Stay with me to the end, because I’ll share how a single parrot species that can barely fly is suddenly having a baby boom while TV news quietly talks less and less about the climate crisis.

In this weekly climate news breakdown, I walk through the biggest signals sustainability professionals, consultants and business leaders should be paying attention to right now. From political attacks on ESG alliances to tightening reporting standards and growing scrutiny of net zero claims, the landscape around climate strategy and carbon accounting is shifting quickly.

If you work in sustainability, advise companies on climate strategy, or help organisations with decarbonisation, these trends matter. They shape how net zero strategies are built, how carbon markets are used, and how climate claims stand up to regulators and investors.

In this video I cover:

• Why climate journalism is rapidly moving from TV into podcasts and video

• The growing legal risk around net zero claims and greenwash

• Political pressure on ESG alliances like SBTi and CDP

• Why companies should build climate strategies that work even if policy changes

• What public opinion in the UK really thinks about net zero

• The truth behind the so called greenlash against climate policy

• The structural problems facing carbon offsets and voluntary carbon markets

• Why carbon pricing and ETS revenues could actually help industry decarbonise

• How new reporting rules and SBTi tools are tightening corporate climate targets

• Why renewables keep growing because of economics, not politics

I also share three surprising environmental facts hidden inside everyday news stories, including the remarkable recovery of the kākāpō, a rare flightless parrot whose population has grown dramatically thanks to conservation efforts.

My goal with these weekly updates is simple. Cut through the noise and help sustainability professionals understand what actually matters for net zero strategy, carbon accounting and real world decarbonisation.

If you work in sustainability or advise organisations on climate action, consider joining the network of professionals collaborating around practical net zero delivery.

Learn more about the platform here:

https://www.51tocarbonzero.com

If you are a sustainability consultant or advisor, you can also explore the referral programme here:

https://www.51tocarbonzero.com/referral/

Subscribe for weekly climate signals, practical net zero insights and honest conversations about what is really happening in sustainability.

#NetZero #Sustainability #CarbonAccounting #ClimateStrategy #Decarbonisation

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UPCOMING WEBINAR: The Scope 3 Blind Spot: What Your Supplier Data Isn't Telling You

Scope 3 emissions are often the biggest contributor to an organisation’s carbon footprint, yet many businesses are making decisions based on incomplete, outdated or estimated supplier data. In this webinar, we’ll explore the biggest blind spots in supplier emissions data, why they matter for reporting and decarbonisation, and how leading organisations are moving beyond spreadsheets and assumptions to build a more accurate, scalable approach to Scope 3. LIVE ATTENDANCE BONUS: complimentary gap audit of your top 10 suppliers. Wednesday 16 September | 1pm BST https://www.51tocarbonzero.com/webinar-supply-chain/

September Webinar

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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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