Microplastics Are Warming the Planet From the Sky (Plus This Week's Top 10 Sustainability Stories)
This week in sustainability, there are things happening that most businesses aren't paying attention to — yet. Microplastics in the atmosphere are contributing to climate warming. The Iran war is driving renewable energy investment faster than any climate policy ever did. Carbon removal is moving from pilot projects to billion-dollar infrastructure. And the EU's deforestation regulation just had its compliance costs cut by 75%.
In this video, we break down the top 10 sustainability stories of the week ranked by what the world is talking about most — with a clear lens on what it means for businesses with serious climate commitments.
We cover: microplastics and atmospheric warming, AI energy consumption's missing 98%, the EUDR simplification, GHG Protocol's first CEO, 82% of companies holding their climate targets, three major carbon removal deals, France's fossil fuel exit roadmap, and why the Iran war is the unintentional accelerant for the energy transition.
Plus the three most mind-blowing environmental facts of the week.
I'm Will Richardson, founder of Green Element and Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero — the only global technology-led carbon strategy consultancy specialising in Media, Marketing & Advertising and Food & Beverage. We help FTSE, Nasdaq, XETRA, and IBEX-listed organisations cut their emissions and prove it.
Find out more about working with 51toCarbonZero: https://www.51tocarbonzero.com
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#Sustainability #NetZero #CarbonAccounting #EnergyTransition #ClimateAction
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I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense.
