Month: June 2025

Europe’s chemical recycling requires over €400 billion in cumulative capex to compete with virgin plastics production – who will lead?

Stuart Mitchell

Despite impending mandates and ambitious corporate targets, chemical recycling in Europe remains nascent today mostly due to unattractive economics. A new report published by Bain & Company revealed that the industry is worth over €400 billion in cumulative capex and cost parity with virgin plastics production could be achieved in 20-30 years. Plastics companies now have a window of opportunity to be early movers and reap material benefits. Recycling polyolefins—a common type of thermoplastics—in Europe costs more than twice as much as producing virgin polyolefins today. Market forces alone are…

Read More

SHEIN’s Science-Based Net-Zero Target is Approved by SBTi

Stuart Mitchell

Fast fashion retailer Shein’s parent company has had its new emissions reduction targets verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It set out some of its plans to cut Scope 3 emissions on their website here. As a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, we have reached a milestone in our climate journey with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validating our net-zero science-based target by 2050 and approving our near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets. Our climate targets have been validated to conform with the SBTi Net-Zero…

Read More

CCLA’s first global modern slavery benchmark exposes corporate reliance on policy over practice

Stuart Mitchell

CCLA has announced the launch of its inaugural Global Modern Slavery Benchmark Pilot to evaluate how global companies combat modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. The pilot benchmark assesses the efforts of the 100 largest globally listed companies by market capitalisation that provide goods or services within the UK and are therefore subject to the UK Modern Slavery Act . As the UK marks the 10-year anniversary of its landmark Modern Slavery Act 2015, the benchmark assesses corporate performance against UK statutory requirements, government guidance, and international human…

Read More

Big Four UK Banks: Falling Short on Climate Action?

Stuart Mitchell

FinanceMap’s 2025 assessment of the Big Four UK banks—Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, and NatWest—finds that despite commitments to net zero by 2050, the four banks’ climate-related activities do not align with net-zero pathways. A lack of robust fossil fuel exclusion policies has led all four banks’ 2020–2024 financing activities to be misaligned with the IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 Scenario, and three of the four banks show higher 2020–2024 deal flows to fossil fuel companies than to green ones. During the same period, Barclays and HSBC actively advocated to…

Read More

Future Lions 2025 Celebrates Bold Thinking and Visionary Talent

Stuart Mitchell

Future Lions, the global competition founded by AKQA in partnership with the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, announced its 2025 winners today. Supported by media partner The Wall Street Journal, Future Lions continues to champion young innovators using technology and creativity to solve pressing global challenges. Now in its 20th year, Future Lions celebrates bold ideas that wouldn’t have been possible just three years ago; transforming visionary thinking into real-world impact. This year’s open brief invited young creatives to choose any brand and explore how technology can help shape…

Read More