Evolving your business shouldn’t cost the earth.
May 7, 2025/
Net Zero News is compiled by our team at Material to give a roundup of the latest climate news and events.
In this edition, we look at the UK Government’s plans to accelerate the clean energy transition and developments in hydrogen energy in Scotland. We also cover key climate stories from across the world, including the reversal of environmental targets in the USA and changes to EU environmental regulations, as well as updates from the Science Based Targets initiative.
Experts warn that Scotland is unlikely to meet its 2045 net zero target, while the Scottish Government unveils its National Flood Resilience Strategy and Hydrogen Export Plan. A breakthrough in hydrogen technology has also been achieved by Scottish startup, Clyde Hydrogen.
The UK Government has continued to push forward plans to accelerate the clean energy transition, by appointing a new start-up board for Great British Energy, relaunching the Net Zero Council and announcing plans to ban new coal licences.
Kier Starmer has pledged to make Britain a “clean energy superpower” as part of his Plan for Change, which includes a goal to generate 95% of the UK’s electricity from nuclear and renewable energy by the end of the decade. Read More
A start-up board has now been appointed for Great British Energy – the new publicly owned, clean energy company – including interim CEO, Dan McGrail (current CEO of trade body RenewablesUK). The board will help to scale up Great British Energy by building its organisational structure and establishing its headquarters in Aberdeen. Read More
The UK Government has relaunched the Net Zero Council, with a focus on bringing together business and finance leaders to accelerate the UK’s clean energy transition. Key representatives from companies including HSBC, Siemens and Nestle have been included in the initiative, as well as non-profits and trade unions such as WWF, the Design Council and the Trades Union Congress. Read More
Plans to introduce legislation that will prohibit the licensing of new coal mines have been revealed by the UK Government, to cut carbon emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The legislation is set to be introduced as soon as possible, and will make the UK one of the first major economies to phase out new coal mining projects. Read More
A comprehensive review of the energy regulator Ofgem is currently being undertaken by the UK Government, with the aim of strengthening consumer protection and exploring how it can support the Government’s clean energy agenda. The review will examine areas including the scope of Ofgem’s regulatory responsibilities, its focus and the standards it sets for energy suppliers. Read More
A number of funding opportunities have been announced by the UK Government over the last few months, to help support the UK’s transition to net zero.
The UK Government has announced that it will offer a new incentive for offshore wind developers who use local supply chains, called the ‘Clean Industry Bonus’. Through this incentive, offshore wind developers can receive bonus payments of a starting rate of £27m per gigawatt of project capacity, if they invest in local suppliers and subsequently help to boost the economy in “areas that need it most”. Read More
The National Wealth Fund (NWF) and Aviva Investors have committed £65m to expand public EV charging networks across the UK, to support the Government’s net zero ambition and help the country meet its target of 300,000 public charging points by 2030. The funding will boost the deployment of on-street EV chargers, with a focus on urban areas where residents have limited access to private driveways. Read More
Over £51m has been allocated by the UK Government to help manufacturing businesses to cut their carbon emissions and move to more efficient, lower impact technology. Around 25 businesses have benefitted from the funding so far, including food manufacturer Heinz, which received £2.5m to install heat pumps within its factory in Wigan. Read More
The University of Exeter is set to lead on the development of a new UK-wide hub to help the NHS reduce its carbon footprint, after receiving £6.5m in Government funding. The ‘UK Hub for One Health Systems’ will provide guidance to decarbonise various areas of healthcare and support the NHS in achieving its target of becoming net zero by 2045. Read More
The UK Government continues to support airport expansion plans despite warnings from the Climate Change Committee, and has also set up a ‘Plan for Steel’ consultation to address challenges in the steel industry. The Deposit Return Scheme is set to launch in 2027, while analysis reveals a booming net zero economy in the UK.
The UK Government has rejected recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to pause airport expansion plans until sufficient progress has been made in aircraft decarbonisation. The CCC warned that these plans go against the UK’s net zero ambitions, however the Government has continued to back the expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports to help boost the economy.
It has been confirmed by the UK Government that the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will launch in October 2027, which aims to improve recycling rates by offering customers a financial incentive to return empty containers to collection points. Plastic and metal drink containers will be included in the scheme, however glass will remain omitted. Read More
A ‘Plan for Steel’ consultation has been launched by the UK Government to help address challenges within the steel industry and inform a new steel strategy, amid the UK’s transition to net zero. Key issues that will be examined during the consultation will include rising electricity prices, unfair trading practices and improving scrap metal recycling. Read More
– Analysis from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has revealed that the UK’s net zero economy is ‘booming’ after experiencing a growth of 10% in 2024. According to the research, the green sector is growing at “triple the rate of the UK economy”, providing increasing energy security and job creation. Read More
Controversy begins already in Brazil over deforestation, ahead of them hosting COP30. Reports reveal that 2024 was the warmest year on record globally, while Donald Trump reverses climate regulations in the USA.
The next United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP30, will be held in the city of Belem in Brazil. There has already been controversy over a new four-lane highway which is being constructed to help ease traffic in the city, which has led to the deforestation of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest. Locals and conservationists have criticised the construction, stating that it “contradicts the very purpose of a climate summit”. Read More
Findings from the Copernicus Climate Change Service – the European Union’s Earth observation program – have revealed that 2024 was the world’s warmest year on record globally, and the first in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C. The research indicates that this global warming is being primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, and highlights the urgent need to reach net zero. Read More
In the USA, Donald Trump has taken a number of actions to reverse many of the climate regulations brought in by the Biden-Harris administration, which includes beginning the process to remove the USA from the Paris Agreement. He has also ordered all agencies to pause the distribution of funds through the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest investment in clean energy in the country’s history – as well as revoking the 50% EV by 2030 target. Read More
Since taking office again, Donald Trump has declared a national energy emergency and directed all agencies to “use any emergency powers available to boost oil and gas production” – despite the USA having some of the highest levels of oil and gas production in the world. He also revoked orders from the Biden administration that had withdrawn areas of the Arctic and US coasts from oil and natural gas leasing. Read More
NGOs make complaint about a misleading add from Lloyds Banking Group and report advertising firm WPP to the OECD, while the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC) comes into force.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advertisement from Lloyds Banking Group, on the basis that the advertisement made misleading claims around the bank’s investment in renewable energy. The complaint was made by NGO Adfree Cities, and upheld by the ASA for “failing to provide balanced information about the fact that Lloyds had continued to finance polluting industries”. Read More
Advertising firm WPP has been reported to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for allegedly breaching climate and human rights due to its promotional activities for major fossil fuel companies including Shell, BP, Exxon and Aramco. The complaint was made by NGOs Adfree Cities and the New Weather Institute, who stated that carrying out promotional work for these brands was “morally unforgivable”. Read More
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC) will come into force this month, to protect consumers from misleading company claims – including greenwashing. Under the new regulations, the CMA can investigate and impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover for breaches in consumer law. Read More
Updated plans have been released for the SBTi’s sectoral standards, targeting oil and gas, chemicals and power industries – three of the largest global emitters. The updates aim to create science aligned, net zero pathways, equipping businesses in high emitting sectors with robust criteria to reduce their environmental impact. Read More
More concise guidelines have been published by the SBTi to support Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) reporting. The new FLAG Guidance in Brief supports the existing FLAG framework to help businesses operating in land-intensive sectors to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, whilst aiming to boost engagement within this area. Read More
The Bezos Earth Fund has now stopped funding the SBTi, which follows concerns from SBTi staff over the influence that the Bezos Fund had on the SBTi’s credibility. The funding was provided via a three-year incubation grant which expired at the end of 2024, and the SBTi did not reapply for continued funding from this source. The largest funder of the initiative is now the IKEA Foundation. Read More
The SBTi has reached a milestone in the number of businesses who have committed to sustainability targets through its climate standard, with over 10,000 organisations who have either set science-based targets (7,135) or have made the commitment to do so (3,695). Read More
Companies who have recently had their targets validated by the SBTi include ING, Arsenal, IPSOS and Amey. Multinational banking giant ING has committed to reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 44% by 2030. On Scope 3 emissions, ING’s targets cover 63% of its total investment and lending by financed emissions for the reference year 2021, including emissions of its clients in upstream oil & gas and automotive. Read More
HSBC has weakened its climate ambitions and has pushed back its net zero target for operations, travel and supply chains to 2050. None of HSBC’s previous emissions targets were verified by the SBTi, and the bank stopped seeking SBTi validation in 2023. HSBC has blamed the slow pace of global decarbonisation for its decision to scale back on its targets. Read More
Delays have been announced around the need to report net-zero considerations in company audits under ESOS, as well as reporting deadlines for EU regulations including the CRSD and CSDDD.
The Environmental Agency has confirmed that companies reporting under the UK’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) will not need to include considerations around net-zero in their related audits until 2027, due to delays to the introduction of Phase 3 legislation and guidance during the pandemic. Under ESOS, larger companies need to measure and report their total energy consumption, and the addition of net-zero considerations will require businesses to plan strategies to reduce their carbon emissions, in line with the UK’s net zero ambitions. Read More
The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) was due to enter its first year of active reporting in 2025, with the aim of obligating larger companies to share information on ESG issues within their business, to drive accountability and transparency. However, the European Council has proposed a delay to reporting deadlines, meaning businesses will have an additional two years to begin compliance with the CRSD if the proposal is approved. The European Parliament is due to vote on the proposal this month. Read More
A delay to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) has also been proposed by the EU Council, which will push back the deadline for applying to the directive by one year. Under this proposal, there will be key changes to the CSDDD including allowing companies to conduct full due diligence on direct business partners only, and revising the timeframe for monitoring due diligence effectiveness from every year to every 5 years. Read More
Discussions have also been held around the possibility of consolidating the CRSD, CSDDD and EU Taxonomy into a single ESG reporting framework. However, experts have warned that this poses a risk of diluting the effectiveness and specificity that these separate regulations were designed to provide. Read More
Net Zero News is compiled by Material
To talk to any of our team, get in touch at letstalk@wearematerial.co.uk
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