In recent years we have seen the rapid rise of climate risk as a major focus for companies across the economy, with sustainability and wider environmental risks such as those around biodiversity increasingly treated as growing and even existential concerns for investors – from outgoing Bank of England Governor Mark Carney's warning that companies m...

' Data is key to making informed policy choices, but current provisions for access to smart meter data for a public interest purpose leave policy makers at risk of "flying blind" into the energy transition .' The Smart Meter Energy Data Public Interest Advisory Group (PIAG) , a landmark joint project convened by Sustainability First and the Centre ...

​ There has been a lot of talk over the summer, including in the pages of the Financial Times, on corporate purpose and how a focus on this may help 'reinvent capitalism'.  There has also been a clear pushback that discussion of purpose needs to lead to changes on the ground if they are to move beyond 'virtue signalling'. Sustainability First'...

This summer, Sustainability First convened the third workshop in our Fair for the Future project, aimed at establishing a 'Sustainable Licence to Operate' for the energy and water sectors as set out in our proposed strawman .  The third pillar of the strawman focuses on the roles and responsibilities of key sectoral stakeholders in terms of de...

The decision in June by six parliamentary select committees to establish a citizens' assembly on combatting climate change and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is a hugely welcome one. Parliament's commitment to explore deliberative, democratic options for decision-making around decarbonisation is very much in keeping with Pillar 3 of Sustainab...

Smart Meter Energy Data Public Interest Advisory Group The rollout of smart meters across the UK represents a major £11bn national investment paid for by customers – but there is a risk that the wider societal benefit of more granular customer-side energy data may not be delivered . Market actors with customer consent have access to granular smart ...

What different types of capital does the company have to deliver its public purpose and create systems value? On 26 March, Sustainability First hosted the second workshop of our Fair for the Future project into delivering a ' Sustainable Licence to Operate ' for the energy and water sectors . The workshop tested the second 'Pillar' of our Sustainab...

With both Labour and Conservative parties set on a more interventionist course in relation to the utilities, and polling continuing to demonstrate steady and significant support for public ownership, energy and water companies are well aware that 'the nationalisation challenge' is one they need to meet head on.However, in order to do so, and in ord...