New standards came into force in the UK in 2025 to help the UK stick to its net zero commitment and slash carbon emissions by a whopping 87 per compared to 1990 levels.
While the UK is doing well compared to other countries - ranking sixth in the 2025 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) as well as scoring highly in the greenhouse gas emissions and energy use categories - it scores badly in renewable energy.
It’s hoped the Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS) will encourage businesses to be more accountable and transparent about their carbon footprint and adopt greener practices including green energy like solar carports.
The SRS standards mean companies must report on carbon emissions, how they use resources and what they are doing to get to net zero.
Businesses will need to track data and share their environmental impact on the world and use renewable energy where appropriate.
The new SRS are based on the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) which is the original framework for sustainability reporting in the UK.
By basing the SRS on the ISSB standards, it’s easier for investors and customers to compare how businesses are doing in terms of sustainability across the world.
The government will roll out the SRS in phases to help businesses prepare and ensure they understand that sustainability is not optional and their practices will be held to account if they contribute to climate change.
For now, the standards only apply to large UK-listed companies which play an important role in the economy and have a big impact on the environment.
However, other companies may find themselves under the spotlight later this year and next year.
It’s best to start putting measures in place so you know exactly what you need to do when the time comes.
Collect data on waste, energy use and carbon emissions so you may need to invest in software systems to help track and manage the information.
Once you have tracked your data and discovered where you can make changes, you need a clear plan to reduce emissions, waste and energy use.
You could set goals to cut all three or focus on one area where you think you can make the biggest impact in terms of reducing emissions or sourcing materials more sustainably.
The SRS will want to see where you aim to make improvements in the future too. This could mean a plan to invest profits into solar energy such as solar carports with EV charging stations and batteries to help you become self-sufficient and slash energy costs.
Your plan needs to be concise and clear so that anyone can understand what you have done so far and your goals for the future.
This only applies to UK companies who export to the EU and means you must provide all the data on your products’ carbon footprint.
For example, you must report data on the carbon emissions of the manufacturing process, raw materials, transport and manufacturing.
Companies were able to be flexible about how they reported the data but from 1 January 2025 businesses have had to use the methodology provided by the EU.
This only applies to investment sector and sees financial advisors obliged to pass on disclosures and new sustainability reporting information to clients.
If the words ‘impact’ or ‘sustainable’ have been used in a fund’s name then the company must prove this is the case.
In 2025, regulatory bodies Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) are focusing attention on greenwashing especially claims made by the fashion industry.
From April 2025, the CMA has the power to fine businesses up to 10 per cent of their worldwide turnover if they break consumer law. The new regulations hope to create a level playing field for all fashion businesses, helping customers to trust the claims made by companies.