Sustainability & Environment

Concerns that sustainability would fall by the wayside as a luxury nice-to-have for governments and businesses weathering the pandemic have proved largely unfounded.

China has stepped up its commitments to cut carbon emissions, the US is eyeing up a path to a net zero 2050 via an energy infrastructure revolution, and London is taking decisive action to tackle illegal levels of air pollution.

Meanwhile, global fashion has recommitted to a sustainable future after a coronavirus-induced lull, and the UK found a silver lining in Storm Bella as wind power delivered the majority of the country’s electricity.

A turbulent cloud of pandemic lockdowns had an unexpected silver lining for the environment. Attitudes and expectations shifted in both the public and amongst political and business leaders, opening up new possibilities for tackling both the climate crisis and biodiversity losses.

Record drops in carbon emissions and the increasing focus of world leaders on COP26 raised hopes that concrete measures to safeguard the environment by delivering net zero will be baked into economic recovery plans.

Meanwhile, the possibility that illegal wildlife trade may have sparked the pandemic has engendered a global sea change in public attitudes to conservation. Also, reforesting and rewilding are climbing agendas across the world as immediate, practical ways to restore damaged ecosystems and tackle economic injustice.