BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN INNOVATION AND ADOPTION

Amazon has announced the Amazon Sustainability Deep Tech Accelerator, a worldwide programme designed to help emerging technology companies bring breakthrough sustainability solutions closer to commercial adoption.

Announced on 3 November 2026 in Seattle, the initiative will give companies working across materials science, manufacturing, and energy systems a structured route for Amazon teams to evaluate their technologies.

Through the programme, selected innovators will have the opportunity to develop integration proposals for consideration across Amazon Devices, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Amazon Private Brands. By bringing these business units together under a single initiative, Amazon aims to create more opportunities for promising technologies to be validated and adopted through one engagement.

The accelerator will focus on technologies that reduce the carbon impact of displays, semiconductors, batteries, and packaging, as well as innovations that improve the circularity of cloud hardware and introduce lower-carbon alternatives for plastics, polymers, and textiles.

Maiken Moeller-Hansen, Director of Energy & Sustainability for Amazon Devices & Services, says the programme aims to shorten the journey from technological development to enterprise adoption.

“Across industry, new technologies are needed to reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of recycled materials. Many are being developed right now by thousands of innovators around the world – but the traditional path from lab to enterprise adoption is too slow,” she explains.

THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY

The Amazon Sustainability Deep Tech Accelerator will concentrate on three key areas, each addressing a different aspect of the environmental impact of technology and global supply chains.

The first, low-carbon materials and advanced manufacturing, encompasses solutions that could reduce the carbon footprint of semiconductors, printed circuit boards (PCBs), batteries, displays, accessories, and packaging.

Energy efficiency represents the second focus area, targeting innovations in power and thermal management that could reduce operational emissions.

Finally, circularity will prioritise technologies that lower embodied carbon while keeping critical materials and components in use for longer through improved recovery and reuse.

Together, these themes reflect Amazon’s ambition to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies that can support more sustainable manufacturing and strengthen supply chain resilience.

BUILDING ON PROVEN RESULTS

The new initiative builds on Amazon’s experience with its Devices Climate Tech Accelerator, launched in 2025 to connect emerging decarbonisation companies with Amazon Devices through a structured six-month evaluation process.

Across its first two cohorts, 28 companies participated in the programme, demonstrating this approach’s potential to bring innovative climate technologies closer to commercial opportunities.

Finalists presented their proposals to Amazon senior leadership, giving decision-makers the opportunity to approve potential integration opportunities.

The expanded accelerator now brings Amazon Devices, AWS, and Amazon Private Brands together under one programme for the first time, extending this model across a broader range of business operations.

It also supports Amazon’s wider climate ambitions through The Climate Pledge, which the company co-founded in 2019 to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its global operations by 2040.

Importantly, companies do not need to surrender equity to participate. Where technologies are approved for integration, potential outcomes could include licensing and supply agreements, technology collaborations, or investment opportunities, depending on mutual fit and business objectives. Technologies may also be referred to other Amazon business units.

APPLICATIONS OPEN IN 2027

Applications for the Amazon Sustainability Deep Tech Accelerator will open in January 2027, and interested companies can join the programme’s interest list before the application portal goes live.

By creating a more direct connection between emerging technology developers and the business leaders responsible for commercial adoption, Amazon is seeking to shorten the journey from innovation to implementation.

As the company continues working toward its 2040 net-zero ambition, the accelerator provides another way to identify and scale technologies that could reduce environmental impact while strengthening the resilience of critical material supply chains.

The post Amazon on New Sustainable Tech Initiative: “We Designed This Program to Accelerate a Different Path” appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

Siemens Targets Energy Resilience

Siemens has launched a new Microgrid Integrated Switchboard (MIS) designed to simplify the deployment of distributed energy resources and improve energy resilience across industrial and commercial facilities.

Announced on 29 October 2026, the pre-engineered solution combines power distribution, protection, automation and intelligent microgrid control within a single platform.

Available in the US, the technology is aimed at organisations seeking to integrate renewable energy and battery storage while reducing the complexity and time involved in microgrid installation.

Manufacturing facilities are among its target applications, alongside data centres, healthcare campuses, commercial buildings and public infrastructure.

Integrating Renewable Energy and Storage

The MIS platform uses Siemens’ SICAM A8000 microgrid control technology to monitor and manage distributed energy resources (DERs), including solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage, generators and utility connections.

By coordinating these different power sources, the system enables facilities to manage electricity loads in real time and optimise how available energy resources are used.

A key capability is the transition between grid-connected and islanded operation, allowing facilities to continue operating independently when disturbances affect the main electricity network.

For manufacturers, this provides a means of maintaining critical production activities during power disruptions while supporting the integration of renewable energy technologies.

The system’s vendor-agnostic architecture also allows businesses to combine equipment from different suppliers rather than relying on a single technology provider.

Reducing Deployment Complexity

Siemens has designed the switchboard as a factory-integrated and tested solution, reducing the amount of engineering and integration work required on-site.

By combining preconfigured controls with standardised power distribution equipment, the company aims to shorten installation and commissioning times while reducing project risk.

Jonathan Hill, President of Electrification and Automation at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA, said:

“Energy resilience has become a business imperative, yet customers need to navigate growing energy complexity without adding operational burdens.”

“The Microgrid Integrated Switchboard brings together Siemens’ expertise in power distribution and microgrid automation, combining the intelligence of a microgrid controller with the reliability of Siemens power distribution equipment in one standardized, scalable solution. This gives customers a simpler path to deploy microgrids faster, reduce complexity, and operate with greater confidence.”

Supporting Industrial Operations

For manufacturing businesses, energy reliability is a key consideration when planning production and managing operational risk.

The MIS solution is designed to help facilities maintain essential operations during grid disturbances by coordinating on-site generation, stored energy and utility connections.

Its real-time monitoring and control capabilities also give operators greater visibility of available power resources and electricity demand.

Siemens says the platform can support a range of industrial energy strategies, allowing businesses to select the combination of generation and storage technologies best suited to their requirements.

The system also includes cybersecurity features such as role-based access controls, encryption and network security capabilities.

Simplifying the Energy Transition

The launch forms part of Siemens Smart Infrastructure’s wider focus on connecting energy systems, buildings and industrial operations.

By bringing renewable generation, energy storage and intelligent controls into a pre-engineered platform, Siemens aims to make microgrid deployment more accessible to organisations seeking greater energy independence and operational flexibility.

For manufacturers, the technology offers a way to combine energy resilience with the adoption of distributed energy resources, without requiring separate systems for power distribution and microgrid control.

The Microgrid Integrated Switchboard is available in the US, with Siemens positioning it as a standardised approach to managing increasingly complex industrial and commercial energy requirements.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Stockton-on-Tees delivery station is designed to meet the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, a framework Amazon helped create. It is also the first building in Amazon’s global network to pursue version 1.1 of the Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification.
• Lower-carbon steel, mass timber, cement-free paving, and carbon-storing concrete are expected to cut construction emissions by at least 20 percent compared with the original design.
• The £40 million site has created around 100 local jobs and is part of Amazon’s commitment to invest £40 billion in the UK between 2025 and 2027.

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR LOGISTICS

At the edge of Stockton-on-Tees, where the A66 meets the Teesside industrial heartland, Amazon’s newest delivery station stands apart from the familiar image of a logistics building.

Its timber-and-steel frame signals a different approach. Low-carbon concrete, wall panels and roofing materials reinforce the idea: this site was designed not only to move parcels, but also to set a new standard for low-carbon construction in Europe.

The 10,800-square-metre station officially opened on October 21. From the outset, it was designed to meet the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, a low-carbon construction framework that Amazon helped develop.

It also marks a global first for Amazon: the first building in its network designed to meet the latest version of the Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certification (v1.1). This updated standard builds on an earlier certification already achieved by several Amazon buildings worldwide.

The station will serve customers across North Yorkshire and County Durham, joining Amazon’s UK network of more than 100 operations sites, including fulfilment centres and delivery stations. Yet its significance goes beyond expanding that network: it sets a new benchmark for how these facilities can be designed and how they can perform.

BUILDING MORE WITH LESS

The Stockton-on-Tees delivery station was designed to reduce emissions at every stage of its life – from the materials used to build it to the energy that powers its day-to-day operations. By testing these technologies on site, Amazon hopes to identify approaches it could eventually adopt across its wider network.

The building and its parking structure use nearly 1,500 tonnes of lower-carbon steel, much of it recycled and produced using renewable electricity.

Alongside the steel frame, more than 200 tonnes of mass timber beams help reduce the carbon footprint compared with conventional building methods.

The project also incorporates more than 4,400 cubic metres of lower-carbon concrete, along with lower-carbon wall panels and roofing materials. Together, these choices support a construction approach that prioritises locally sourced materials and shorter supply chains.

By combining lower-carbon materials with more efficient sourcing, the project is expected to produce at least 20 percent fewer construction-related carbon emissions than Amazon’s previous design standards.

WORKING SMARTER

Now operational, the station brings together all-electric systems and rooftop solar panels to help minimise its carbon footprint.

As a result, it is projected to use around half the energy of a typical logistics building – nearly three times the reduction required for its net-zero carbon certification.

That efficiency comes from several features working in tandem. High-efficiency electric heat pumps replace gas heating, whilst energy recovery systems capture heat that would otherwise be lost through ventilation. At the dock doors, air curtains help maintain stable indoor temperatures despite the constant movement of delivery vans.

The station also includes water-saving plumbing fixtures, expected to reduce water consumption by about 20 percent compared with conventional designs.

ZEROING IN ON CERTIFICATION

The Stockton-on-Tees delivery station has been designed to meet the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard. It is also the first building in Amazon’s global network designed to meet the latest version of the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification (v1.1).

The station joins other Amazon buildings worldwide that have already earned – or are pursuing – ILFI Zero Carbon Certification, with each project reflecting the version of the standard in place when it was designed.

Once the building has completed a full year of operations, third-party assessors will review its performance data to determine whether it qualifies for formal certification in 2027. In the meantime, Amazon will track and share lessons from the process to help shape its approach to future projects.

DELIVERING LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES

The delivery station has created 100 jobs in the local area, spanning roles for managers, supervisors and associates.

For full-time operations roles, competitive pay starts at £31,000 a year. Employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, an employee discount and a company pension plan. In addition, more roles are advertised at jobsatamazon.co.uk.

Amongst the station’s leaders is Alex Hallimond, its Senior Operations Manager, who has worked at Amazon for more than seven years. Originally from Sunderland, Alex has held roles at several Amazon sites across the Northeast before taking up his current position in Stockton-on-Tees. For him, the building represents more than a new delivery station: it reflects the region’s ongoing evolution.

Alex was drawn to the role by its sustainability ambitions.

During his time at Amazon, Alex completed a chartered management degree through the company’s apprenticeship programme and is now finishing an MBA.

He says opportunities to learn and develop continue at every stage of a career. He also describes Amazon as a fantastic place to work – particularly at smaller sites, where colleagues can enjoy a strong sense of community and a real family feel.

That sense of local connection is reflected in Amazon’s wider contribution to the region. The company has invested more than £4.7 billion in the Northeast since 2010. Separately, an independent report by Public First found that Amazon contributed £300 million to the Teesside economy in 2024 alone.

The report also found that nearly half of entry-level employees at the Stockton-on-Tees site had previously been unemployed or had joined straight from education.

A PRIME INVESTMENT

Over the past five years, Amazon has invested £3.5 billion in the UK across carbon-free energy, transport electrification and sustainable packaging. According to an independent study by Frontier Economics, these investments support up to 34,000 jobs and generate billions more in economic value.

The new delivery station accounts for £40 million of that investment. It also forms part of Amazon’s plans to invest £40 billion in the UK between 2025 and 2027, the largest investment in the company’s history outside the US. The funding will support jobs, infrastructure and technology across the country.

More broadly, Amazon has invested over £80 billion directly in its UK operations since 2010, creating tens of thousands of jobs in logistics, technology and corporate roles.

The post Prime Position: Inside Amazon’s UK Push for Net-Zero Deliveries appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

Nestlé and BirdLife Europe have launched a three-and-a-half-year research collaboration to evaluate the effects of selected regenerative agriculture practices on biodiversity across European agricultural landscapes and supply chains. 

The programme will examine whether these approaches deliver measurable benefits for farmland wildlife, helping identify which practices are most effective and where improvements could be made. 

The initiative comes amid growing concerns over declining biodiversity across Europe. Data from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) shows that European farmland bird populations fell by 58 percent between 1980 and 2024, with agricultural intensification identified as the primary factor associated with the decline. 

For Nestlé, regenerative agriculture represents an important approach to building more resilient food systems. Its objectives include conserving and restoring soil, water, and biodiversity, capturing carbon, and supporting farmers’ livelihoods. 

SCIENCE AT THE CENTRE OF FARMING  

A central focus of the partnership will be establishing a scientific understanding of how regenerative agriculture can contribute to restoring natural resources whilst strengthening agricultural supply chains and securing the long-term availability of key ingredients. 

BirdLife will use bird populations as an indicator of environmental health, providing a practical way to assess how farming practices influence wider ecosystems. 

Across participating farms, BirdLife’s national partners will monitor birds, butterflies, and wild bees using established survey methodologies. Regenerative agriculture fields will be compared with conventional farmland on a like-for-like basis, creating a consistent dataset that can be assessed over time. 

The research will follow the same standards used to monitor European farmland bird populations, providing a comparable evidence base for evaluating biodiversity outcomes. 

Findings will help Nestlé, BirdLife, and participating farmers determine which regenerative approaches deliver the greatest benefits for wildlife and where existing practices may require adjustment. 

SUPPORTING FARMERS THROUGH THE TRANSITION  

The collaboration is intended to combine scientific research with practical support for farmers, recognising their central role in implementing and developing regenerative agriculture. 

“We want to back farmers with the science, the tools, and the long-term commitment to help them farm in ways that aim to support nature and their businesses. This is about learning honestly what works. Birds are one of the most trusted signals nature can give us,” said Anita Wälz, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Communications, Nestlé Zone Europe. 

BirdLife also emphasises the urgency of changing established agricultural approaches to address the pressures facing ecosystems and farming communities. 

“Current intensive farming is wiping out biodiversity, depleting soils, and rapidly increasing farmers’ vulnerability to climate change. A profound transformation is urgently needed, and fortunately, many farmers are already experimenting with new approaches,” said Ariel Brunner, Director, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia.  

EXPANDING THE PROGRAMME ACROSS EUROPE 

The research programme will begin in 2026, with Spain and Poland among the first participating markets. 

In Spain, the initiative will build on biodiversity monitoring that Nestlé and SEO/BirdLife have conducted on dairy farms since 2021. In Poland, the collaboration will involve OTOP – BirdLife Polska. 

Belgium is scheduled to join the programme in 2027, working alongside Natuurpunt/Natagora. 

Each country’s activities will be developed in collaboration with local farmers, ensuring their knowledge and participation remain central to the research. 

Through this coordinated approach, Nestlé and BirdLife Europe aim to establish a stronger understanding of how regenerative agriculture can support biodiversity while contributing to more resilient agricultural systems across the continent. 

The post Nestlé and BirdLife Europe Partner to Measure Impact of Regenerative Agriculture appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

INTEGRATING ELECTRIC TRUCKS

The partnership between multinational logistics company DHL and heavy-duty electric truck technology firm SuperPanther has now entered the commercial deployment phase following an extensive real-world trial of the eTopas 600 in Austria.

Now operating in the Benelux, the electric vehicle is being used for domestic transportation within the Netherlands and cross-border routes into Belgium. The truck has therefore successfully completed its testing phase and become part of DHL Freight’s daily transport operations.

Arjan van Weelden, Carrier Manager at DHL Freight, states: “Our experience in daily operations has been positive so far. The vehicle meets the demands of day-to-day transport and delivers high productivity within our network. Feedback from our drivers has also been very positive, and we see clear interest from customers in sustainable transport solutions. For us, it is important that the vehicle can be integrated reliably and flexibly into our daily operations. We are also sharing our operational insights with the manufacturer, helping to support the further development of this type of vehicle.”

The eTopas 600 offers a range of up to 500 kilometres on a single charge, making it particularly suitable for medium-distance transport. Rather than being assigned to a fixed shuttle service or depot, the trucks are deployed flexibly across different routes.

Ultimately, the vehicle’s operation is providing DHL Freight with real-world insights into the deployment of battery-electric heavy-duty vehicles within pre-existing network structures in addition to cross-border transport operations.

“Our customers are looking for practical ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their transport activities. It is not enough for technology to be available; it has to work for the customer. With the SuperPanther eTopas 600, we are demonstrating how a battery-electric heavy-duty truck can be deployed flexibly within a transport network. The lessons we learn from daily operations provide an important foundation for broader integration of these types of solutions across our transport networks in the future. Based on these experiences, we plan to add approximately 40 additional electric trucks to our fleet in the coming months,” comments Heidi van Eldik, CEO, DHL Freight Netherlands & Belgium.

LOGISTICS PARTNERSHIP FOR A STRONGER FUTURE

Alongside being a customer of SuperPanther, DHL is also serving as a logistics partner to the truck manufacturer. As part of this expanded collaboration, DHL manages the complete European logistics chain for SuperPanther electric truck spare parts, while DHL Global Forwarding supports international air and ocean freight services, customs clearance, and all required compliance and reporting processes.

Chao Liu, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SuperPanther, notes: “For our customers, vehicle delivery is only one part of the relationship. Reliable day-to-day operations and timely access to spare parts are equally important. DHL is not only a user of the eTopas 600, but also a key partner within our European spare parts logistics network. Together, we are building the service infrastructure needed to keep vehicles operating at their best across Europe.”

At DHL Supply Chain’s Automotive Campus in Holtum, Limburg, spare parts are stored and managed before being swiftly dispatched to customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Norway, and Switzerland. This allows transport operators to maximise vehicle uptime and minimise downtime.

As the partnership continues to grow and DHL serves additional European markets, the logistics network will expand to include more storage locations and expedited delivery services, enabling trucks to return to service quickly following a breakdown.

The post DHL and SuperPanther Strengthen Logistics Partnership appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

From a theoretical threat to an immediate operational disruption

Extreme weather across Europe has moved climate risk from a theoretical threat to an immediate operational disruption. Over €208 billion of the €822 billion in European climate damages over the past four decades occurred in just the last four years alone.

From severe heatwaves disabling energy infrastructure to wildfires causing $3.6 billion in transport delays and damages, the economic toll on regional supply chains is compounding rapidly, and the climate crisis is escalating into financial stability risk for enterprise balance sheets. Estimated economic losses for France, for example, lie between €10-15 billion.

Key takeaways

• Climate volatility is a year-round threat. Unmanaged supply chain disruptions can erase up to 45% of annual profits over a decade.
• Scope 3 emissions account for up to 70% of an enterprise’s carbon footprint, making procurement the primary engine for reduction.
• Every $1 invested in proactive climate adaptation yields between $3 and $7 in avoided disruption damages.

The financial toll of year-round climate disruption on European supply chains

The direct connection between greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating weather volatility, and supply chain fragility affects business operational stability across every season:

• Summer infrastructure failures: Wildfires across western Europe forced over 300,000 evacuations and disrupted key transport corridors near strategic defense and chemical facilities. In Central Europe, record-low river levels severely impacted power generation, with Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant forced toward a shutdown as Danube water temperatures surged.
• Energy grid volatility: Heatwaves cause gas power capacity to drop by 13% and wind output to plunge by 30-50%, forcing utilities to pay up to 20 times normal market rates for emergency grid power.
• Winter weather volatility ahead: As autumn shifts to winter, energy analysts warn of severe grid vulnerabilities tied to dark winter doldrums (prolonged periods of cold, cloudy, and windless weather that stall renewable power generation). Combined with low inland river levels and freeze risks along major shipping arteries like the Rhine and Danube, winter weather threatens to spike industrial utility surcharges and stall critical freight corridors.
• Enterprise risk exposure: 73% of enterprise organizations report direct financial losses when suppliers face extreme weather events, and McKinsey research shows unmanaged supply chain disruptions can erase up to 45% of a year’s profits over a decade.

European climate disruptions highlight the direct collision between wildfire risk maps and primary freight corridors:

Fire risk heatmap

Building long-term enterprise supply chain resilience requires moving away from reactive crisis management toward building proactive supply chain resilience.

Why Scope 3 procurement decarbonisation is a powerful strategic lever

To insulate operations against escalating climate events, enterprise decarbonization must address root causes. Up to 70% of total corporate greenhouse gas emissions sit within Scope 3 — specifically purchased goods and services, capital goods, and upstream logistics. This places spend management teams at the center of corporate sustainability strategy amid evolving global ESG regulations and reporting standards.

Decarbonization is equally a driver of financial stability:

• Companies committed to disciplined ESG practices saw profits jump 9.1% over a three-year period.
• Every $1 invested in proactive climate adaptation yields between $3 and $7 in avoided disruption damages.

Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions framework

Scope 3 indirect emissions represent up to 70% of total footprint, making procurement the primary engine for reduction.

Bridging sustainability strategy and daily purchasing execution

Coupa bridges the operational gap between corporate sustainability pledges and day-to-day purchasing decisions, transforming spend data into actionable emissions mitigation:

• Analyze emission hotspots: Uncover CO₂ hotspots across suppliers, commodities, and spend categories. Out-of-the-box Scope 3 dashboards pinpoint top spend-based emissions, helping teams target high-impact categories rather than optimizing blindly.
• Define decarbonization strategy: Embed specific carbon reduction targets directly into category plans. Establish concrete benchmarks across carbon-intensive operations like freight logistics and business travel.
• Optimize for cost and carbon: Incorporate carbon emissions metrics alongside traditional cost, lead time, and risk constraints. Using AI-driven Supply Chain Optimization, procurement teams can optimize for “emissions to serve” in tandem with “cost to serve,” embedding binding ESG parameters directly into sourcin events and supplier contracts.

Optimising supply chains for cost and emissions

Coupa embeds carbon emissions metrics directly into the spend management workflow.

Case studies: Achieving measurable carbon reductions at scale

Global enterprises are proving that proactive carbon reduction translates directly into operational durability. By partnering with Coupa to model 500 GB of supply chain data into a digital twin, Microsoft used AI-driven supply chain data to curb carbon emissions — achieving a 60% reduction across its supply chain operations.

Powered by $10.5 trillion in transactional spend analytics across millions of suppliers, Coupa’s community-generated AI equips procurement teams to protect margins while driving enterprise decarbonization. Tying carbon metrics into daily source-to-pay workflows also allows organizations to maintain compliance under strict frameworks like the European Union’s deforestation mandates, helping turn procurement from a functional buyer into the primary architect of corporate climate resilience.

Protecting margins and building sustainable resilience

Unmanaged climate risks and supply chain disruptions don’t have to compromise your enterprise bottom line. By embedding carbon intelligence into every purchasing decision, procurement teams turn supply chain climate risk management into a core operational strength.

This blog post was originally produced by Coupa, and is republished with permission.

The post Opinion:  Navigating Climate Disruption – Procurement & Scope 3 Risk appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

Driving a Circular Packaging Future

Global packaging manufacturer Amcor is looking to accelerate the transition towards a circular packaging economy, with CEO Peter Konieczny highlighting the company’s responsibility to drive innovation, reduce environmental impacts and strengthen recycling infrastructure worldwide.

In its FY26 Sustainability Report, Amcor revealed that 78 per cent of its packaging production by weight was recyclable or recycle-ready, while total greenhouse gas emissions fell three per cent year-on-year.

The report provides the first full view of environmental, social and governance performance across the combined Amcor and Berry Global business following the merger in 2025.

“Amcor’s scale, capabilities and global reach give us a unique ability to help shape the future of packaging,” said Peter Konieczny, Chief Executive Officer of Amcor.

“We’re putting that expertise to work by designing more sustainable packaging, increasing the use of recycled materials, reducing emissions and helping build stronger recycling and waste collection systems.”

Amcor Targets a Circular Packaging Future

Circularity remains central to Amcor’s sustainability strategy, with the company seeking to improve packaging recyclability while increasing the availability of recycled materials.

During FY26, approximately 3.21 million metric tonnes of its packaging production met the company’s recyclable or recycle-ready definitions, representing 78 per cent of total packaging production by weight.

These products generated approximately USD$16.5 billion in revenue.

Of this total, 2.24 million metric tonnes were classified as recyclable, while 975,000 metric tonnes were recycle-ready.

Recycled Materials Support Packaging Innovation

The company also reported using 320,000 metric tonnes of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials during FY26.

Amcor has continued investing in manufacturing technology and product development to increase the use of recycled materials across packaging applications.

Its Nicholasville facility in Kentucky, for example, introduced equipment capable of supporting flexible recycled-content requirements, including rigid packaging containing up to 100 per cent PCR material.

The company has also renewed its participation in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation‘s Global Commitment. Under the initiative’s new 2030 phase, Amcor has established a target of 15 per cent PCR plastic content in its packaging.

For Konieczny, the ability to combine environmental improvements with customer requirements is fundamental to Amcor’s long-term strategy.

“With our scale, expertise and innovation, we’re helping shape the future of packaging while creating value for customers, driving growth and supporting a more sustainable future,” he said.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fall Three Per Cent

Alongside packaging innovation, Amcor reported further progress in reducing emissions across its global operations and supply chain.

Total greenhouse gas emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 reached approximately 19.97 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in FY26.

This represented a three per cent reduction compared with the previous year and a 12 per cent decrease against its FY22 baseline, according to the company’s reported emissions data.

Operational Scope 1 and 2 emissions totalled approximately 2.53 million metric tonnes, representing a 27 per cent reduction from FY22.

Amcor’s decarbonisation strategy focuses on five areas: renewable electricity, supply chain engagement, recycled content, product redesign and operational efficiency.

The company’s near-term and net-zero science-based targets have also been revalidated for the combined business by the Science Based Targets initiative.

“One of Amcor’s greatest strengths is our ability to bring together expertise from around the world and apply it where our customers need it most, helping drive meaningful progress across the packaging value chain,” adds David Clark, Chief Sustainability Officer.

Supply Chain Collaboration Drives Sustainability Progress

Recognising the environmental impacts associated with packaging materials, Amcor is expanding its engagement with suppliers to address emissions across its value chain.

During FY26, the company worked with 120 suppliers through its Scope 3 engagement programme and collected supplier-specific greenhouse gas emissions factors for more than 2,000 materials.

The initiative aims to improve emissions data quality, identify opportunities for carbon reductions and provide customers with more transparent sustainability information.

Amcor is also collaborating with industry organisations and policymakers to address barriers to circularity, including gaps in waste collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure.

The company has been engaging with developments such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and extended producer responsibility programmes in North America.

Reusable Packaging Creates New Commercial Opportunities

Reuse is another area of growing importance for Amcor, with its reusable packaging systems generating approximately USD$90 million in revenue during FY26.

Its portfolio includes refillable beverage bottles, reusable cups and lids, personal care packaging and refill-at-home dispensing solutions.

In the UK, Amcor continued supplying reusable containers for the Refill Coalition’s project with Ocado Retail, supporting the delivery of products including pasta, rice and washing liquid in refillable packaging.

Amcor Looks to Scale Sustainable Packaging Solutions

The report highlights Amcor’s ambition to move beyond individual packaging innovations towards broader adoption of sustainable materials and circular systems.

Its combined global operations provide additional opportunities to expand packaging technologies, strengthen customer partnerships and develop recycling solutions across different markets.

Reflecting on the company’s progress, Konieczny said: “I’m proud of the progress we’re making and excited about the role we can play in creating packaging that benefits both people and the planet.”

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HCLTech Expands Climate Funding Across 24 Countries

Global technology company HCLTech has expanded its Climate Action Grant programme to 24 countries, increasing opportunities for non-profit organisations (NPOs) developing solutions to climate change and environmental degradation.

Announced on 26 October 2026, the expansion builds on the company’s existing grant programme in the Americas, which was established in 2023 to support locally developed environmental initiatives.

HCLTech initially committed USD$5 million over five years to eligible organisations across 10 countries in the Americas. Over the past three editions, it has disbursed USD$3 million to support climate and environmental projects.

The programme will now extend to organisations across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Americas, providing a broader international platform for climate innovation.

The 24 eligible countries are Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.

USD$1.25 Million in Grants to Support Climate Innovation

The expanded HCLTech Global Grant for Climate Action will provide funding to four successful organisations.

One overall winner will receive USD$500,000, while three runners-up will each receive USD$250,000.

Recipients will be selected through a screening process, with the winners scheduled to be announced on 5 June 2027.

The initiative focuses on supporting NPOs working to combat climate change, restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity.

By expanding its geographical reach, HCLTech aims to identify environmental solutions developed at a community level that may also have the potential to deliver benefits in other regions.

Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at HCLTech, said: “Great ideas can come from any community, and solutions developed in one place can create possibilities in another.”

“The HCLTech Global Grant for Climate Action has evolved through our experience in India and the Americas, and taking the Grant global is the next step in that journey. By creating a broader platform for climate innovation, we want to support locally rooted ideas and help solutions with potential for wider impact reach further.”

Supporting Ecosystem Restoration and Biodiversity

The grant expansion forms part of HCLTech’s wider environmental and social responsibility activities, which include ecosystem restoration, water conservation and community development.

Through its HCLFoundation initiatives in India, the company reports having planted more than 3.6 million saplings and supported the greening of 74,000 acres of land.

It has also reported harvesting more than 155 billion litres of water through its initiatives.

According to HCLTech, its CSR programmes have impacted more than 8.8 million lives, with women accounting for 54 per cent of those reached.

These activities provide a foundation for the company’s expanded international grant programme, which is intended to support environmental projects beyond its existing geographical focus.

HCLTech Targets Net-Zero Emissions by 2040

The announcement also reflects HCLTech’s broader sustainability commitments, including its target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.

The company was included in TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies list for the second consecutive year.

It also achieved an EcoVadis Gold rating and an MSCI AA (Leader) environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating for the second consecutive year in its 2026 financial year.

The expansion of the Climate Action Grant adds a philanthropic funding initiative to HCLTech’s wider sustainability activities, extending support to organisations addressing environmental challenges at a local level.

The programme provides an opportunity to secure funding for climate and biodiversity projects while potentially increasing the international reach of their work.

Applications can be submitted through the HCLTech Global Grant for Climate Action website, with winners to be announced on 5 June 2027.

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Vertice and EcoVadis Bring Sustainability Data into Procurement

AI procurement platform Vertice has announced a strategic partnership with EcoVadis designed to make sustainability performance a central consideration in everyday purchasing decisions.

The agreement makes Vertice EcoVadis’ first AI procurement orchestration partner, bringing supplier ESG ratings and scores directly into procurement workflows.

The integration will allow procurement teams to assess sustainability credentials alongside pricing intelligence, peer benchmarks, contractual terms and supplier risk, rather than consulting separate platforms.

The partnership aims to help businesses balance commercial objectives with sustainability commitments while improving visibility into supplier performance.

EcoVadis provides sustainability assessments covering environmental performance, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

Its network includes more than 175,000 assessed businesses across 185 countries, providing a substantial source of supplier sustainability intelligence.

Meanwhile, Vertice’s procurement intelligence dataset covers more than 250,000 negotiated contracts, over USD$75 billion in global indirect expenditure and more than two million price points across upwards of 32,000 vendors.

AI Procurement Connects ESG Performance with Commercial Decisions

The integration brings together EcoVadis’ sustainability ratings and Vertice’s AI-powered procurement intelligence to provide buyers with a more comprehensive view of prospective and existing suppliers.

By incorporating ESG information into purchasing workflows, the companies aim to reduce the risk of sustainability considerations being overlooked during supplier selection and contract negotiations.

Roy Tuvey, CEO and Founder of Vertice, said: “Our customers want to be able to consistently make the best purchasing decisions, through an AI-native platform and based on a single view of the most comprehensive intelligence. Partnering with EcoVadis helps us to do that.”

“Our agentic AI orchestration platform can now deliver robust and extensive ESG data alongside our own data on price, commercial terms and wider risk factors to hit both ESG objectives and cost savings goals.”

The partnership reflects the growing role of AI-enabled procurement technology in consolidating supplier information and supporting purchasing decisions across complex organisations.

Capita Among Early Customers Using Integrated ESG Intelligence

The partnership is already being implemented with shared customers, including Capita, the London Stock Exchange-listed business process outsourcing and professional services company.

Capita uses Vertice for AI procurement orchestration and EcoVadis for supplier sustainability assessments.

Suraj Naik, Group Procurement Director and Chief Procurement Officer at Capita, said: “Vertice powers AI procurement orchestration at Capita, and EcoVadis provides trusted sustainability ratings for our suppliers. Together, the integration of EcoVadis ratings within Vertice’s AI procurement platform embeds supplier ESG performance into every procurement decision, ensuring sustainability considerations are evaluated alongside cost, risk and commercial factors.”

The integration is intended to help procurement professionals consider supplier sustainability credentials throughout the purchasing process without introducing a separate assessment stage.

Sustainable Procurement Supports Supply Chain Resilience

The partnership also highlights the relationship between sustainable procurement, supplier risk management and long-term supply chain resilience.

EcoVadis’ sustainability intelligence is designed to help businesses understand supplier performance, manage regulatory and operational risks and support greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Annette Gevaert, Senior Vice President, Alliances and Partnerships at EcoVadis, said: “A resilient supply chain relies on sustainable procurement. By embedding trusted, verified sustainability data directly into the purchasing workflow, our partnership with Vertice ensures ESG impact is evaluated right alongside price and commercial terms – every time a decision is made.”

EcoVadis was also ranked among the top three ESG ratings providers for quality and usefulness among corporate and investor respondents in the ERM Sustainability Institute’s Rate the Raters survey, which assessed 14 providers.

Procurement Technology Moves Towards Integrated Supplier Intelligence

The announcement follows industry recognition for Vertice’s AI procurement capabilities.

The company was named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide AI-Enabled Spend Orchestration 2026 assessment and identified as a Notable Vendor in Forrester’s 2026 Supplier Value Management Landscape report.

Patrick Reymann, Research Director – Procurement Applications and Agents at IDC, said: “Sustainability commitments are won or lost in everyday purchasing decisions.”

“Bringing EcoVadis’ verified ratings on more than 175,000 companies into that same workflow extends these outcomes to ESG, giving procurement teams a far more complete view of every supplier they buy from.”

The post Vertice and EcoVadis Partner to Embed ESG Ratings into AI Procurement Workflows appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

Issue 03

Technology

Digital Edge DC : Building APAC’s AI-Ready Digital Infrastructure Platform

Our latest catch-up with Digital Edge DC and Group CEO, John Freeman, shifts the narrative to reflect on how the platform has evolved.

By

Jack Salter

27 October 2026

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Utilities

Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy : Streams of Sustainability

The Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy stands at the forefront of innovative and sustainable water management solutions. Annalee Munsey, General Manager, discusses the crucial steps being taken to ensure a dependable supply amid growing environmental challenges and urban demands.

By

Rachel Carr

27 October 2026

Read More

Energy

Nebraska Public Power District : Power to the Public

With electricity being the lifeblood of modern society, Nebraska Public Power District plays a critical role in ensuring it’s available at the flip of a switch for Nebraskans. Tom Kent, CEO, tells us more about the company’s proud history of public power.

By

Ed Budds

27 October 2026

Read More

Construction

Uprite Construction : Relationship-driven Success

Uprite Construction continues to overcome obstacles through partnerships built on trust and thinking outside the box. We catch up with Brad Kollar, Executive Vice President of Industrial and Strategic Markets.

By

Lucy Pilgrim

27 October 2026

Read More

Sustainability Spotlights

European Algae Biomass Association : Spotlight

The European Algae Biomass Association brings together scientists, industry, and policymakers to unlock the resource’s potential as a key pillar of Europe’s future bioeconomy, as we find out from President, Carlos Unamunzaga.

By

Lily Sawyer

27 October 2026

Read More

Energy

Platte River Power Authority : Powering Northern Colorado

Boasting a proud legacy of powering Northern Colorado, the Platte River Power Authority generates reliable, financially sustainable, and environmentally responsible electricity for its four owner communities. We hear more from General Manager and CEO, Jason Frisbie.

By

Ed Budds

27 October 2026

Read More

03AgricultureCorporate StoriesFood & Beverage

SalMar : Passion for Salmon

SalMar has progressed to become the world’s second-largest salmon producer. Speaking to Mats Wærøe Langseth, Head of Sustainability, and Maria Gaasø, Business Developer, we learn more about the company’s journey and how sustainability, local value creation, and salmon welfare remain foundational to its continued growth.

By

Lucy Pilgrim

27 October 2026

Read More

Energy

Simam Côte d’Ivoire : Energy for All

The Ivory Coast’s premier energy supplier, Simam Côte d’Ivoire, is a major player in the distribution of petroleum products in Côte d'Ivoire. We revisit the company with Karim Ousmaes, General Administrator, to hear about its latest advancements.

By

Lauren Kania

27 October 2026

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Utilities

Tecroveer : 50 Years of Clean Water

Operating across Southern Africa and beyond for half a century, Tecroveer upholds a shared commitment to restoring confidence in clean water. Group CEO, Izak Cronje, talks us through the company’s unwavering environmental purpose and flagship Hammanskraal water treatment plant.

By

Lucy Pilgrim

27 October 2026

Read More

Utilities

uMngeni-uThukela Water : Leading the Flow

uMngeni-uThukela Water goes above and beyond in its role as a bulk water service provider for the province. Sandile Mkhize, CEO, outlines how the company’s recent activities align with both provincial and national development goals to improve quality of life for all.

By

Lily Sawyer

27 October 2026

Read More

Manufacturing

Sweep : Sustainability into Strategy

Rachel Delacour, CEO of Sweep, explains how manufacturers can use real-time data and artificial intelligence to improve performance, strengthen risk management, and drive long-term business value.

By

Lily Sawyer

27 October 2026

Read More

The 1-2-1 Series

Mars Snacking : Building a Sustainable Mint Supply 

Sam de Frates, Vice President, Procurement and Sustainability, and Meenal Bahirwani, Sustainable Sourcing Lead, both at Mars Snacking, discuss the Shubh Mint programme and its impact on farming communities in India.

By

Neil Perry

27 October 2026

Read More

The Disruptor Series

Polytag : Making Recycling Measurable

Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, explains how invisible tagging technology is helping brands track packaging, improve recycling data, and strengthen the circular economy.

By

Neil Perry

27 October 2026

Read More

The Thought Leader Series

Schneider Electric : Why The Energy Crunch Is Also a Last-Mile Problem

Bin Lu, Executive Vice President – Global Power Products at Schneider Electric, explains why intelligent, low-voltage infrastructure is essential to overcoming the energy transition’s next challenge.

By

Neil Perry

27 October 2026

Read More

The post Sustainability Outlook Issue 3 appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

WHY THE ENERGY CRUNCH IS ALSO A LAST-MILE PROBLEM

For much of the past two decades, the energy transition has been viewed primarily through the lens of generation.

Renewable energy deployment, grid-scale storage, transmission expansion, and nuclear investment all remain critical. However, an equally important challenge is emerging much closer to where electricity is consumed.

The next constraint on our energy system is increasingly the last mile: the low-voltage electrical infrastructure that distributes power throughout commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and critical infrastructure. As electrification accelerates, this is where many of the next generation of engineering challenges will need to be solved.

ELECTRIFICATION IS CHANGING THE RULES

Electric vehicle (EV) charging, heat pumps, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and rapidly expanding digital infrastructure are introducing larger and less predictable electrical loads. At the same time, greater adoption of renewable energy increases the need for flexibility across the electricity system.

Together, these changes are reshaping low-voltage electrical distribution. Buildings are evolving from passive consumers of electricity into active participants in a more connected, responsive energy system.

Historically, electrical distribution has been designed around three core objectives: safety, reliability, and availability. Whilst these remain fundamental, most installations were developed for relatively stable demand profiles and have offered limited visibility into how electrical capacity is used once commissioned.

Today’s electrical systems are considerably more dynamic. Commercial buildings now combine EV charging, rooftop solar, battery storage, heat pumps, and increasingly sophisticated building management systems. Manufacturing facilities are electrifying production processes, whilst data centres continue to expand to support cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI).

These changes are increasing the complexity of electrical distribution at exactly the point where available capacity is often most constrained.

In many cases, the challenge is not simply generating more electricity. It is ensuring existing low-voltage infrastructure can accommodate changing demand efficiently, safely, and economically. This is where energy intelligence is becoming increasingly important.

TRANSFORMING ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION

At its simplest, energy intelligence is an intelligence layer that connects electrical assets, operational data, and energy systems to provide meaningful insight and support better decisions in real time.

It combines connected electrical equipment, embedded sensing, communications, and software to create visibility across the electrical distribution network within a building or facility.

By bringing together data from connected devices, energy intelligence enables organisations to anticipate changing conditions, optimise performance, and support operational decisions rather than simply responding to events after they occur.

For electrical engineers, the value lies not in connectivity for its own sake, but in what that connectivity enables.

Rather than relying on periodic inspections or isolated measurements, engineers can continuously monitor electrical performance across the installation. They can understand how capacity is being utilised, identify changing load profiles, monitor power quality, detect abnormal operating conditions, and make informed decisions about how electrical assets should be managed.

The objective is not simply collecting more data. It is giving context to operational data so that electrical systems can anticipate changing conditions, optimise performance, and support timely operational decisions.

By bringing together energy, operational, and asset data, organisations gain a clearer understanding of how their electrical infrastructure is performing and where greater flexibility and efficiency can be achieved.

MANAGING ELECTRICITY DEMAND

Consider a commercial building adding EV charging and electric heating. At first glance, this may appear to require a larger grid connection or major investment in new electrical infrastructure.

In reality, the constraint is often not total capacity, but when demand occurs. Multiple high-power loads operating simultaneously can create short-duration peaks that exceed available capacity, even when overall daily energy consumption remains well within acceptable limits.

An intelligent electrical distribution system can help address this challenge by understanding how loads interact and coordinating them more effectively.

EV charging can be scheduled dynamically according to available capacity. HVAC systems can respond to occupancy and environmental conditions whilst avoiding unnecessary demand spikes. Battery storage, where installed, can support short periods of high demand before recharging during quieter periods.

These adjustments are largely invisible to building occupants but can significantly improve infrastructure utilisation whilst avoiding unnecessary investment in additional network capacity.

The same principles apply across industrial facilities, hospitals, and data centres.

RESILIENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEMS

Many of today’s capacity constraints exist much closer to consumers. Local substations, distribution transformers, and low-voltage feeders all have finite capacity. When neighbouring buildings simultaneously increase demand, local infrastructure experiences the greatest strain.

Building more generation alone does not resolve these constraints. Greater flexibility is also needed within the electrical systems connected to the network.

When buildings can stagger flexible loads and make better use of existing infrastructure, they collectively contribute to a more resilient electricity system.

In this sense, energy intelligence benefits not only individual buildings but also the wider grid. It allows buildings to become active participants in balancing demand whilst providing engineers with greater operational visibility throughout the lifecycle of an installation.

Energy intelligence also creates a connected system capable of adapting to changing operating conditions and supporting a more flexible energy network.

As our energy system becomes more distributed and complex, future flexibility is becoming just as important as installed capacity.

Intelligent electrical systems can be upgraded incrementally rather than requiring wholesale replacement, allowing buildings to evolve alongside changing energy demands.

This is key to improving the efficiency, resilience, and longevity of last-mile electrical distribution.

IMPROVING MAINTENANCE

Electrical assets naturally degrade over time, but conventional maintenance often relies on periodic inspections or fixed service intervals. Whilst effective, these approaches cannot always identify developing issues between inspection cycles.

Continuous monitoring provides a different perspective. Changes in current, voltage, temperature, power quality, or switching behaviour can provide early indications that equipment performance is changing.

By analysing these trends over time, engineers can identify potential issues before they result in unplanned failures, allowing maintenance to be planned around actual equipment conditions rather than predetermined schedules.

This approach is particularly valuable in environments where electrical reliability is business-critical, such as manufacturing, healthcare, transport, and data centres, where unplanned downtime carries significant operational and financial consequences.

GROUNDED IN OPERATIONAL DATA

AI is expected to play an increasingly important role in analysing growing volumes of operational data. However, general-purpose AI alone lacks the physical understanding required for mission-critical electrical infrastructure.

Effective energy intelligence depends on hardware performance models built on accurate operational data from connected assets.

When intelligence is grounded in physical reality rather than assumptions, it becomes a practical engineering tool that helps anticipate issues, optimise performance, and support better operational decisions.

For more than a century, the primary role of low-voltage electrical distribution has been to deliver power safely and reliably. That responsibility remains unchanged.

What is changing is the expectation that electrical infrastructure should also provide operational insight, support flexible energy use, and strengthen the resilience of both buildings and the wider electricity system.

As electrification accelerates, energy intelligence at the point of use will become as fundamental to electrical distribution as protection, reliability, and power quality are today.

The next generation of electrical infrastructure must not only distribute power safely and efficiently, but also provide the operational intelligence needed to make better use of every available kilowatt.

The success of the energy transition will depend not only on how much electricity we generate, but on how intelligently we distribute, manage, and use it.

The post Schneider Electric : Why The Energy Crunch Is Also a Last-Mile Problem appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

Q&A WITH ALICE RACKLEY, CEO, POLYTAG

Firstly, what is broken about recycling data today?

Alice Rackley, CEO (AR): Historically, brands have worked from assumptions about recyclability rather than evidence of what happens in practice – and collection is only half the story.

There is currently a gap between the packaging brands put on the market and the materials that recycling facilities receive. Without reliable data on what happens after disposal, it is difficult for brands to understand how their packaging performs in the real world, or for recyclers to know exactly what materials are coming through their facilities.

How does the ultraviolet (UV) tagging technology work?

AR: Recently named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026, Polytag UV Tag technology uses invisible UV tags applied to packaging, which specialist detection equipment can identify when tagged packs pass through participating recycling facilities.

This captures barcode-level data showing which tagged packaging has reached a facility, and where and when it was detected. The data gives brands a more direct view of what happens to their packaging after disposal, rather than relying solely on estimates or information passed down through the supply chain.

The tags can also carry additional information about a pack, such as its plastic melt flow temperature, packaging converter, or food-grade status. This can help build a richer picture of the packaging entering the recycling system and support the creation of higher-quality recycled materials.

How does the Polytag Ecotrace Programme change what brands can see?

AR: The Polytag Ecotrace Programme (Ecotrace) is Polytag’s growing network of detection units, now deployed across 14 UK recycling centres, including Crayford Materials Recycling Facility and Re-Gen Waste Limited in Northern Ireland.

Collectively, these sites are helping build a clearer picture of how tagged packaging moves through the UK recycling system, currently covering 50 percent of the household recycling stream.

The network currently focuses on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging, with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), flexible plastics, aluminium, and cartons amongst the materials planned for future expansion.

As coverage grows, so will the opportunity to understand packaging flows across a wider range of materials and recycling facilities.

Why is barcode-level tracking such a game changer?

AR: The opportunity is even bigger than knowing where packaging ends up. More detailed information about the packaging entering a recycling facility could help operators make better-informed decisions about how materials are sorted and recovered.

We’re working with sorting technology providers to explore how UV tag detection could support more targeted sorting. The aim is to help recycling facilities identify materials more effectively and recover higher-quality resources for reuse.

For the wider industry, this could help connect decisions made at the design stage with what happens at the end of a pack’s life, bringing packaging design, recycling infrastructure, and material recovery closer together.

Can packaging now be tracked beyond the point of sale?

AR: Yes, in two ways. UV tagging tracks packaging through the recycling system after disposal.

Our smart QR codes, meanwhile, allow packaging to continue delivering value whilst a product is in consumers’ hands and beyond the point of sale.

A QR code can link to recycling instructions, detailed product information, or other digital content, giving consumers a simple way to access information without overcrowding the physical pack.

Crucially, brands can update that content remotely without reprinting the packaging and access data such as dwell time to inform future campaigns.

This makes packaging a more flexible communications channel, as well as a way to provide useful information at the point when people need it.

What can brands learn from real-time recycling data?

AR: The data can reveal much more than whether packaging reaches a recycling facility. By linking barcode-level detection with information about individual products and packaging, brands can build a more detailed picture of what happens to their packs after use.

For example, they could identify which dairy supplied a particular milk bottle, establish who converted the packaging, and access information about its material properties.

They can also see where and when tagged packs are detected across the Ecotrace network, helping them compare packaging variants and identify patterns in how their products enter the recycling system.

These insights can help brands assess packaging choices against real-world evidence, understand the materials reaching recycling facilities, and identify opportunities to improve packaging design and recovery.

They also offer an additional source of evidence for sustainability reporting and evolving regulatory requirements, alongside other data needed to assess overall recycling performance.

What benefits will customers see from this technology?

AR: For our customers, the value lies in turning packaging into both a more effective consumer touchpoint and a source of insight.

Smart QR codes give businesses a flexible way to connect with consumers beyond the point of sale, offering everything from product information and recycling guidance to multilingual, location-aware content and interactive experiences.

Because content can be updated remotely, brands can adapt their messaging by market, season, or campaign without changing the physical packaging.

Our UV tagging technology offers a completely different benefit, helping brands understand what happens to their tagged packaging after use by capturing barcode-level data when it reaches participating recycling facilities.

Together, these capabilities can help businesses make better use of their packaging, from strengthening consumer engagement to informing packaging decisions with real-world data.

What have you learned from pilots with manufacturers and retailers?

AR: One of the biggest lessons is that the value of better data depends on making it relevant to the decisions brands need to take.

It’s not enough to simply collect more information. Businesses need evidence they can use to evaluate packaging choices and understand how products perform after disposal.

Working with brands and retailers including Kraft Heinz, Ocado Retail, and Waitrose & Partners is helping demonstrate the potential of capturing packaging data directly from the recycling system.

It also reinforces the importance of collaboration. Brands, retailers, technology providers, and recycling operators need to work together to make the data meaningful and build a network that can expand across the industry.

How can technology make extended producer responsibility more effective?

AR: Extended producer responsibility (EPR) makes packaging performance a more pressing commercial issue for brands.

Businesses need to understand their packaging obligations and make informed decisions about the formats and materials they place on the market – but the quality of those decisions depends on the quality of the evidence available.

Barcode-level detection can help strengthen that evidence base by showing where tagged packaging reaches participating recycling facilities.

We believe this kind of independently captured data should have a role in the development of a fairer, more effective EPR system.

In particular, we want to see modulated fees informed by robust evidence wherever reliable data is available, giving brands the opportunity to reduce their fees upon proof of recycling.

Finally, could smart packaging ultimately make the circular economy measurable?

AR: Absolutely. Designing for recyclability is only the starting point.

Measuring whether packaging is recovered and ensuring it retains its value and becomes something useful requires the barcode-level data that UV tagging and the Ecotrace network provide.

Achieving this at scale will depend on collaboration between brands, recyclers, materials recovery facilities, and technology providers.

We would love more businesses to join us to help expand this network and build the evidence needed to make the circular economy work in practice.

HOW POLYTAG UV TAG TECHNOLOGY WORKS

1. Printed – Invisible UV tags are incorporated into packaging artwork using standard printing methods.
2. Sold and used – Tagged products pass through retailers and consumers’ homes as normal.
3. Disposed of – Packaging enters the household recycling stream through existing collection systems.
4. Detected – Specialist equipment identifies UV tags as packaging passing along conveyor belts at participating recycling facilities.
5. Recorded – Each detection is logged by product barcode, location, and time, giving brands evidence of where their packaging reaches the recycling system.

The post Polytag : Making Recycling Measurable appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

SUSTAINABILITY INTO STRATEGY

As climate risks and geopolitical uncertainty increasingly impact global supply chains, sustainability data is becoming a key strategic tool for manufacturers seeking to build more resilient, competitive operations.

“Sustainability data provides manufacturers with the intelligence they need to effectively manage their increasingly complex supply chains alongside the risks and costs they introduce,” opens Rachel Delacour, CEO of Sweep.

Traditionally, sustainability data was seen only as a way to meet reporting deadlines and comply with regulations. However, with climate and geopolitical turmoil disrupting global supply chains, manufacturers need accurate, real-time sustainability data to make informed business decisions.

The case for data visibility is becoming more urgent. According to Sweep and Capgemini’s Sustainability in Action 2026 Report, 94 percent of business leaders surveyed said they experienced a climate-related supply chain disruption in the previous 24 months, with 30 percent reporting setbacks of over USD$1 million.

“Sustainability data can help manufacturers uncover inefficiencies and vulnerabilities before they translate into financial risks,” explains Delacour.

For instance, it can identify inefficient material use and uncover processes that generate waste.

When manufacturers have a full picture of their production lines, they can assess supplier performance, optimise costs, and drive product innovation. This not only reduces the environmental impact of a production line but also helps manage operational costs effectively.

When it comes to resilience, sustainability data can also help manufacturers manage emerging risks, such as droughts affecting shipping lanes or shortages of raw materials.

By having access to supply chain information, manufacturers can devise strategies to plan for external impacts, working with suppliers and partners to tackle disruptions.

“Ultimately, informed decisions can no longer be made without sustainability data. It plays a key role in building more resilient and competitive supply chains,” Delacour surmises.

BUILDING OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE

With manufacturers facing repeated extreme weather events and persistent geopolitical conflicts, 2026 is testing their ability to maintain operational resilience.

“This year has really tested manufacturers, with repeated extreme weather events and persistent geopolitical conflicts,” states Delacour.

“The best way to achieve true operational resilience is by having intelligence across all aspects of the business and building proactive and reactive risk management strategies.”

For instance, sustainability data can uncover energy and resource waste in the production line. A leaky plumbing system at a plant or an unreliable energy partner can be costly from a financial standpoint, but also in terms of environmental performance.

As such, manufacturers need a full picture of sustainability data across the supply chain to uncover vulnerabilities without disrupting operations and improve operational resilience.

Sustainability data also helps manufacturers understand how well their businesses are functioning from both a financial and operational perspective.

When they have current and precise data surrounding their energy consumption, emissions, materials, and suppliers, they can identify opportunities for growth and resilience.

“When manufacturers rely upon annually collected sustainability data for a reporting deadline, they’re unable to understand the cause of present risks and where they are situated,” Delacour shares.

By having regular and granular sustainability data inputs, manufacturers can ensure they invest in the places that are most vulnerable and can have the biggest business impact.

“Sustainability data gives manufacturers business intelligence to make informed decisions across their supply chain, remain resilient, and drive sustained growth grounded in the knowledge of what is true today – not a year ago,” she adds.

TURNING DATA INTO ACTION

As business leaders look to stay ahead of the curve, they increasingly treat sustainability data with equal rigour and value as financial reporting.

“This can help respond to sustainability compliance requirements with confidence but also address the climate-related risks surfaced by the data,” Delacour highlights.

One example is Voltalia, an international renewable energy company operating in 15 countries. Having set ambitious carbon reduction goals, the company also needed to comply with the EU’s CSRD reporting standards.

By moving away from spreadsheets to Sweep’s software, it solved its data issues around collection, reliability, and consistency.

Sweep also enabled faster identification of impacts, risks, and opportunities, all whilst producing compliant-ready reports.

“Essentially, by having a clear, accurate, and real-time picture of sustainability data in one dashboard, the sustainability team was able to better address the strategy and material issues,” Delacour tells us.

And that is just one example. Sustainability data can help with risk management, and financial and procurement planning.

“It also aids the reduction of an organisation’s environmental impact – which is exactly why it should be on the agenda in every boardroom,” Delacour asserts.

TRANSFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

As manufacturers look to turn sustainability data into actionable business intelligence, Sweep helps organisations use this information to inform everyday business decisions.

“Sustainability data is no longer a resource to uphold compliance; it provides the intelligence manufacturers need to improve operations, finance, and procurement across their supply chain,” Delacour tells us.

Through its solutions, manufacturers have access to a real-time view of their sustainability performance, including carbon emissions, energy usage, and water consumption, across their operations, entities, and value chain, where configured.

“When manufacturers have timely and accurate sustainability data, they can identify potential supply chain risks before they detrimentally impact the business. This is direct business intelligence,” she explains.

Sustainability information is not about ticking a box or keeping regulators happy; it genuinely helps manufacturers optimise performance and make informed decisions that generate the most value over time.

AI is also becoming an invaluable tool for manufacturers looking to transform sustainability data into insights they can trust and act on with confidence.

“AI strengthens data accuracy and audit readiness, whilst significantly reducing the time and effort required to collect and process it,” Delacour insights.

The Sustainability in Action 2026 Report by Sweep and Capgemini polled 1,000 senior business leaders across the US, UK, France, the DACH region, and the Nordics. It found that eight in 10 respondents said AI adoption had increased investment in sustainability.

This is significant because AI is helping manufacturers translate sustainability data into accurate and credible information, which can be used to determine where investments can deliver the greatest return.

DRIVING FUTURE PERFORMANCE

Looking ahead, Sweep is continuing to strengthen its AI capabilities to drive business value with the recent launch of Sweepy.

“Sweepy is an AI assistant that allows manufacturers to spend less time on manual reporting and compliance, freeing teams to focus on strategy and action,” Delacour outlines.

In the past, organisations spent days preparing questionnaires and reports, gathering data, and evaluating performance. Now, Sweepy coordinates across various teams and business units to complete end-to-end sustainability workflows.

As a result, manufacturing teams can easily obtain accurate and credible sustainability data whilst focusing on building business resilience, mitigating risks, and driving supply chain performance.

For manufacturers, AI has become an invaluable tool for informed decision-making by transforming data into insights they can trust and act on with confidence.

Ultimately, sustainability data gives manufacturers the business intelligence to understand their current performance, uncover vulnerabilities, inform decisions across operations, finance, and procurement, and build more resilient supply chains whilst driving sustained growth.

“By strengthening data accuracy and reducing the time and effort required to collect and process it, AI can help manufacturers better understand where investments can deliver the greatest return,” Delacour confidently concludes.

The post Sweep : Sustainability into Strategy appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SAM DE FRATES, VICE PRESIDENT OF PROCUREMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND MEENAL BAHIRWANI, SUSTAINABLE SOURCING LEAD, MARS SNACKING

Firstly, can you tell us about the Shubh Mint programme? Looking back over the last nine years, what are you both most proud of?

Sam de Frates, Vice President, Procurement and Sustainability (SDF): The Shubh Mint programme is about helping future-proof our natural mint supply whilst creating a more sustainable future for the farming communities who grow it.

Since launching in 2017, we’ve worked alongside our partner Tanager and thousands of farming families in Uttar Pradesh, India to improve farming practices, strengthen livelihoods, and build more resilient communities.

Together, we’ve supported more than 24,000 farmers, helping them increase productivity whilst using less water, and we’ve seen incomes from mint more than double.

The programme has also empowered thousands of women through technical training, self-help groups, and opportunities to build independent businesses.

Meenal Bahirwani, Sustainable Sourcing Lead (MB): Looking back, what we’re most proud of is demonstrating that sustainability and business performance can go hand in hand.

Today, traceable Shubh-sourced natural menthol is becoming embedded across our European gum portfolio, creating a direct link between the products people enjoy and the positive impact being delivered in farming communities.

But we don’t see this as the finish line.

One of our most important learnings over the last nine years is that true resilience cannot be built one crop at a time. Farmers’ livelihoods depend on the whole farm.

That insight is shaping Shubh’s next chapter: evolving from a single-crop approach to a whole-farm approach that helps farmers work towards a verified living income, strengthens responsible and resilient supply chains, and creates greater value for communities and the business.

Why is it important to recognise that sustainability is rarely a quick fix?

SDF: One of the biggest lessons from the Shubh Mint programme is that meaningful sustainability takes time. It is built on trust, and trust is earned by listening, understanding what matters to communities, and proving value before expecting change.

You can’t build resilient supply chains or transform agricultural systems overnight.

We deliberately spent the first two years listening to farmers, understanding their challenges, and testing practical solutions together before scaling the programme.

What followed was partnering with our suppliers, factories, and R&D teams to build a high-quality and traceable supply chain.

Finally, having our marketing teams involved throughout meant they had first-hand experience of the impact we were having and were able to bring this to our consumers.

That long-term commitment built trust, enabled lasting behavioural change, and ultimately delivered stronger outcomes for farmers, communities, and our business.

MB: Sustainability isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about making thoughtful investments today that create value for decades.

Lasting change doesn’t happen because an organisation has influence. It happens because people believe the change is worth making.

The Shubh Mint programme began as a response to supply chain risk. What challenge was Mars looking to solve?

SDF: Mint is a critical ingredient in many of our chewing gum products, yet around 80 percent of the world’s natural menthol comes from a single region in India: Uttar Pradesh.

That concentration creates an inherent supply risk, compounded by climate change, rising production costs, declining yields and quality, and increasing pressure on farmer incomes, which made mint farming increasingly difficult.

When we looked deeper, we realised this wasn’t simply a supply chain challenge.

Farmers had limited access to research and science-based guidance on sustainable mint production; women, despite playing an important role in agriculture, had limited economic agency and influence in decision-making; the value chain lacked the traceability and transparency needed to consistently recognise quality.

We recognised that securing the future of our mint supply meant investing in the resilience of the farming communities and agricultural system behind it.

Rather than addressing the symptoms of supply risk, Shubh was designed to tackle its root causes.

How has climate-smart agriculture strengthened farming outcomes and supply chain resilience?

MB: Climate-smart agriculture has been fundamental to strengthening both farmer resilience and the resilience of our supply chain.

The programme introduced practical farming techniques, including improved plant spacing, more efficient irrigation, better fertiliser management, and intercropping.

These practices have helped farmers reduce production costs by around 20 percent, whilst increasing productivity and improving the long-term sustainability of mint farming.

SDF: As adoption has grown, it has also contributed to greater consistency, quality, and traceability across our supply chain.

Better farming practices create stronger farms and, ultimately, a more resilient value chain.

Why have farmer trust, livelihoods, and women’s empowerment been central to the programme’s success?

MB: The programme was built on the understanding that lasting change only happens when communities see value in it.

That’s why we started with small demonstration plots, allowing farmers to see the benefits of climate-smart practices for themselves before deciding whether to adopt them.

That approach helped build trust, encouraged wider participation, and created the foundation for long-term change.

As the programme grew, it became about much more than improving mint production.

For the farmers who have participated, incomes from mint have more than doubled, whilst over 8,500 women have received training in climate-smart agriculture.

Through self-help groups and entrepreneurship programmes, more than 1,000 women have gone on to establish independent businesses, creating new opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Perhaps the most meaningful impact is seeing women who once identified themselves with a thumbprint now proudly sign their own names.

That simple change reflects something much bigger: confidence, independence, and the belief they can shape their own futures.

When people have the knowledge, confidence, and opportunity to succeed, the benefits extend far beyond individual households.

Stronger communities ultimately create stronger, more resilient supply chains.

How did the Shubh Mint programme evolve from a local pilot into part of Mars’ European supply chain?

SDF: The journey from a local pilot to commercial integration was built step by step.

As trust grew and farmers began to see the value of the interventions, adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices scaled and the impact became increasingly visible, including a doubling of incomes from mint.

At the same time, we worked with partners to strengthen the wider supply chain ecosystem, building local supply systems and establishing farmer producer companies.

Women also became important agents of change, using self-help groups to strengthen their economic agency and help scale practices within farming households and communities.

Once this was in place, we needed to partner with our suppliers to bring the menthol to their processing plants, ensuring high quality and traceability through to our factories.

Together, these efforts built the consistency, quality, and traceability needed to move from impact at farm level to integration at commercial scale.

Today, Shubh-sourced natural menthol is becoming embedded in our European gum portfolio, demonstrating how a programme that began by addressing challenges at farm level can ultimately strengthen and create value across the entire supply chain.

How has the Shubh Mint programme changed the way Mars approaches sourcing and supply chain risk?

SDF: It has reinforced that resilience starts long before ingredients reach our factories.

By investing further upstream and working directly with farming communities, we can help address the root causes of supply chain risk rather than simply responding to disruptions when they occur.

It has demonstrated the value of combining commercial objectives with sustainability ambitions, creating sourcing models that strengthen both business continuity and positive impact.

What can other businesses learn about embedding sustainability into their sourcing strategies?

SDF: One important lesson is that sustainability works best when it’s embedded into core business strategy rather than treated as a separate initiative.

At Mars, we use the Mars Compass. It’s our framework for guiding business decisions and measuring success against both financial and non-financial goals.

Introduced in 2018, it connects Mars’ purpose with its long-term strategy, helping the company balance business performance with positive impact on people, pets, and the planet.

It is built around four areas: strong financial performance, quality growth, positive societal impact, and being a trusted partner.

Together, these help Mars focus on creating sustainable value for both today and future generations.

MB: Success also depends on collaboration.

Businesses, farmers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and local partners all bring different expertise, and lasting progress comes from working together towards shared outcomes.

When businesses invest in the people and ecosystems behind their supply chains, they’re also investing in their own long-term resilience.

What’s next for Shubh Mint?

MB: The next phase is expanding beyond mint through a whole-farm approach.

Rather than focusing on a single crop, we’re helping farmers apply climate-smart practices across their entire farms, improving resilience across their livelihoods, not just one crop.

Our longer-term ambition is to help participating farmers work towards achieving a verified living income whilst continuing to strengthen the traceability and sustainability of our natural mint supply.

It’s about building on what we’ve learned to create even greater impact.

Finally, how can programmes like this shape the future of sustainable sourcing across the wider industry?

SDF: Agriculture is facing increasing pressure from climate change, resource constraints, and growing global demand, and no single organisation can solve these challenges alone.

Building resilient agricultural systems requires businesses, farmers, suppliers, NGOs, and local communities to work together around shared outcomes.

We hope the Shubh Mint programme demonstrates what is possible when sustainable sourcing moves beyond managing risks to investing in the resilience of the system itself, creating measurable value for farmers and communities whilst strengthening the supply chains businesses depend on.

The opportunity for the wider industry is to move from isolated interventions towards long-term, partnership-led models where responsibility is shared, learning is scaled, and impact becomes part of how business is done.

The post Mars Snacking : Building a Sustainable Mint Supply  appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.

UNLOCKING INDONESIA’S OCEAN ENERGY POTENTIAL

Ocean energy developer Minesto has been selected to participate in the Sweden–Indonesia Sustainability Partnership (SISP), a Swedish government-backed initiative designed to support sustainable development and business collaboration in Indonesia.

Through the partnership’s Sustainable Energy Programme, Minesto will work closely with Business Sweden to advance commercial opportunities for its patented tidal energy technology. The collaboration will focus on identifying strategic partners, facilitating access to financing, and progressing project development in a market with significant potential for ocean energy.

Indonesia’s extensive network of islands and straits creates favourable conditions for harnessing tidal currents, with its total ocean energy potential estimated at approximately 60 GW. However, the country’s electricity generation remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, presenting challenges as it seeks to expand renewable energy across thousands of islands.

Minesto’s technology offers an opportunity to harness predictable tidal currents, including at sites with lower flow velocities. By complementing established renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, tidal power could help build a more reliable, diversified renewable energy system.

Johan Lennefalk, Acting Country Manager Indonesia at Business Sweden, highlights the importance of developing these resources as part of the country’s energy transition.

“Indonesia has significant untapped potential in ocean and hydropower resources, which can play an important role in diversifying the country’s renewable energy mix,” Lennefalk says.

He adds that Minesto’s technology can harness tidal currents that have previously been difficult to utilise, providing predictable renewable electricity alongside other hydropower and ocean energy solutions. The partnership will support efforts to help Indonesia achieve its net-zero emissions target by 2060.

DEVELOPING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

The collaboration builds on Minesto’s existing business development activities in Indonesia, including feasibility assessments for a tidal energy project at Nusa Penida, southeast of Bali, undertaken with local partners.

Working with Business Sweden through SISP will help Minesto strengthen local partnerships and advance project development, moving opportunities toward commercial implementation.

For Minesto, Indonesia represents a significant market for its technology, given the scale of its tidal resources and growing demand for reliable renewable electricity.

“Being a part of the Sweden–Indonesia Sustainability Partnership strengthens our ability to turn this potential into commercial projects, working alongside Business Sweden and key Indonesian stakeholders,” says Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto.

The partnership also provides a platform for wider collaboration between Swedish businesses and Indonesian stakeholders as demand for sustainable energy solutions grows.

Peter Hjertsson, Energy Lead at Business Sweden, identifies the potential to build on the initiative beyond individual projects.

“The Sweden–Indonesia Sustainability Partnership provides an important platform for connecting Swedish companies, including Minesto, with Indonesia’s growing demand for sustainable energy solutions,” Hjertsson says.

He highlights opportunities to explore larger-scale strategic initiatives at a national level, contributing to Indonesia’s long-term energy transition.

SCALING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Through SISP, Minesto will seek to translate Indonesia’s ocean energy resources into commercial opportunities, supported by collaboration with Business Sweden and local stakeholders.

With feasibility work already underway at Nusa Penida, the initiative provides a framework to strengthen partnerships and advance tidal energy development in a country where predictable renewable electricity could help diversify the energy mix.

The collaboration reflects a broader focus on connecting Swedish technology providers with Indonesia’s demand for sustainable energy solutions, with tidal power offering a potential complement to other renewable sources as the country works towards its long-term emissions target.

The post Minesto Advances Tidal Energy in Indonesia appeared first on Sustainability Outlook.