Industry 5.0 places human creativity and welfare, sustainability, and resilient systems at the centre of business and government strategies for the benefit of economies, societies and the planet. The combination of these elements can add $1tr annually to global GDP in addition to technology-driven profits, says 'The Industry 5.0 Index', created by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley.
Category: Companies
Hashgraph Group launches EcoGuard to empower carbon market
The Hashgraph Group (THG), the Swiss-based Web3 technology engineering company operating within the Hedera ecosystem, has launched EcoGuard, a secure, scalable and sustainable carbon credit workflow platform. Built on Hedera network, the energy-efficient distributed ledger technology (DLT), EcoGuard is redefining carbon market infrastructure by automating and embedding digital trust and data provenance directly into the entire carbon asset lifecycle, ensuring full traceability of every carbon credit from creation and verification to issuance, tracking, and retirement.
M&S Launches RE:Spark to ignite renewables adoption
M&S has announced the launch of RE:Spark, a new supply chain decarbonisation programme developed in partnership with Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader. The initiative has been designed to accelerate the adoption of renewable electricity across M&S’s global fashion supply chain and is a key part of the retailer’s sustainability strategy, Plan A, which aims to achieve net zero emissions across its value chain by 2040.
SSE unveils £33bn investment plan to unlock green energy
SSE plc has announced a £33bn fully-funded five-year investment programme, to transform the UK’s electricity infrastructure and deliver long-term benefits for society. The “Transformation for Growth” plan will see a major ramp-up of SSE’s capital investment over the next five years, with 80% directed towards regulated electricity networks and the remainder into renewables and flexible generation technologies.
90% of 4,000 large companies connect value and decarbonisation
Decarbonisation is emerging as a key business differentiator. Accenture’s latest report on the decarbonisation activities of the world’s largest companies finds that those that connect climate ambition to business strategy are cutting emissions faster and creating lasting value. But the journey is far from complete: just 16% are on track to reach net zero in their operations by 2050.
Stadler to build first hydrogen trains for Sicily
Stadler has expanded its presence in Italy and signed the first contract with Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE) for the design and supply of two narrow-gauge hydrogen-powered trains. The new vehicles will contribute to sustainable rail transport and will run through the volcanic landscapes of Mount Etna.
First CO2 storage by Northern Lights JV achieved
The first CO2 volumes have now been transported by the Northern Lights project through the 100km pipeline and injected into the Aurora reservoir 2,600m below the seabed of the Norwegian North Sea. Northern Lights will transport and store CO2 from Norway during the remainder of 2025 with CO2 volumes from Denmark and the Netherlands expected to be added in 2026.
Largest sand battery in the world launches in Finland
Polar Night Energy has built an industrial-scale sand battery in Pornainen for Loviisan Lämpö’s district heating network. The new sand battery delivers 1MW of thermal power and offers a storage capacity of 100MWh, making it 10 times larger than the Sand Battery launched in Kankaanpää in 2022.
Ørsted secures project financing for Taiwan wind farm
Ørsted has reached financial close on a project finance package with 25 banks and five Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) to raise approximately TWD90bn (about DKK20bn) for the 632MW offshore wind farm Greater Changhua 2. This is part of the financing structure for the project, on which Ørsted simultaneously is progressing as planned with an equity divestment expected to be completed once the project is operational. The transaction ensures further progress on both Ørsted’s partnership and divestment programme and its strategic priorities.
Big shout out to growing list of companies committing to DEI
Impactivize has published a long list of companies who have publicly stated their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The list includes some big names. Amongst them are: Adidas, American Express, Apple, AstraZeneca and Audible. And that's only in the section under 'A'.
Project Clover: TikTok upgrades data security in a green way
As part of Project Clover, TikTok’s data security initiative, all three buildings in its Norwegian data centre are now online. The data centre in Hamar, Norway, developed by Green Mountain, plays an important role in the local economy, but sustainability is also a core focus.
Arup: AI is designing our future sustainable cities
AI is already impacting the design of global cities and infrastructure – with more than a third (36%) of engineers, architects and city planners relying on it daily, a new survey from Arup has revealed.
27 UK companies awarded by the King for sustainable development
His Majesty the King has conferred his 2025 Awards on 27 businesses in recognition of their outstanding achievements in sustainable development. Companies are located across the UK and across numerous sectors.
Green claims: if you are going to make them, get them right
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is making it clear this week that it will not tolerate sloppy language around green claims in advertising. Two challenges in relation to composting coffee capsules or bags have been upheld and are worth a read if you are reviewing how you take your products to market.
PMI shines a light on sustainability and AI
The Project Management Institute (PMI) has published a report called ‘Sustainability in the Age of AI: The Integration Imperative’. It demonstrates that AI can be a critical enabler in helping organisations more effectively pursue their sustainability goals. The report says AI can be used to generate short-term cost savings while illuminating the long-term benefits of a comprehensive sustainability strategy.


