This week in sustainability, one story dominated everything else — and it is not the one you would expect.

The Iran War is turbocharging the clean energy transition at a speed no policy ever managed. BYD showrooms in Manila sold a month's worth of EVs in two weeks. VinFast in Hanoi quadrupled customer visits. In San Francisco, petrol hit $6.81 a gallon and used EV dealers are overwhelmed with appointments. Pakistan is saving $6.3 billion this year by using solar instead of oil.

And one fact that stopped me in my tracks: Southeast Asian countries now have EV adoption rates of around 40% — higher than the UK and Europe.

In this week's top 10 sustainability news countdown, we cover all of that, plus:

• Why Qatar's largest LNG plant emitted the equivalent of 20,000 cars' annual CO2 in just three weeks
• How long-duration iron-air batteries are reshaping the data centre energy story
• Why poor countries will face 10 times more heat deaths than rich ones by 2050
• What New York's climate law U-turn tells us about building resilient carbon strategies
• The UK flood insurance scandal that is benefitting the wealthy instead of the vulnerable
• And three mind-blowing environmental facts you will not hear anywhere else this week

If you work in sustainability, lead a business, or advise organisations on their carbon strategy; this is your weekly briefing.

Follow for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle.

Find out more about 51toCarbonZero: https://www.51tocarbonzero.com

Join our referral programme: https://www.51tocarbonzero.com/referral/

#Sustainability #NetZero #CarbonStrategy #CleanEnergy #EVs

Mentioned in this episode:

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contributor to an organisation’s carbon footprint, yet many businesses are making decisions based on incomplete, outdated or estimated supplier data.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

Keep informed on Sustainability News

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.

My Personal Substack