Category Archives: Blog

Why the energy crisis could finally be the catalyst for clean renewable energy

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In order to combat the energy supply crisis, we need to switch to cleaner renewable power now, according to new research from ESCP Business School.

Switching to cleaner energy over a sufficient time will help countries maintain their price and carbon intensity of energy.

The findings suggest that clean firm resources such as hydropower, geothermal, long-duration energy storage, and biomass are needed to support variable clean resources, such as wind and solar energy, because in times of the year where these sources of energy are harder to obtain, countries are having to rely on the expensive and carbonising natural gases.

Germany for example, decided in 2011 to fully phase out nuclear power by 2022 and as a result left the country increasingly reliant on natural gas, proved by the nation having the highest energy carbon intensity in Europe.

Amid the energy supply crisis, it is more crucial than ever to decrease our reliance on natural gas and clean firm resources can help achieve that. The research suggests that by following the example of France in beginning to switch to clean firm resources, countries will be able to maintain price stability and decarbonize the power system, helping residential customers to pay less for electrical consumption. France currently has the lowest carbon intensity and retail rates in Europe.

Why experienced remote workers are an untapped resource

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Survey highlights value that experienced remote workers can bring to new ways of working.

Eighty per cent of regular remote workers have not been promoted since working remotely and 44% have not had access to training, according to a survey from workingmums.co.uk in partnership with The Changing Work Company.

The qualitative survey highlights the experiences of those who have been working remotely or in a hybrid way, half of them since before the pandemic, and aims to give them a voice on how to improve these different ways of working.

It found that the majority of respondents worked for smaller companies with under 250 employees. The figures showed that smaller companies were more likely to offer remote working – 41% worked for companies with fewer than 25 employees and 20% for employers with 26-250 employees.

Better work life balance (28%) was the top reason for choosing to work remotely, although another 20% said their role required remote working. Caring reasons and Covid were other reasons given. Thirty per cent found it difficult (22%) or very difficult (8%) to negotiate remote working.

The survey also showed that employers are missing a trick by not asking those who have done remote working pre-Covid for advice on how to do it better: 68% of respondents had not been asked about their experience of working from home to help others who switched during Covid.

Two thirds (66%) of respondents were offered resources such as laptops by their employers but 71% said their employer did not pay for things like work-based calls.

The survey also showed that:

– 31% felt they missed out on crucial information. But over half of those who said they didn’t (55%) said this was down to their own efforts to find out what was going on, with just 32% saying their employer made an effort to ensure they didn’t miss out

– A third (33%) didn’t have access to technical support

– 36% felt they were not included in decision-making due to being remote, which one in five (20%) said was the most difficult thing about working remotely.

– 63% have a distinct start to the day vs 18% who don’t.

– 53% have regular breaks vs 15% who don’t and 32% said they do not always have regular breaks.

Participants were also asked what helped them when it came to isolation at home. Keeping in touch, planning social interactions outside work and keeping to a routine were popular choices. To keep in touch one respondent had started a virtual lunch chat. Others had created Teams chats and other forums for communication.

Asked what skills they think are needed to work remotely, 85% think self motivation is a vital skill; 68% said independent thinking; and 58% said resilience. 74% said they had honed these skills through remote working and 22% had developed them due to homeworking.

Asked what would improve their situation they said better communication and appreciation of what they do. While 58% felt as valued and listened to as office-based people, the rest mostly didn’t or were unsure.

On the positive side, participants said they had learnt discipline, to value their own capability and resilience from remote working. Their advice to others included organising and planning, having a structure, sticking to your working hours and thinking about alternative forms of social interaction.

Gillian Nissim, founder of WM People, the umbrella group for  workingmums.co.uk, workingdads.co.uk and  workingwise.co.uk, said: “This survey was driven by a sense that the voices and experiences of those who have worked remotely or in a hybrid way for years are often not heard and that they must surely have a valuable contribution to make on how to make remote and hybrid working work better.

“We know that employers who seek feedback from their employees through employee network groups or other forums, listen to what they are saying and take action are the most innovative and attractive and have the highest engagement scores. Too often remote workers have been left to their own devices to make the best of remote working, but this one-sided approach means neither the employee nor the employer overcomes the biggest challenges or reaps the full benefits.”

Lucy Goaman of The Marketing and PR Clinic said: “Employers can sometimes struggle to understand the power of hybrid working in 2022 and beyond. Great members of your team can work hard from anywhere. Communication skills are by far the most important skill that managers need to hone in order to successfully motivate remote workers, especially those who have a long standing involvement and invaluable depth of knowledge with a business or specific industry. Each day we are given 86,400 seconds. Everyone is given the same. No exceptions. Time is the remote workers – employees and self employed – biggest gift to an organisation. There is one simple truth, your remote workers time is limited and one day they may choose to not spend their time on your brand or business because they didn’t feel appreciated. Value your entire team, whether they are employee, self employed, working in the office or remote working.”

Bridget Workman of The Changing Work Company said: “More than four in five people surveyed are either working remotely now or have done so in the past. Half of them have been working that way for more than three years and a quarter for more than five years. This represents a wealth of experience that, surprisingly, most employers have not yet tapped into.

“68% of those surveyed said their employers had not asked them to share their knowledge to help colleagues suddenly switching to homeworking nor have they been consulted for their special insights on how to make the hybrid mix of office, home and remote working work. Although usually provided with equipment, the majority had to learn the hard way, through trial and error, having received no training. They know the pitfalls and have learned the necessary skills and tricks through their own resourcefulness and resilience.”

Only 30% of UK businesses have a Net Zero Strategy

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Only 30% of UK businesses have a Net Zero Strategy

Research by Veolia shows that less than a third of UK businesses have a strategy for reaching carbon neutrality, despite growing environmental concerns. Plus, 42% of UK businesses are feeling overwhelmed by the steps they need to take to reach this goal.

The survey by YouGov on behalf of Veolia, of over 1,000 senior business decision makers, found that less than a third (29%) of UK businesses have a strategy for reaching carbon net zero. However, more than half of larger companies (250+ employees) surveyed (52%) had a net zero strategy and 61% of these also felt their reputation would be negatively affected if they failed to commit to achieving their carbon targets.

Positively, environmental concern was the biggest driver (72%) for businesses with a net zero strategy trying to meet their carbon targets, with reputation second (60%). Despite low numbers committing to a carbon net zero strategy, 80% of those who did are very confident of achieving their goals.

Further key points:
– Investment (40%) and Government legislation (39%) were the most popular types of support businesses with a net zero strategy would like to see to reach their carbon targets. 12% said they did not need any external support.
– 56% of those businesses with a net zero strategy have set a budget for their carbon strategy
– 40% of UK businesses surveyed are currently employing third parties for carbon offsetting practices

Gavin Graveson, Senior Executive Vice President Veolia Northern Europe Zone said:
“Just over forty percent of UK businesses may feel overwhelmed by the steps they need to take to reach carbon neutrality, but every step businesses take makes a difference to our planet, protecting it for future generations. We need to see more industries commit to a robust strategy to reduce their environmental impact, whether that be through use of electric vehicles, cleaner energy supplies or reduced packaging. In the wake of COP26, we need to work together, share expertise, innovate and research new sustainable solutions so carbon net zero can become a reality, rather than a goal.”

Is creating a net zero strategy for your business one of your key 2022 resolutions?

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1022 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th – 25th October 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of British business size.

Lucy Goaman

Tomorrow’s plastics: Patent data reveals companies in consumer goods industry with high rate of innovation in bioplastics

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Tomorrow’s plastics

• European Patent Office (EPO) study shows that Europe and US together account for 60% of patenting activity worldwide related to plastic recycling and bioplastic technologies
• UK among European countries showing specialisation in both sectors
• Cosmetics and detergent industry at the forefront of innovation in alternative plastics such as bioplastics, with Unilever in top ten of patent applicants
• EPO President António Campinos: “This report highlights Europe’s contribution towards a circular economy for plastics, but shows more can be done to transfer fundamental research to industry.”

From a global perspective, Europe and the US are leading innovation in plastic recycling and alternative plastics technologies, a new study published today by the European Patent Office (EPO) shows. Europe and the US each accounted for about 30% of patenting activity worldwide in these sectors between 2010 and 2019, or 60% combined. Within Europe, the UK together with France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium stands out for its specialisation in both plastic recycling and bioplastic technologies, while Germany as the top patent applicant among European countries, lacks specialisation in these fields. The Patents for tomorrow’s plastics: Global innovation trends in recycling, circular design and alternative sources study also reveals that in the domain of alternative plastics, the cosmetics and detergents industry is the sector innovating most intensively in bioplastics, with the UK’s Unilever among the top ten patent applicants in this field.
(Origins of inventions related to the circular plastics industry, 2010-19)

“While plastics are essential to the economy, plastic pollution is threatening ecosystems all over the planet,” said EPO President António Campinos. “The good news is that innovation can help us to address this challenge by enabling the transition to a fully circular model. This study offers key insights into a range of promising new technologies that foster the reusability, recyclability and bio-degradability of plastic products. It highlights Europe’s contribution to innovation in this sector, but shows that much more can be done to turn pioneering European research into inventions and to bring them to market.”

Chemical and biological recycling methods with highest number of patents 

The study presents a comprehensive analysis of the innovation trends for the period 2010 to 2019 that are driving the transition to a circular economy for plastics and looks at the number of international patent families (IPFs), each of which represents an invention for which patent applications have been filed at two or more patent offices worldwide. It shows that of all recycling technologies, the fields of chemical and biological recycling methods generated the highest level of patenting activity in the period under review. These methods accounted for 9 000 IPFs in 2010-19, double the number filed for mechanical recycling (4 500 IPFs), which is currently the most commonly used solution to transform plastic waste into new products. While the patenting of standard chemical methods (such as cracking and pyrolysis) reached a peak in 2014, emerging technologies such as biological methods using living organisms (1 500 IPFs) or plastic-to-monomer recycling (2 300 IPFs) now offer new possibilities to degrade polymers and produce virgin-like plastics. Among the European countries in the top 10 for plastic recycling, the UK is within the group showing specialisation in plastic recycling technologies, expressed in a revealed technological advantage (RTA) above 1 and the highest degree of specialisation in waste recovery technologies, particularly in the fields of waste collection and cleaning. With overall 436 plastic recycling IPFs between 2010 and 2019 equalling a 2.9% share, it ranks at number eight in a global ranking led by the US, Japan and Germany. The top 3 UK patent applicants for recycling technologies are Johnson Matthey, the University of Oxford and BP.

Healthcare and cosmetics & detergent industries lead in bioplastic innovation 

In the area of bioplastic inventions, the study finds that healthcare is by far the most active industry (more than 19 000 IPFs in 2010-19). However, it is the cosmetics and detergents sector that innovates most intensively in this field: In cosmetics and detergents, the ratio of bioplastics IPFs to conventional plastics IPFs is 1:3, compared to only 1:5 in the healthcare sector. Packaging, electronics and textiles are also significant contributors to innovation in bioplastics. With 1 654 IPFs representing a global share of 2.9%, the UK, with specialisation in this field, is at number 7 in a global country ranking and at number 3 in Europe after Germany and France. A UK-specific ranking of top bioplastics applicants shows Unilever at number 1 and British American Tobacco and Invista Textiles in second and third place. An analysis of global top applicants in bioplastics by selected categories reveals a strong overlap in the top 10 applicants in packaging and cosmetics/detergents. The UK’s Unilever ranks at number 4 in the cosmetics and detergents category behind Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal and Henkel and at number 8 in the packaging category (Innovation in bioplastics per sector).

Looking ahead: Rapid rise in innovation in plastics that are easier to recycle

The study highlights significant potential in alternative technologies focussed on new plastic designs for easier recycling, an area which has developed exponentially in recent years, with an average annual growth rate of 10% since 2010. These technologies have potential applications in aerospace, construction, transportation, wind turbines and microelectronics. The rapid growth of patenting in these fields is almost entirely driven by innovation in dynamic covalent bonding – an approach allowing for novel designs of durable plastic materials capable of self-repairing (IPFs related to related to design for easier recycling and dynamic covalent bonds, 1990–2019). While Japan has a strong lead in this field, most of the inventions coming from universities and public research organisations in this field originate from European and US research institutions.

Untapped potential to commercialise European university research

The report also finds that in the chemical and biological recycling fields, fundamental research plays a much more significant role than in other plastic recycling technologies, with nearly 20% of inventions originating from universities and public research organisations (Upstream research in recycling technologies, 2010-19). In terms of geographic location of these universities and public research organisations, Europe and the US have a clear lead, each with 29% of those IPFs stemming from research institutions. The report shows that Europe is the only major innovation hub to contribute a larger share of the chemical and biological recycling inventions from upstream research (29%) than overall in the field (26%). Meanwhile, US start-ups and scale-ups generated four times as many IPFs in chemical and biological recycling as their European counterparts (338 v. 84). This suggests that Europe, despite being particularly active in fundamental research, there is greater potential in transferring technologies to industry.

Lucy Goaman

Levelling up the UK will take years, be costly and likely cause job losses if not carefully prepared and managed

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The government’s move towards an economy with high-skill, high-wage and high productivity will likely cause economic disruptions and job losses if the government is not preparing and organizing the transition, according to an expert from Durham University Business School.

Professor Bernd Brandl, who for years has researched the governance of wages, skills, and productivity in different countries, and what the role of interest organizations is in the governance has examined the consequences of the government’s transition on the economy, businesses and workers.

Professor Brandl says that this move may be highly beneficial for businesses and workers in the long run, however, without planning, it will cause painful disruptions over the next few years as the change will not be quick, and could take years or even decades for some businesses. In the short run, many existing companies will not be able to afford higher wages and go bust, causing job losses and industrial conflict. In the long-run the economy could benefit because more productive, skill-driven and innovative companies would be able to succeed on the market.

However, the success of a successful transition is not be taken for granted but needs to be accompanied by policies that support business and workers. A smooth transition will be costly for the government due to the need to invest in infrastructure and training facilities

Professor Brandl says “many British businesses have been previously running on a low-wage, low-skill, low-productivity business model, due to two main reasons; in the past decades there was a constant influx of migrant worker who were willing to accept low(er) wages, and second, apart from the minimum wage, there was almost nothing in place that prevented companies from keeping wages low.” Therefore, many businesses competed with each other by keeping wages and working conditions low and they had little incentives to invest in skills of their employees in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Now the new economic vision of the PM looks to replace mass immigration with higher wages and better working conditions to encourage people into key sectors under the guise of moving the British economy “towards a high-wage, high-skill, high-productivity economy”, in which “everyone can take pride in their work and the quality of their work”.

Professor Brandl says there are three key elements to make the transition work. The first is patience, the transition could take years for some sectors, and even decades for others, it’s not a quick change. Secondly, the transition is costly and the government must be prepared to invest in infrastructure and training facilities. Thirdly, the process is likely to be painful for many business and workers since there will likely be job losses and social disruptions in the years ahead.

However, in order to accelerate and facilitate the transition the government should manage and coordinate the transition process. Preferably together with representatives from employers and employees so that no one is left out and the expertise of everyone is taken on board. The way how the government manages the transition will also show how conflictual the years ahead will be since the transition could be socially and economically cushioned.

Therefore, Professor Brandl states that the transition of the British economy “towards a high-wage, high-skill, high-productivity economy” is not as easy as it looks and might lead to substantial disruptions and conflicts in the years ahead. The transition process can be expected to be time-consuming, costly and likely to cause some damage in the short-term. However, in the long-run it could be highly beneficial for businesses and workers.
Professor Brandl says “it takes a lot of “guts” for the government to initiate this move since voters in the next election might go to the ballots on basis of the short-term pain they already see instead of considering the long-term gains.”

This research was carried out through Professor Brandl’s investigation of how and why countries operate in different skilled models, and the effects of collective wage bargaining on wages, skills and productivity in a country.

Lucy Goaman

Will your Organisation Meet The Net Zero Challenge?

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The science is clear, the UK needs to change its carbon emissions output to tackle the growing climate crisis. The UK has a target to reduce emissions 68% by 2030 and 78% by 2035, with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.In response to the mounting pressure to meet these targets, from the UK Government, supply chain and consumers, many organisations are looking to create a carbon reduction and net zero strategy plan. However, according to Edie’s 2021 Net-Zero Business Barometer survey, 45% of businesses are yet to set their net zero targets.One of the greatest challenges to a net zero strategy is understanding the carbon emission outputs of an organisation’s operations, including supply chains. Monitoring and measuring emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3 is complex, invariably putting pressure on operational resources. Additionally, not every organisation has the capacity to employ the knowledge and skills needed to manage a decarbonisation strategy.To support organisations in meeting this challenge, businesses can develop a Net Zero and Carbon Reduction strategy designed to help them define, shape and monitor a carbon emissions strategy tailored to their operational needs and challenges.For organisations with ambitious sustainability objectives, consultants, such as the team from TEAM’s Consultants (www.teamenergy.com) can help businesses define a Science-Based Target which sets out a path to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.Organisations who are planning to create a net zero strategy and are putting sustainability at the forefront of their agenda. Working in partnership to support in decarbonising operations, consultants can provide dedicated advice and guidance enabling organisations to meet their sustainability transformation goals.

Commenting, TEAM’s Head of Operations, Timothy Holman said;

“There is no getting away from the growing demand to be working towards net zero. Although the UK legislation is still new, we’re increasingly seeing pressure from the supply chain, financial institutions, and consumers forcing businesses into taking action. Elsewhere there are organisations determined to lead by example driven by a desire to play their part in tackling the climate crisis, investing everything they can into becoming carbon neutral.

With COP26 taking place this year and the Government’s ambitions accelerating, we expect there could be new regulations forcing businesses to act more efficiently to come into effect, through increasing building performance standards for example; potentially with penalties for non-compliance.

 

Lucy Goaman

5 years after the Brexit referendum, 25% of people would change their vote

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5 years after the Brexit referendum, 25% of people would change their vote

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum where the British people voted to leave the European Union. With this in mind, KIS Finance conducted a survey which asked 2,000 people whether they would change their vote if they had a second opportunity.

Key statistics

•25% of those who voted in the referendum would now change their vote.

•11.4% of those who voted Leave would now vote Remain.

•13.6% of those who voted Remain would now vote Leave.

•16.7% of those who didn’t vote would now vote Leave.

•39% of those who didn’t vote would now vote Remain.

The survey revealed that 25% of those who voted in the referendum would now change their vote.

This is made up of:

•11.4% of those who voted Leave would now vote Remain
•13.6% of those who voted Remain would now vote Leave

However, perhaps even more notably, out of those who didn’t vote in the referendum:

•16.7% wish they had voted Leave
•39% wish they had voted Remain.

It is estimated that Brexit cost the UK economy £400m – £800m per week by the end of 2019. The survey respondents were given this information so it could be taken into consideration when making their decision.

This is a staggering cost after the Leave party won partially on the promise of saving the £350m per week sent to the EU and using that to fund the NHS instead.

This data has clearly had a significant impact on how people feel towards leaving the EU.

Based on these survey results, the outcome of the 2016 referendum could have been very different.

 

Lucy Goaman

Cleaner Seas Group are delighted to be at the G7 Summit Official Events

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Cleaner Seas Group are delighted to be invited to showcase their innovative technology to remove microplastics from the environment at the G7 Summit.

Every time you wash your clothes in your washing machine it can release up to 700,000 Microplastic fibres (microfibres). The Cleaner Seas Group have made it their mission to find a solution to this problem.

Cleaner Seas Group’s mission is to rid the environment of microplastic pollution, has led to the by development of best in class technology products that remove and capture micro and nano plastics from any washing machine.

The G7 Expo at Cornwall House runs between 9-14 June. Its aim is to provide a showcase for the best the South West has to offer, shining a light on the region’s rich heritage and innovative green energy, mining, agritech, food and drink, space and aerospace.

The expo will be welcoming delegates and the World’s press and we’re looking forward to talking Cleaner Seas with them.

www.cleanerseasgroup.com

 


Tru Earth – Revolutionary strip form laundry detergent launches in the UK

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A new category disrupting, zero waste laundry detergent, Tru Earth has launched in the UK.

The brand is on a mission to eliminate plastic laundry jugs from landfills and oceans, and their eco-strips are a smart, eco-friendly way to do your laundry.

Tru Earth is available on a subscription basis from www.truearth.uk delivered directly through your letterbox in a plastic free zero waste design, at a frequency to suit you, so no more carrying bulky laundry detergent back from the supermarket. Tru Earth subscription service means along with no plastic jug, there is 94% less transportation pollution compared to leading laundry detergent.

Delivered in a zero-waste compostable cardboard sleeve, each ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic strip completely dissolves with your laundry in both cold and hot water. Weighing just 3 grammes per strip, Tru Earth completely eliminates heavy laundry jugs or plastic boxes and frees up cupboard space.

Clean, green, and simple! 

“Our core value at Tru Earth is that consistent small action can lead to big change in the world. When you use Tru Earth Eco-Strips, you will feel confident that you are taking care of your family, and their future on this planet.” Co-Founder Brad Liski

Uncompromising Cleaning Power

Each laundry strip packs ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly cleaning power into a tiny, pre-measured strip of liquidless laundry detergent that you just toss in the wash. Its’ low-sudsing formula works in all types of washing machines. The smart hypoallergenic laundry detergent formulation effectively seeks out and dislodges dirt molecules and stains, keeping them in suspension until they are rinsed away.

Gentle Enough for Even the Most Sensitive Skin
– Paraben-free & Phosphate-free
– Free of added dyes
– Free of chlorine bleach
– Free of 1,4-dioxane, as certified by independent laboratory tests
– Readily biodegradable in accordance with OECD 310D
– Hypoallergenic, certified by independent dermatologists
– Vegan: no animal-based ingredients or testing on animals by us or our ingredient suppliers

Available in 3 styles; Baby, Fresh Linen and Fragrance Free, choose from 32, 64 and a 384 washes pack sizes. For serious stains try Platinum, Tru Earth ultra concentrated 32 wash packs in Fresh Linen or Fragrance Free.

Available to purchase online at www.truearth.uk

There is not enough available land to hit UK tree-planting targets

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There is a large hole in the amount of available land to hit UK tree-planting targets, NGOs urgently call on Corporate Landowners to get involved to accelerate action.

New eco-transparency platform Vana finds the corporate landowners who own 130.9% of potential woodland opportunities land needed to hit England tree-planting targets


The UK has set out ambitious targets to establish forests in areas where there was no previous tree cover. For England, this is 180,000 hectares (336,372 football fields) by 2042. Recently the UK Government has committed to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament. But the targets are behind plan[3], as it is proving difficult to access available land. Whilst officials have knowledge of where suitable land is geographically located[4], the challenge is the lack of knowledge of who owns it.

However, the game changed when HM Land Registry made their corporate land ownership data for England and Wales available for innovative start-ups. CEO Jaya Chakrabarti of B Corp  tech social enterprise Semantrica Ltd devised a cunning plan to rapidly increase the rate of afforestation and nature restoration in the UK, using that data and supply chain transparency legislation to do it.

The app, named Vana (the Sanskrit word for forest, wood, grove, spring, abundance), aims to bring together tree-planting climate activist groups, government funding and corporate entities with environmentally critical landholdings. The land identified using the Vana system will then be used to drive projects to increase tree coverage and/or other rewilding action in the UK where landowners are willing. Whilst still a prototype it has already been dubbed a “carbon inset dating agency” by some. Corporates committed to proactive climate action are invited to take their first step by registering their interest with the Vana platform (https://projectvana.org/).

Data Cuttings from the Vana Prototype:
The Vana prototype connects multiple open data and silo data sources with live supply chain data, enabling the team to confirm that 29,792 corporate entities own 130.9% of the right type of land required to achieve afforestation targets in England alone. This is only 5% of total corporate landholdings, hardly making a dent in those aggregated land assets. Put another way, Vana has confirmed that corporates are overwhelmingly the best hope of enabling the UK to hit its tree-planting targets.

Unsurprisingly their prototype confirms that the top three sectors owning woodland opportunity land were Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing, Real Estate Activities and Construction. But more importantly, Vana has identified fragments of land all over England and Wales across all sectors that could be used to hit those ambitious targets. This “long tail” fills in many of the missing puzzle pieces, including which group structures and supply chains some of those entities are a part of.

Drawing from their experience in corporate compliance the team have identified which of the companies in scope of the UK Modern Slavery Act (companies over £36M turnover) own 23.8% of the 2042 target for England. The data can also be cut regionally, showing that in the South West of England 6601 organisations own 26% of the England 2042 target.

The Vana engine is already powerful enough to pull in other data sets and overlay them to address other environmental targets. Everything from flood risk mitigation to district heating planning proposals can be analysed through the corporate land and building ownership lens. Vana will use all available data to prioritise the lowest hanging fruit to achieve the most impact quickly.

What Vana is doing next and how to support it:
Now that Vana has successfully established the business case, the team needs funding to transform the prototype into a fully functioning platform to support working with corporates leading on afforestation and reforestation. Organisations wishing to support Vana can do so by pre-subscribing to the platform at a significantly discounted rate, or by sponsoring a live reporting map, region by region, showing afforestation and nature restoration opportunities and live projects as they get going.

https://techfund.tiscreport.org/project/vana-the-afforestation-and-reforestation-data-app/

Says Jaya, “We felt that the best place to start is by providing complete visibility on what is happening in the country right now. Not only would it help organisations and activists decide where they should be putting their efforts, but it would also help policymakers see the impact of current policy geospatially. As a B Corp social enterprise in need of funds to achieve our mission, this kills two birds with one stone.”

Project Vana aims to help on-the-ground technologies connect faster with climate-conscious corporate customers, again to accelerate impact. Innovative solutions companies are encouraged to make contact to form part of what Vana calls its “mycelium network” of high impact cleantech companies.

Time is of the essence. As Jaya says: “The human race is on. It’s the only one we have to win and it cannot be won without going beyond fixing what we have broken.”