SCROLL DOWN TO TAKE THE SURVEY

The 10-minute online survey is primarily targeted at in-house sustainability/CSR/energy leaders and managers who hold some level of responsibility for their organisation’s strategy in these areas. This year’s survey has a particular focus on leadership and skills, and on sustainable finance – two critical areas for the future of green business.

The results of the survey will be curated into a full report which will be published as part of edie’s Business Leadership Month – a bumper month of thought-leadership discussions, exclusive interviews and authoritative reports, all dedicated to dedicated to empowering, connecting and celebrating the individuals and teams who are changing business, for good. You can read last year’s Business Leadership report here.

As an added incentive, all survey respondents have the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw to receive a free pass to edie 23 – the premier annual event for sustainability and net-zero leaders taking place on 1-2 March – along with the edie Awards ceremony which takes place on 30 March.

All individual responses will be kept anonymous.

This survey will close on the evening of Wednesday 22 February.

The 2023 Sustainable Business Leadership Survey

Skidmore, Polman and Wathuti will be joined by the likes of Pukka Herbs’ chief executive Anuradha Chugh and Committee on Climate Change Chair Lord Deben for edie 23, which takes place at the state-of-the-art 133 Houndsditch events venue in London on 1-2 March 2023.

Force of Nature Founder and leading youth climate activist Clover Hogan, Leon Restaurants Co-Founder Henry Dimbleby, Earth on Board Founder Philippe Joubert and We Mean Business Co-Founder Steve Howard are also confirmed among the high-level speaker line-up.

Sustainability and energy representatives from the likes of Google, Patagonia, innocent Drinks and Sky will also take to the stage alongside NGOs, climate activists and other inspirational speakers to provide delegates with rousing and insightful discussions to empower long-lasting change.

An evolution of the multi-award-winning Sustainability Leaders Forum, edie 23 is the premier annual event dedicated to achieving environmental and social transformations through courageous business leadership. edie 23 will offer up two full days of keynotes, panels, best-practice case studies and audience-led discussions across three themed stages – Strategy, Net-Zero and Action.

These sessions will be delivered alongside an array of interactive and immersive event features, including an informal “mess up night” to discuss some of the times that sustainability initiatives didn’t go to plan, a series of “#SustyTalk Live” sofa discussions, and a “25th Birthday Party” to celebrate edie’s 25th anniversary as the UK’s industry-leading sustainable business media brand.

We are also partnering with leading mental health and wellbeing platform MyMynd to help you manage your mental health and prioritise the wellbeing and energy of yourself and your colleagues. MyMynd will offer group workshops and private, one-to-one consultations during the event.

The event is underpinned by a pioneering Mission Statement. The Statement includes an industry-leading commitment to speaker diversity and inclusivity, a strict no-greenwashing policy and a laser-like focus on sparking new ideas and trackable actions through the event content.

edie 23 is expected to be at full capacity, with more than 600 business leaders, board-level executives, sustainability, ESG and net-zero decision-makers, finance, communications and procurement experts, NGOs, academics, consultants, tech providers, and entrepreneurs expected to attend the event in March.

Find out more about the event here and secure your place here.  

Our panel of 25 expert judges convened in late 2022 for a full day of judging where they whittled down almost 500 entries to a shortlist of around 200 finalists across 24 categories. This includes new categories such as the Net-Zero Innovation of the Year alongside returning favourites such as Partnership & Collaboration of the Year, and the coveted Lloyds Bank Sustainable Business of the Year.

The shortlist of finalists was revealed back in December, via a video and news piece on the edie website. Now, ahead of the Awards Ceremony on 30 March, we have published this free-to-download report providing more information about every shortlisted entry. Click here to download your copy. 

The Sustainability Leaders Awards ceremony, which will reveal our winners, takes place as an in-person event at the Park Plaza London Westminster hotel on Thursday 30 March 2023. Table bookings are now open and can be made here (premium tables are limited).

Commenting on the announcement of this year’s finalists, edie’s content director Luke Nicholls said: “COP27 and COP15 have underlined just how important business leadership is when it comes to accelerating climate action and reversing biodiversity loss.

“Nowhere is this leadership more evident than on our edie Awards shortlist. Despite battling through the perfect storm of Covid-19, conflict and the cost of living crisis, all of this year’s finalists have shifted from talking about a net-zero carbon, just transition to actually delivering it – at scale and at pace. On behalf of the entire edie team, I would like to congratulate all of our finalists – we can’t wait to celebrate with you on 30 March at the Park Plaza London Westminster.”

— CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THE EDIE AWARDS 2023 FINALISTS REPORT — 

BOOK YOUR TABLE at the edie Awards 2023

From single places for the drinks reception and dinner through to a full Platinum Table front-row experience – there are a variety of options to choose from to ensure you are able to celebrate with the very best of sustainable business at the edie Awards 2023.

Our glittering Awards ceremony takes place at Park Plaza London Westminster on Thursday 30 March 2023, and will include drinks receptions, guest speakers, dinner and a wide selection of entertainment. Avoid disappointment by booking now to guarantee the tickets you want.

BOOK YOUR TABLE HERE.

EV100 has today (20 January) published its latest annual progress and insights report, confirming that it has 127 members that now collectively operate 400,000 EVs – 93% more EVs than were covered by the initiative 12 months ago.

This growth was not driven purely by an increase in members, with just seven new companies coming onboard since the last annual report. Rather, the Climate Group is pointing to more favourable policy landscapes in several key markets, enabling corporates to accelerate deployment.

Member companies leading the way in EV deployment include AstraZeneca, Siemens and Leaseplan. Also in the top ten are Ikea’s parent company Ingka Group, FMCG giant Unilever and consulting behemoth Deloitte.

At present, most of the EVs deployed are concentrated in Europe, which represents eight of the top 10 markets for deployment. The UK hosts more than 15,000 EVs deployed under EV100, while France hosts more than 8,800. For context, around 2,400 EV100 EVs are operating in Japan and 1,400 in the USA.

India is also a major EV100 market, with the second-highest level of corporate EVs deployed to date (more than 10,600) and the highest level of corporate fleet commitments. Should all EV100 members reach their EV deployment targets in time, more than 5.7 million EVs will be operational in their fleets by 2030. More than 169,000 of these will be based in India, and more than 104,500 in the UK.

Charging ahead

As has been the case with previous EV100 reports, this year’s edition tracks several key challenges remaining on the road to corporate fleet electrification, including charging infrastructure deployment.

It confirms that charging point installation by member firms has once again been outpaced by EV adoption, with charging stock up 44% year-on-year but vehicle numbers up 93%. Nonetheless, there has been an acceleration in charging point deployment. EV100 members now collectively host more than 30,000 individual charging points. The leading charging point deployer has been Tesco, with 520 locations now covered. In second place in Ingka Group, which boasts chargers in 405 locations.

The report also documents ongoing challenges in EV100 member procurement of a diverse range of vehicles. While there are many pure electric cars and vans available, selections are smaller for medium-duty, heavy-duty and specialist vehicles. To that end, the Climate Group recently launched a spin-off EV100+ initiative focused on vehicles larger than 7.5 tonnes. Founding EV100+ members are Ingka Group, Unilever, JSW Steel, DPD and Maersk.

The Climate Group’s director of transport Sandra Roling said: To limit global temperature rises to no more than 1.5C, far more vehicles need to switch to electric.

“To support this, charging infrastructure must be built out rapidly and manufacturers must expand the volume and variety of vehicles on the market. Governments need to provide clear direction in the form of phase-out dates, supported by measures such as zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates and CO2 standards.”

Lloyds Banking Group’s managing director for transport, Nick Williams, elaborated on EV100 policy asks in the UK. He said: “If we want the UK to truly lead the way in EV ownership, removing the barriers to convert to new EVs must be a priority focus for both government and industry moving forward.  Increased accessibility and availability of charge points in towns and cities right across the UK will be essential, alongside affordable charging units and tariffs at home.”

Williams added: “Support beyond 2023 is required for a fairer road taxation system that incentivises on removing the older, more polluting vehicles from the UK’s roads, while also supporting demand in the growing second-hand EV market.”

Through his Autumn Statement late last year, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt laid the foundation for changes to road, fuel and vehicle taxation that account for the EV transition. He stopped short of confirming a road pricing scheme at this stage but this may well be the longer-term plan. His plans to bring taxation on EVs in line with ICE vehicles from 2025, however, proved unpopular, with many saying it would hike upfront costs just as motorists need them to come down. Chris Skidmore’s Net-Zero Review recommends a thorough review of all taxes this year.

The publication of the EV100’s report comes as the EU is progressing with plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars across the bloc by 2035. It is also setting out requirements for a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions for new cars sold from 2030, with a 2021 baseline.

Final approval is expected in March, but we can expect fierce pushback from some member states, including Italy.

Join the EV debate at edie 23 

Taking place in London on 1-2 March 2023, edie’s biggest annual event has undergone a major revamp to become edie 23, with a new name, new venue, multiple new content streams and myriad innovative event features and networking opportunities.

edie 23 will take place at the state-of-the-art 133 Houndsditch conference venue in central London. Held over two floors, the event will offer up two full days of keynotes, panels, best-practice case studies and audience-led discussions across three themed stages – Strategy, Net-Zero and Action.

We are also hosting a range of workshops, including a workshop on net-zero transport and sustainable mobility on the afternoon of Day One (1 March). The workshop will be chaired by Claire Haigh, founder and CEO of Greener Vision, who will be joined by Tim Anderson, group head of transport at EST.

Click here for full information and to book your ticket.

Our panel of 25 expert judges recently convened for a full day of judging where they whittled down almost 500 entries to a shortlist of around 200 finalists across 24 categories. This includes new categories such as the Net-Zero Innovation of the Year alongside returning favourites such as Partnership & Collaboration of the Year, and the coveted Lloyds Bank Sustainable Business of the Year.

The shortlist of finalists was revealed back in December, via a video and news piece on the edie website. Now, ahead of the Awards Ceremony on 30 March, we have published this free-to-download report providing more information about every shortlisted entry.

The Sustainability Leaders Awards ceremony, which will reveal our winners, takes place as an in-person event at the Park Plaza London Westminster hotel on Thursday 30 March 2023. Table bookings are now open and can be  made here (premium tables are limited).

Fill out the form on the left and click ‘download now’ to access your copy of our Meet the Finalists Report.

Across the UK and the world, leading businesses, cities, states and regions are turning environmental ambitions into action. Here, we round up five positive sustainability stories from this week.

ENERGY: Isle of Man targets 75% renewable electricity mix by 2026

As EU lawmakers grapple with how to fine-tune the design of its renewable energy directive, designed to increase the share of renewables in the electricity generation mix to at least 40% by 2030, a more ambitious target has this week been set by the Isle of Man.

The Isle’s government announced this week a new target for three-quarters of its electricity mix to be accounted for by renewables within three years. The majority of the Island’s electricity is currently generated using natural gas, with diesel, energy from waste, hydroelectric and a subsea cable to England making up the remainder.

Ministers have given the go-ahead for the Island’s state-owned electricity supplier, Manx Utilities, to commence plans to develop 30MW of onshore wind and solar capacity to help achieve the new goal. Much of this capacity will be developed on publicly-owned sites, including solar roofs on car parks and government buildings.

The new goal supports an existing ambition to reach net-zero electricity production by 2030.

“30MW by 2026 is an ambitious and stretching goal for an island community, but one we must achieve if we are to play our part in tackling global warming and climate change,” said Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK.

RESOURCES: Currys extends refurbished and repaired tech offering

E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream, according to the UN. The UN estimates that electronics, electricals and related components worth $57bn are wasted globally each year.

The good news is that the appetite for refurbished, repaired and recycled electronics and electricals appears to be growing. British retailer Currys this week revealed that trials sales of pre-owned phones and laptops around Black Friday 2022 saw 80% of lines sell out within one week.

With this in mind, Currys is expanding its circular technology offering. The retailer has launched a dedicated, expanded second-hand product range on its own website, while last year’s trials saw a smaller range made available through the ‘Currys Clearance’ eBay store. You can read edie’s full story here.

Currys’ head of development for the circular economy Mandeep Gobindpuri said:  “In the UK we produce the second highest amount of e-waste per capita in the world. As much as we all love brand-new tech, we need to address this challenge.”

MOBILITY: Travis Perkins touts ‘UK’s largest’ forklift electrification scheme

In this part of this weekly feature, we often cover exciting news relating to public transport, like sleeper trains to displace short-haul flights, or innovative electric buses.

This week, though, we have received a success story regarding business fleets – and specifically concerning the specialist, heavy vehicles which often prove to be the biggest challenge for businesses with 100% electric vehicles targets. Building materials giant Travis Perkins has pledged to switch all 1,100 of its diesel forklift trucks with electric alternatives by the middle of 2024.

The company is anticipating that the change will mitigate up to 6,600 tonnes of CO2e emissions each year. It is notably working to achieve a 27% reduction in vehicle and plant fleet emissions by 2027, against a 2022 baseline.

Travis Perkins will source the new forklifts from Briggs Equiment in what it claims is the UK’s largest forklift fleet electrification initiative to date.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: Hayfield plans 50 ultra-energy-efficient new homes in Gloucestershire

Housebuilder Hayfield has this week submitted an application to Tewkesbury Borough Council for 50 new homes in Gotherington, Gloucestershire, that will all have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) A-rating.

There will be a mix of two, three and five-bedroom houses and bungalows at the £35m development, which will not be connected to gas. Instead, electric heating, cooling and cooking systems will be in place for residents. Air-source heat pumps will serve underfloor heating systems.

Other built-in sustainability features will include solar panels for each home, an electric vehicle charging point at each property and built-in water efficiency measures. As required by law, Hayfield will deliver biodiversity net-gain at the site. It is planning native tree pond and the creation of a pond with wetland flowers.

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: OVO joins Community Energy England

Community Energy England has stated that just 23 new community-owned renewable energy generation assets were installed in 2021, the lowest number since 2017. It has been calling for more policy support for the community-owned approach, which proponents argue can help to maximise the socio-economic benefits of the energy transition and ensure they are shared fairly.

This week, OVO Energy joined Community Energy England as a Principal Supporter. In this post, it will help community energy associations to access subsidy-free power purchase agreements (PPAs), which are often a deciding factor in whether a project goes ahead or not. OVO Energy has this year signed two new PPAs with subsidy-free onshore wind projects from Genatec and Ambition Community Energy, and has stated an intention to expand and accelerate this work.

“We’re looking forward to helping the OVO team with their initiatives to support the growth of community energy by providing the sector with more investment and enhanced levels of support,” said Community Energy England’s head of operations Philip Coventry.

“With ongoing cooperation, we are confident that OVO’s engagement with community energy will facilitate new opportunities that will benefit the whole sector and its growth.‘’

Don’t miss out: Register now to attend edie 23

Taking place in London on 1-2 March 2023, edie’s biggest annual event has undergone a major revamp to become edie 23, with a new name, new venue, multiple new content streams and myriad innovative event features and networking opportunities.

edie 23 will take place at the state-of-the-art 133 Houndsditch conference venue in central London. Held over two floors, the event will offer up two full days of keynotes, panels, best-practice case studies and audience-led discussions across three themed stages – Strategy, Net-Zero and Action.

Click here for full information and to book your ticket.

The headline figure is that the UK hosted some 247,400 full-time equivalent roles in 2021, up from 207,800 in 2020. Growth in the number of jobs stagnated between 2019 and 2020 amid Covid-19-related lockdowns, but seems to be rebounding significantly.

Prior to the release of today’s statistics, the record number of full-time equivalent roles in these sectors was recorded in 2014, at 235,900.

“Although a proportion of this observed increase could be attributed to the recovery of the UK economy from the pandemic, this is not likely to be the whole picture,” the ONS noted in a statement.

As in previous years, the vast majority of the jobs assessed were located in England. The manufacturing of products that improve energy efficiency is the largest sector in terms of jobs, accounting for almost 56% of full-time equivalent roles.

However, the ONS has also recorded a steep increase in employment year-on-year in the low-emission vehicles and related infrastructure space, of 71%. Almost 40,000 people now work in this field. An 89% year-on-year increase in low-carbon jobs in the vehicle and motorcycle wholesale, retail and repair space is documented.

The ONS additionally documented a 35% year-on-year increase in employment in the low-carbon services field, bringing the total close to 10,000 full-time-equivalent roles. Many of these roles entail the provision of services to the construction, manufacturing and energy sectors.

As well as documenting an increase in jobs in the low-carbon and renewable energy sectors, the ONS also tracks how much these sectors contribute to the national economy. It has reported a 30.8% year-on-year increase in turnover between 2020 and 2021, to £54.4bn. Energy-efficient products accounted for more than one-third (36%) of turnover in 2021.

Concerns on the horizon

While the headline figures from the ONS are positive, the data does reveal some negative trends.

There was a 15% decrease in green jobs year-on-year in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning sectors, for example. This decrease comes at a time when the UK needs more jobs in these fields, to reach its 2035 renewable energy target and energy efficiency targets for buildings and industry.

More broadly, the ONS has documented no significant increase in the total proportion of green jobs within total national employment. Moreover, the proportion of turnover which the UK’s green economy accounts for out of the whole continues to stagnate.

The UK Government remains off-track to deliver its flagship goal of hosting two million green jobs by 2030.

Under Boris Johnson, the Government created a Green Jobs Taskforce featuring representatives from businesses, trade bodies, education and NGOs. We are not sure whether the Taskforce will continue to exist under Rishi Sunak.

Sunak’s government has until the end of March to provide an update to its Net-Zero Strategy, after the High Court ruled it unlawful last summer.

MPs have pushed the Government to provide a formal definition of what constitutes a ‘green job’ and to provide a thorough update to its plans for skills or education. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has touted a focus on enterprise, education and employment in the green economy in the upcoming Budget.

Commenting on today’s ONS statistics, the left-wing think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research called growth in green jobs since 2014 “decidedly unspectacular”.

IPPR’s associate director for energy, climate, housing and infrastructure, Luke Murphy, said: “Today’s ONS assessment shows that the UK risks falling behind in the global green race, just as our allies and economic competitors such as the United States are unleashing significant interventions to boost their economies and accelerate towards net-zero.

“Before the UK falls out of the race altogether, the UK Government needs to step up public investment, offer longer term and more ambitious policies from energy efficiency to clean transport, and back them with a serious green industrial strategy. Failure to do so will see the UK fall behind economically and undermine our progress towards our climate goals.”

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) recently, similarly, warned that the UK is “falling behind rapidly” in the “global race for green growth”.

CBI director-general Tony Danker said he is “worried” about the UK’s “complacency on green technologies” and found Chris Skidmore MP’s recent Net-Zero Review “devastating”. The review pointed out more than 120 interventions that the UK Government would need to make to deliver a ‘pro-business, pro-growth’ transition to net-zero, concluding that there is still time to seize this opportunity but that action is needed in the near future. Several recommendations require implementation this year.

See Chris Skidmore MP at edie 23

Taking place in London on 1-2 March 2023, edie’s biggest annual event has undergone a major revamp to become edie 23, with a new name, new venue, multiple new content streams and myriad innovative event features and networking opportunities.

edie 23 will take place at the state-of-the-art 133 Houndsditch conference venue in central London. Held over two floors, the event will offer up two full days of keynotes, panels, best-practice case studies and audience-led discussions across three themed stages – Strategy, Net-Zero and Action.

Chris Skidmore MP, the author of the Net-Zero Review, will be speaking as part of a “your questions answered” net-zero debate, where audience members will have the chance to quiz speakers on the energy crisis, the new policy priorities for the new Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero and any other green policy questions that might arise.

Click here for full information and to book your ticket.

Over the course of 90 minutes on the afternoon of 15 February, edie delivered a 60-minute webinar exploring crucial interlink between supply chain sustainability and net-zero; and a 30-minute masterclass focused on how the Modern Slavery Act can be used to tackle inequalities and enhance social sustainability at every point in the chain.

-CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY ONLINE EVENT ON-DEMAND-

Backed up by real-life case studies, this edie webinar and masterclass united a selection of sustainability and supply chain experts to showcase how organisations large and small can take their supply chain sustainability strategy onto the next level in 2023 – with a focus on reducing Scope 3 emissions and tackling modern slavery.

Over the past 12 months, businesses have faced a ‘perfect storm’ of the ongoing energy crisis, increasing extreme weather events and international trade frictions – placing immense pressure on global supply chains.

With these converging challenges showing no signs of abating, many organisations are looking to embrace a “leadership through crisis” mindset by engaging with suppliers to ensure emissions reductions aren’t forgotten across the value chain; and championing more inclusive, local, and socially sustainable procurement.

As such, we hosted this exclusive online event in association with Carbon Quota and BSI. It is now available to watch on-demand, at your convenience, for free.  Click here to register.

Session 1: Supply chain sustainability – Best practice case studies

 Chair:

• Sarah George, Senior Reporter, edie

Presenters:

• Nathan Tiller, Co-Founder, CarbonQuota

• Anita Neville, Chief Sustainability Communications Officer, Golden Agri Resources

• Michael McGowan, Group Sustainability Manager, Ibstock Brick

Discussion points

• What makes a great supply chain sustainability strategy in 2023?
• Scope 3 emissions: Engaging with suppliers on the path to true net-zero
• The role of transparency and risk analysis in future-proofing product supply

Session 2: 30-Minute Masterclass: Tackling modern slavery in your supply chain

 Chair:

• Sarah George, Senior Reporter, edie

Presenters:

• Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors and Standards, BSI Knowledge Solutions

Discussion points

• Modern Slavery Act: Key updates and need-to-knows for business leaders
• Understanding the link between modern slavery and environmental sustainability
• Tools and strategies to monitor your supply chain for human rights risks

-CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY ONLINE EVENT ON-DEMAND-

In Germany, a total of 2,300 jobs are set to be cut.

Ford said in a statement that it was a “difficult decision, not taken lightly”. The statement elaborated that the firm is “in consultation with social partners” to achieve the reductions in roles through voluntary agreements with staff.

Ford justified the move by stating that it needed to make its cost structure “leaner”, with 1,000 jobs across Europe set to go in fields including administration, marketing, sales and distribution. It also noted that its transition to a “smaller, more focused and increasingly electric product portfolio” was a key reason to reduce its engineer base.

“Paving the way to a sustainably profitable future for Ford in Europe requires broad-based actions and changes in the way we develop, build, and sell Ford vehicles,” said Ford Model e’s general manager in Europe, Martin Sander. “This will impact the organisational structure, talent, and skills we will need in the future.”

Last March, Ford began restructuring its business to create two separate divisions – one for electric vehicles (EVs) and one for petrol and diesel vehicles. It is aiming for one-third of all global sales to be accounted for by EVs by 2026, increasing to half by 2030.

Sales in Europe, it has stated, should pick up more rapidly than in North America, due to a more supportive legislative and regulatory environment. Ford is set to offer a portfolio of nine pure-electric cars and vans in Europe by 2024.

By 2035, all new Ford vehicles sold in Europe will be electric.

While the rocky economic outlook in the UK, Germany or other European markets is not mentioned in Ford’s release, Ford in Britain’s chairman Tim Slatter told the BBC that this was a key consideration in taking the decision.

North American battery boon

Ford has committed £380m to transform its gearbox factory at Halewood on Merseyside into an electric motor manufacturing hub.

However, it is clear that it sees the North American market as crucial to achieving its EV manufacturing targets. It is aiming to deliver an annual run rate of 600,000 EVs globally by the end of 2023.

Earlier this week, Ford announced that it will invest $3.5bn in a new EV battery plant in Marshall, Michigan. Production of lithium iron phosphate batteries at the factory is slated to begin in 2026, with an initial cohort of around 2,500 staff. As production scales up, Ford will have the option to explore hiring more staff.

Ford is also expecting its overall EV investments in North America to create more than 118,000 jobs, directly and indirectly.

The new plant in Michigan will add approximately 35GWh per year of new battery capacity for Ford– equivalent to around 400,000 pure-electric cars and vans annually.

In a statement, Ford noted that “building in Michigan, Ford will benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – creating one of the lowest-cost U.S.-produced batteries when the plant comes online”.

Passed last summer, the IRA is the biggest spending package on measures to reduce emissions and improve climate adaptation from any national government. It was scaled back due to strong opposition from Republicans and some rebel Democrats, but still allocated a total of $369bn to climate action, including $26bn of subsidies for low-carbon transport.

The pressure is now on the EU, UK, and other markets to rival the Act or face losing out in the global cleantech race. EU lawmakers are in the process of finalising the details of a new ‘Green Deal Industrial Plan’ with this in mind. Europe is particularly concerned about the IRA’s impact on EV manufacturing and trading.

The Green Deal Industrial Plan’s pillars are ensuring more rapid access to funding – public and private – for cleantech firms; implementing regulations that enable the net-zero transition; closing skills gaps and cooperating globally on the trade of low-carbon goods and services.

Funding for projects will be provided over a two-year period to help scale-up solutions. Winning projects include building and testing a new fully electric ferry on the River Thames and developing hydrogen-powered vessels to transfer crew to wind farms off the northeast coast of England from the Port of Blyth.

The funding is provided via the third round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC3) which forms part of the wider £206m UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) scheme, announced in March 2022.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Our maritime sector imports 95% of goods into the UK and contributes £116 billion to our economy – more than both aviation and rail combined. With growing the economy one of the Government’s top priorities, we must continue our efforts to ensure the UK remains a pioneer in cutting-edge clean maritime solutions.

“The funding we’re awarding today will help to do just that, bringing emission-free concepts to life and fuelling innovation.”

The funding comes just days after the Government pledged £77m to invest in developed green maritime technology solutions, in a bid to launch a zero-emission vessel on UK seas by 2025 at the latest.

The £77m funding has been made available through the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition. The competition will be overseen by Innovate UK and funding will specifically target “well-developed” solutions that can be scaled.

Successful projects will be chosen to work with major UK ports and operators to launch a zero-emission vessel by 2025 at the latest. The Government is targeting technologies such as battery electric vessels, shoreside electrical power, low-carbon fuels like hydrogen or ammonia and wind-assisted ferries.

The UK was one of more than a dozen nations signing a new declaration on the creation of zero-emission shipping routes between ports at COP26. The so-called ‘Clydebank Declaration’ is aiming to establish at least six corridors by the mid-2020s, which are likely to be shorter routes, and to add “many more routes”, including long-haul routes, by 2030.

Shipping is currently responsible for around 3% of global CO2e emissions, but researchers for the European Parliament believe this proportion could rise to 17.5% by mid-century without a step-change in approach.

MyMynd will also offer free online assessments to all edie 23 delegates and select members, with the anonymised results being curated into a post-event report that analyses the state of mental health and wellbeing among the sustainability profession.

Overcoming burnout

Commenting on the partnership, edie’s content director Luke Nicholls said: “The climate crisis and other escalating sustainable development challenges are increasing the risks of poor mental health in the workplace and impacting the accessibility and quality of associated services across the globe.

“Through edie 23, we want to give sustainability and net-zero professionals the tools they need to manage employee wellbeing whilst enhancing their own mental energy and increasing resilience – MyMynd is the perfect partner to help us do that.”

MyMynd’s co-founder and chief executive Henry Majed added: “We’re proud to be partnering with edie to support mental health and wellbeing at edie 23.

“The past two years have placed sustainability issues firmly at the heart of boardroom discussions increasing already demanding and potentially stressful roles. Exhaustion and burnout are on the rise. With a sense of always more to do and our own unforgiving expectations the urge to endure is overwhelming. We’re committed to helping protect and enhance the health and energy of sustainability leaders at edie 23.”

One-to-one consultations

MyMynd is a digital mental health platform that seeks to transform how employees can take control of their mental health. The platform is based around a secure assessment using clinically validated tools. Employees get a detailed understanding of their mental health risks and wellbeing, and users are guided toward resources linked to their specific needs to improve their ability to cope.

The Health & Wellbeing Zone at edie 23 will allow delegates to schedule free one-to-one consultations with MyMynd’s health and wellbeing experts and take part in a choice of two themed workshops taking place across the two days. Delegates will be contacted about how to book consultations and attend the workshops in advance of the event.

An evolution of the multi-award-winning Sustainability Leaders Forum, edie 23 is the premier annual event dedicated to achieving environmental and social transformations through courageous business leadership. Find out more about the event and book your ticket here.

More information on the MyMynd platform and services can be viewed here.

The first charging points will be installed at Yorkshire Water’s training academy in Bradford. Additional installations and upgrades have been proposed at more than 80 sites where colleagues use Renault Zoes, Nissan e-NV200s, Nissan Townstars and the Vauxhall e-Vivaro.

Further installations will then be made so that Yorkshire Water employees that drive an EV for the company will either be able to charge at home, at work or on-the-go via public chargers.

Yorkshire Water has enlisted UK Power Network Services to install and maintain the chargers.

Yorkshire Water’s chief executive Nicola Shaw said: “We have committed to achieving net zero operational emissions by 2030, and part of that ambition includes transitioning all our vehicles to zero or ultra-low emissions.

“Working with UK Power Networks Services to develop the supporting infrastructure for all our light commercial vehicles to be electric powered is an important step to making that a reality and will allow our teams to use electric vehicles to their full potential.”

Last year, the company selected investment and asset manager, Downing LLP, to develop, design, build and operate a portfolio of 28 solar sites across its sites and facilities, totalling around 23MW in capacity.

The investment will build towards Yorkshire Water’s 2030 net zero pledge, with all electricity generated to be consumed on-site by the company.

In 2020, the UK’s major water companies introduced a route map detailing how solar installations, electric vehicles and biomethane production will enable the sector to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

The UK’s nine major water and sewerage providers, including Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water and United Utilities have used the Routemap to create a net-zero water supply for customers, in a move that could reduce sectoral emissions by more than 10 million tonnes.

The Routemap estimates a potential investment of up to £4bn, based on currently available technologies. The 10-point plan will outline how biomethane production from sewage waste will allow green gas to be injected into the grid and heat up to 150,000 homes. Additionally, the sector will facilitate the development of up to 3GW of new solar and wind generation – enough power to meet 80% of the sector’s electricity demands

The company has been at the forefront of low-carbon investments having issued a £350m sustainability bond back in 2019.