The world's second-largest polluter just stripped out its own power to regulate carbon. By the end of this, you'll know exactly why that matters for your business, and what the smart response looks like on this side of the Atlantic.

Something remarkable happened in Washington. In February 2026, the US government erased the scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health, the legal foundation that had let it regulate carbon pollution for nearly 17 years. Call it what it is: the world's biggest economy voluntarily removing its own ability to act on climate. There's a lot in here for UK businesses and policymakers, and most of it is a warning worth reading closely.

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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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