SBTi has quietly halved the minimum emissions reductions companies need to hit by 2030 — no announcement, no press release, just an appendix edit. That's story #2 this week. Story #1? Oil hit $114 a barrel and the IEA has declared the fossil fuel industry "broken forever."
This week's top 10 sustainability stories ranked by what the world is talking about — including the EU's 70% CSRD simplification, a $67 billion clean energy merger, Big Tech locking in 2GW+ of renewables, and why 98% of AI data centre energy is unaccounted for.
If you run a business, advise organisations on sustainability, or work in Food & Beverage or Media and Marketing, these are the stories shaping strategy right now.
TIMESTAMPS:
- 00:00 — Hook: SBTi cuts 2030 targets
- 00:30 — Intro
- 01:00 — #10: Germany drops fossil heating phase-out
- 01:30 — #9: CDP $900bn extreme weather losses
- 02:00 — #8: GHG Protocol appoints first CEO
- 02:30 — #7: Carbon removal goes mainstream
- 03:00 — #6: Big Tech clean energy deals
- 03:30 — #5: NextEra acquires Dominion $67bn
- 04:00 — #4: EU CSRD simplified 70%
- 04:30 — #3: AI data centre energy — 98% unaccounted for
- 05:00 — #2: SBTi halves 2030 targets
- 05:45 — #1: Iran war, $114 oil, IEA "broken forever"
- 07:00 — Top 3 mind-blowing environmental facts
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I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025.
Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist.
Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions.
I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions.
Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense.
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