Critics argue that the EU’s draft Industrial Accelerator Act lacks clear definitions, binding timelines, and stringent measures needed to truly accelerate decarbonisation in heavy industry and avoid reinforcing fossil fuel reliance. The European Commission’s draft Industrial Accelerator Act proposes to create zones intended to fast-track industrial projects and to use public purchasing to stimulate demand for lower-emission construction materials, but industry groups and environmental NGOs warn the measures as currently drafted fall short of what is needed to drive deep decarbonisation in heavy industry. Under the text presented by the Commission, contracting authorities would have to set minimum shares of…

A new white paper at The RECOUP Summit suggests that integrating advanced tracking, sorting, and verifiable data could revolutionise the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, rewarding genuine recycling outcomes and fostering circular economy practices. A new white paper launched at The RECOUP Summit on 4 March argues that combining digital tracking, advanced sorting and verified data could make the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime genuinely performance‑based, rewarding companies that deliver real recycling outcomes. Titled “EPR That Works: Incentivising Real Recycling with Data and Innovation,” the paper is produced by recycling technology platform Polytag and backed by compliance agencies Ecosurety…

A new industry ranking reveals that regulation-led efforts are pushing major automakers like Tesla and Volvo to improve responsible sourcing and reduce emissions in their electric vehicle supply chains, while highlighting ongoing industry lobbying and the need for sustained policy support. According to the Lead the Charge Auto Supply Chain Leaderboard, a new industry ranking produced by a coalition that includes Transport & Environment, Human Rights Watch and investor groups, major automakers are making measurable strides in cleaning up the supply chains behind electric vehicles. The fourth edition of the leaderboard finds that a cluster of original equipment manufacturers ,…

The European Commission’s Industrial Accelerator Act aims to cement demand-side support for low-carbon hydrogen within the EU, with broader measures to enhance industrial decarbonisation and supply chain resilience, amid ongoing debates over local-content rules and market stability. The European Commission published its Industrial Accelerator Act on 4 March, a long-expected measure that could shape whether demand-side support for low‑carbon hydrogen in the EU becomes concrete enough to sustain project developers and industrial offtakers. The dossier had been held up for a week amid reported disagreements inside the Commission over proposed local‑content rules, underscoring the political sensitivities around trade protection and…

The Environmental Audit Committee cautions that public backing for the UK’s net zero transition hinges on tangible local benefits and equitable cost distribution as more disruptive policies approach, urging government clarity and fairness to maintain support. A parliamentary watchdog has cautioned that public support for the UK’s net zero transition cannot be assumed and will hinge on visible, fairly distributed benefits as harder policy choices arrive. The Environmental Audit Committee, which examines government performance against carbon budgets, concluded that the “low hanging fruit” of decarbonisation has largely gone and that forthcoming measures will hit everyday routines more directly. “The measures…

A new study from the University of Sheffield warns that green hydrogen’s environmental benefits hinge on rapid energy system decarbonisation and supply chain reform, with potential for significant emissions reductions if coordinated policies are implemented. Green hydrogen risks falling short of its climate promise unless electricity systems are decarbonised and supply chains are redesigned, new modelling from the University of Sheffield concludes. The paper, published in Communications Sustainability, tests 20 production and transport scenarios for green hydrogen across 14 countries from 2023 to 2050 and finds that the environmental performance of hydrogen is driven overwhelmingly by the carbon intensity of…

A new EY and Eurelectric report highlights that full electrification of corporate vehicle fleets across Europe could save €246 billion and cut CO2 emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030, contingent on overcoming structural barriers through multistakeholder collaboration. Electrifying corporate vehicle fleets across Europe could unlock substantial savings and emissions reductions, but realising that potential will depend on coordinated action across industry, government and energy networks, according to a new analysis by EY and Eurelectric. According to the report by EY and Eurelectric, full fleet electrification could deliver up to €246 billion in cumulative operating cost savings by 2030 and…

The U.S. experienced its largest-ever increase in battery storage capacity in 2025, driven by utility-scale and behind-the-meter projects, signalling a pivotal moment for decarbonisation and grid resilience, despite policy uncertainties and supply chain challenges. U.S. battery storage installations surged in 2025, delivering a watershed year for the market and setting a fresh productivity benchmark for decarbonisation planners and system operators. New data compiled by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence for the Solar Energy Industries Association shows the nation added roughly 28 GW/57–58 GWh of capacity last year, driven principally by utility-scale projects while behind-the-meter deployments, including residential, commercial and industrial systems, continued…

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a groundbreaking single-atom indium catalyst on hafnium oxide, significantly boosting efficiency and mechanistic clarity in converting CO2 and hydrogen into methanol, heralding a new era in decarbonisation technology. Researchers at ETH Zurich report a step change in catalysts for producing methanol from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, demonstrating that atomically dispersed indium on a hafnium oxide support markedly improves efficiency and mechanistic clarity compared with nanoparticle-based materials. According to the paper in Nature Nanotechnology published 2 March 2026, the team engineered a single‑atom architecture in which every indium atom functions as an active site, enabling…

Honeywell’s new Modular Hybrid Heating Solution allows heavy industry to reduce emissions by blending electric and traditional heating, offering a practical pathway to cleaner manufacturing while maintaining existing infrastructure. Honeywell has begun marketing a modular system that it says lets heavy industrial manufacturers shift portions of process heating from combustion fuels to electricity in real time, offering a staged path toward electrification while keeping existing plant infrastructure in place. According to Honeywell, the Hybrid Heating Solution integrates electric heaters with conventional natural‑gas combustion controls and can deliver up to 30% of a process’ heating capacity electrically at any given moment.…