Not Just the Sponge
Chief sustainability officers (CSOs) are under mounting regulatory and budget pressures, yet many still design strategies by engaging only the board and senior leadership. The article argues that skipping Tier 3 – departmental leads – creates weak plans and hampers activation....
From COP to Colombia: What Are the Santa Marta Talks and What’s at Stake?
More than 60 countries will gather next week for the International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF), co‑hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. The summit is not designed to produce a binding treaty; instead it will...
A Model for Regenerative Agriculture Takes Root in Germany: Connecting Farmers to Growing Market Demand
ADM's re:generations™ programme in Germany engaged 15 farmers across roughly 25,000 hectares to test regenerative agriculture practices. By 2025, wheat emissions were 33% lower and rapeseed 39% below German national benchmarks. The hybrid incentive model blends practice‑based and outcome‑based payments,...
EU Relaxes Clean Energy and Fertiliser Subsidy Rules in Response to Iran War
The European Commission unveiled AccelerateEU, a package that eases clean‑energy and fertilizer subsidy rules amid the Iran‑triggered energy shock. It proposes a lower tax on electricity than natural gas and grants member states the ability to subsidise up to 50%...
Updated Climate Chatbot Shows Users Energy Use per Query
ChatNetZero, the climate‑focused chatbot launched in 2023, has added a feature that shows the estimated energy consumption of each user query, translating it into familiar household‑appliance equivalents. The update highlights that AI’s carbon footprint depends more on workflow design and...
Media Companies Raise £250k for UK Nature Projects, Set Sights on £200m
Media companies, led by giffgaff and Ecologi’s ‘Media in Service of Nature’ initiative, have raised £250,000 (≈$317,000) to fund ten UK nature‑recovery projects covering about 14,000 m². The programme, now backed by 20 businesses, aims to scale the model across the...
ESG Beyond Compliance: How Sunwoda’s Long-Termism Is Reshaping the Battery Industry
Sunwoda, the world’s leading smartphone battery pack shipper, is expanding into power batteries, storage, recycling and energy services while embedding ESG into every business layer. The company launched a Battery Passport platform in 2025, earning two spots in the Global...
‘Getting Off the Fossil Fuel Rollercoaster’: UK Sets Out Long-Awaited Measures to Decouple Gas and Electricity Prices
The UK government announced new measures aimed at weakening the link between gas and electricity prices, a relationship that currently drives electricity costs about 60% of the time through marginal pricing. The plan introduces voluntary long‑term fixed‑price contracts for low‑carbon...
Report: With EUDR Delayed, Beef Imports From Brazil’s Amazon Climb Higher
Earthsight reports EU beef imports from Brazil’s Amazon jumped from €142 million (≈$155 million) in 2024 to €238 million (≈$260 million) in 2025, all sourced from Mato Grosso, Brazil’s second‑largest deforestation hotspot. The surge follows a doubling of EU‑authorized slaughterhouses in the region. The EU...
UK to Streamline Planning Rules to Unlock Grid Infrastructure
The UK government announced on 21 April that new planning rules will let larger electricity substations be built without full applications, speeding grid connections for homes, businesses, EV chargers and data centres. The package also creates streamlined routes for routine grid...
The AI Boom Risks Undermining Global Energy Efficiency Efforts
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that the surge in artificial intelligence is propelling electricity demand faster than any previous driver, ushering in an “age of electricity.” Training large AI models and powering data centers now consume comparable energy to...
Pacific Nations Rally Behind Fossil Fuel Treaty Amid Global Energy Tensions
Leaders from seven Pacific nations signed the Tassiriki Call for a Fossil‑Free Pacific in Vanuatu, demanding a binding international Fossil Fuel Treaty that halts new exploration, ends subsidies, and orchestrates a rapid phase‑out. The declaration pledges a fully funded transition...
Report: Circularity Could Unlock €25.4trn for the Global Economy
The Circle Economy think‑tank, together with Deloitte Netherlands, released its 2026 Circularity Gap Report, estimating that roughly one‑third of global economic output—about $27.7 trillion each year—is lost to linear, wasteful practices. The report shifts focus from environmental metrics to the economic...
Danone Slammed over Plans to Cut Woodland for Bottling Plant Expansion
Danone’s Harrogate Spring Water has applied to expand its bottling plant in North Yorkshire, a move that would involve removing between 500 and 1,000 trees from local woodlands. The proposal has drawn 1,300 objections from the Pinewoods Conservation Group and...
Biodiversity Net Gain: Small Sites Exemption Confirmed, NSIP Compliance Date Set
The UK government confirmed that housing sites under 0.2 hectares will be exempt from the 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) uplift, while medium‑scale projects (10‑49 homes) will face relaxed rules. Data from TerraQuest shows 43.1% of planning applications fall into...
Banks Accused of Failing to Tackle Methane Emissions
Planet Tracker’s new report, “The Silence of the Loans,” reveals that 25 leading global banks have provided $159 bn in loan and underwriting exposure to fifteen of the world’s biggest methane‑emitting agri‑food firms. This financing underpins roughly 1.3 million tonnes of methane...
New FREE Webinar: How Can Your Business Implement a Credible Carbon Credit Strategy?
edie, in partnership with Anew Climate, is hosting a free 45‑minute webinar on May 7, 2026, to guide businesses on building a credible carbon‑credit strategy. The session will cover integrating credits into broader decarbonisation plans, establishing governance and transparency, and selecting high‑integrity...
‘Act Now and Invest Wisely’: Inside UKGBC’s Retrofit Recommendations for Decarbonising Commercial Buildings
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has released a set of retrofit recommendations aimed at slashing emissions from the nation’s existing commercial building stock. With buildings responsible for roughly a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse‑gas output, the sector must cut...
How Energy Productivity Can Unlock $15trn in Energy Savings for Heavy Industries
A new Energy Transition Commission and Mission Possible Partnership report estimates that boosting energy productivity across six heavy‑industry sectors could unlock up to $15 trillion in energy savings by 2050. The analysis shows that measures such as aluminium recycling, plastic‑bottle reuse,...
Fleet Operators Rally Against EV Policy Pushback in EU
EU policymakers are revising the Automotive Package, lowering the 2035 tailpipe‑emission reduction target from 100% to at least 90% and allowing compensatory measures such as green steel or low‑carbon fuels. Fleet operators, organized through the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, warn...
Live From Edie 26: How Can Businesses Seize Previously Overlooked Sustainability Opportunities?
The edie Extra podcast recorded at the edie 26 conference highlighted overlooked sustainability opportunities beyond operational emissions, such as water efficiency, water stewardship, and embodied carbon. Guests Therese Noorlander of Grundfos and Sophie Long of Airedale by Modine explained how data can pinpoint material actions without...
Nestlé and Purina Post Regenerative Agriculture Milestones in Europe
Nestlé announced a four‑year partnership with regenerative‑farming specialist Soil Capital to roll out climate‑friendly practices across its supply chains in France, Belgium and the UK. The program will work with roughly 230 farmers managing about 13,000 ha of wheat, corn, barley...
New Tool Launched to Help SMEs Build Decarbonisation Plans in an Hour
The SME Climate Hub, together with Giki and the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, has released the Climate Action Planner, a free online tool that generates a customized decarbonisation roadmap for small and medium‑size enterprises in about...
Report: With EUDR Looming, One in Three Businesses Still Lack Deforestation Commitments
Global Canopy’s Forest 500 report finds that one‑third of the world’s biggest forest‑risk companies still have no deforestation or ecosystem‑conversion commitments as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) approaches. While traceability improved across most commodities, beef supply chains lagged behind. Only 4%...
Primark Updates Circular Fashion Design Standards
Primark has rolled out an updated Circular Product Standard, building on the 2023 framework that saw only 5% of its FY24‑25 clothing units meet the original criteria. The new version adds a two‑tier system—Foundational and a stricter Progressive level—covering material...
Greggs Tweaks Packaging, Food Waste and Climate Goals
Greggs’ 2026 sustainability report reveals a pivot from cutting packaging weight to improving recyclability, acknowledging that lighter formats hinder recycling. The chain has removed all unnecessary single‑use plastics and offers a reusable‑cup discount of 25 pence (≈$0.33). It retired its 25%...
How to Respond to the UK CMA’s Increased Scrutiny of Green Claims Across Supply Chains
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority has issued new guidance expanding its 2021 Green Claims Code, obligating every player in a supply chain to substantiate any environmental claim. Companies must document verification processes, audit supplier evidence, and be ready to modify...
Meet Edie’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2025: Ryan Robba, Lately St James’s Place
Ryan Robba, formerly reporting manager at wealth‑management firm St James’s Place, is launching his own sustainability‑services business in 2026. The venture will help companies tighten emissions data, meet the new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and address chronic Scope 3 data gaps. A distinctive feature...
‘The Wrong Signals’: Tony Blair Urges Government to Approve New Oil and Gas Fields
Former prime minister Tony Blair’s think‑tank, the Tony Blair Institute, released a paper urging the UK government to approve new North Sea oil and gas licences, including the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects, while also accelerating electrification of heating, transport and...
Greener and More British: How the UK Is Slowly Future-Proofing Itself From Further Energy Cost Spikes
New analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit shows the UK’s electricity mix is shifting away from imported fossil fuels toward domestically generated clean power. Over the past two decades the country has expanded solar farms, onshore wind and...
New Edie Extra Podcast: Will the UK’s Accelerated Energy Transition Be Climate-Resilient?
The latest edie Extra podcast features a live panel from the edie 26 conference discussing the UK’s accelerated Clean Power 2030 transition and its climate‑resilience challenges. Zurich Resilience Solutions’ Sean Grundy and Daniel Keir argue that insufficient adaptation—26% of outcomes rated inadequate—poses financial risks if...
NEXT WEEK: Join Edie’s FREE Webinar on Carbon Accounting
edie, in partnership with Normative, will host a free 45‑minute webinar on 15 April 2026 titled “Carbon accounting is changing: How can your business keep up?”. The session will examine new EU reporting rules, the GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 consultation, and the emerging...
£86.5m Hydrogen Project Planned for South Yorkshire
ITM Power announced a £86.5 million investment to expand its Sheffield site, funded by £40 million from Great British Energy and a £46.5 million grant from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The expansion will install an automated line to manufacture...
Rapid EV Chargers Will Necessitate 1,900 Acres of Land by 2030
Rapid EV charger demand in the UK will require roughly 1,900 acres of land by 2030, according to Knight Frank’s new report. The study projects 213,000 additional chargers, including 89,000 rapid DC units, to serve an estimated 2.1 million new EV...
Learn How to Shape Great Staff Volunteering Schemes: Join Our FREE Webinar
edie is hosting a free, live webinar on 29 April 2029 to help senior leaders design credible staff‑volunteering programmes that boost sustainability, ESG and CSR outcomes. Sponsored by Royal Voluntary Service, the 45‑minute session will cover strategic opportunities, programme design, cultural adoption...
Investors with $1.8trn Call on Freight Industry to Tackle Emissions
A coalition of investors managing roughly $1.8 trillion is urging global freight and logistics firms to treat air‑pollution as a material business issue. The group cites health data showing air‑quality‑related deaths exceed eight million annually and economic costs of $6 trillion each year....
UK Approves Biggest Solar Farm as Output Hits Record High
The UK government approved the Springwell solar farm, the nation’s largest, capable of powering over 180,000 homes and slated to connect to the grid by 2029. The approval marks the 25th nationally significant clean‑energy project since the 2024 election, contributing...