24.5 million pumpkins ending up in the bin

Every year millions of pumpkins are bought but not eaten. New research by environmental charity Hubbub shows that 1 in 4 children (27%) have never eaten a pumpkin, despite millions being bought to celebrate Halloween every year.

Hubbub’s research including a survey of 2,000 adults, forecasts that 38.8 million¹ pumpkins will be bought this Halloween. Only 37% will be eaten, meaning a frightful 24.5 million² could go to waste, worth an estimated £41.3 million³. Hubbub also surveyed 500 children and found that two in five (44%) do not see food waste as bad for the environment.

To fend off these frightening Halloween forecasts, Hubbub have launched the #EatYourPumpkin campaign. They’ll inspire everybody to decorate, cook and eat their pumpkin for the planet, their pockets and their tastebuds.

Pumpkins are low cost and perfect for batch cooking family favourites from pumpkin mac n cheese to spiced pumpkin pancakes. If decorated rather than carved, their tasty flesh is more likely to make it on to our plate and stay out of the bin. The campaign aims to save more than 146 million⁴ meals-worth of pumpkin from going to waste.

Hubbub has partnered with food writer and author of Don’t Waste Your Pumpkin, Emily Gussin and a host of influencers and podcasters with the aim of inspiring families to decorate, cook and eat their pumpkins. Hubbub is also supporting 110 community groups across the UK to host their own spooky events. Last year community events brought over 9,000 people together to rescue 28 tonnes of pumpkins, equivalent to 33 tonnes⁶ of CO₂.

Mark Breen, Senior Creative Partner at Hubbub said “The fact over a quarter of UK kids have never eaten a pumpkin has spooked me as they’re so tasty. Last Halloween, 69% of pumpkins bought were carved⁵ which makes them much more likely to go to waste. So, this year, whether you turn your pumpkin into a minion or even your favourite celeb, give decorating a go! It’s fun, less messy and safer than carving. It’ll mean your pumpkin lasts longer – so you can turn the seeds into a pesto and the flesh into pumpkin gingerbread or the star of a risotto, once the Halloween decorations have been taken down.”

Emily Gussin, food writer and author of Don’t Waste Your Pumpkin said: “Pumpkin is a bit of an unsung hero in my eyes. It’s visually one of the most iconic vegetables of autumn so it’s a travesty that they’re mostly wasted. The sweet nutty taste of pumpkin is the perfect warmer for the season and it’s incredibly versatile. You can use it to make everything from soup to cheesecakes, adding beautiful flavour and nutrition to every bite.”

#EatYourPumpkin is supported by Starbucks, the brand famous for inventing the iconic flavour phenomenon the Pumpkin Spice Latte more than 20 years ago. Since 2018, Starbucks has supported Hubbub’s work reducing food waste, boosting reuse and improving access to nature.

As part of the #EatYourPumpkin campaign, Starbucks stores will be giving away spooky sticker packs from the 25th October to help people decorate and eat their Halloween pumpkins. Customers simply have to ask for a sticker pack in-store. Sticker packs will be given on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information on Hubbub’s #EatYourPumpkin campaign, and for information and tips on how to have a more environmentally-friendly Halloween this year, visit:  www.hubbub.org.uk/eat-your-pumpkin.

We’re at the cusp of a whole bunch of awards celebrations and we have plenty to celebrate! We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for multiple awards for our innovative communications solutions. Of course, the pride and glory of awards are always enjoyable, but more than anything, we’re pleased with what this recognition says about our work.

Having judged many awards ourselves, we know that creativity, innovation and impact are what’s needed to make an award entry stand out from the crowd. At Barley, we blend strategy, creativity, expertise and passion into social purpose communications that deliver real impact for our clients.

Here’s a snapshot of the work we’ve been shortlisted for:

Rebranding a charity for ETP

To mark a new era for ETP, we designed a bold visual identity that unifies perspectives, clarifies the organisation’s message and charts a course for the future. We developed a new website that’s been shortlisted for Best Website or App at the Memcom Excellence Awards and Best Marketing Initiative or Project at the Association Excellence Awards.

Membership organisation, EACTS

The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) – a 4,000+ membership organisation for the cardiothoracic surgical community that aims to improve outcomes for heart and lung patients around the world – has been shortlisted for Best In-Person Event of the Year at the Memcom Excellence Awards.

The shortlist for EACTS is for the 37th EACTS Annual Meeting which took place in Vienna in 2023 – and we’re proud to support EACTS to deliver the flagship event. At Barley, our work includes managing organic and paid social media to drive over 5,000 participants to the event, publishing a daily newspaper over the four-day event and working with Go Forth Films to produce a daily highlights video. Barley is again supporting EACTS with this year’s Annual Meeting, which is being held in Lisbon from 9-12 October.

Environmental behaviour change campaign for Keep Britain Tidy

Based on eye-opening data about people’s buying habits, we created and delivered a topical campaign across digital and social platforms, setting our audience the task of buying nothing new for a month. This one is up for Behaviour Change Campaign of the Year at the Global Glood Awards and the Education, Training and Communication Award at the National Sustainability Awards.

Charity communications for Nordoff and Robbins

We’re shortlisted for PR Team of the Year at the Charity Times Awards for our strategic approach to media relations for the inaugural Northern Music Awards – helping Nordoff and Robbins raise their profile, raise funds and demonstrate the impact of their life-changing work as the UK largest provider of music therapy.

Local authority communications for Suffolk Waste Partnership

Our #ShakeItOut campaign to reduce recycling contamination has made a lasting impact, resonating with Suffolk households through eye-catching creative across multiple communications channels. This standout campaign of this year’s awards has so far been shortlisted a whopping eight times.

And there’s more! In addition to our client work, Barley has also been shortlisted for several agency awards, including the Women in Green Business Awards and the Association Excellence Awards.

This recognition is true testament to the dedication, imagination and enthusiasm our team brings to every project. And we’re ever appreciative of our marvellous clients for choosing Barley to deliver across a wide range of their communications needs.

Bring on the celebrations!

Environmental charity Hubbub has today launched its first ever ‘Community Nature Network’ to help community-led green spaces thrive and bring nature closer to people and people closer to nature.

The Community Nature Network, supported by funding from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust and the Bentley Environmental Foundation, will offer funding opportunities, free resources, guidance and peer to peer support to community groups who wish to establish new green spaces or improve existing ones. The network is free to join from today and is open to any publicly-accessible community-led green space.

The announcement comes as research shows that engaging with nature projects not only has health and social benefits but can also be a catalyst for individual environmental action. A recent study by Chrysalis Research revealed a clear link between participation in community-based nature projects and the adoption of more environmentally friendly behaviours in general.

Key findings of the study include:

Almost two thirds (64%) of people participating in nature-based projects and activities felt more empowered to take personal action towards tackling climate change

92% of those engaged in nature projects took on at least one additional pro-environmental habit, such as growing their own food, reducing their use of plastic, reducing food waste or lowering their gas, electricity or petrol consumption.

Gavin Ellis, Co-founder at Hubbub said: “We’re on a mission to bring people closer to nature and nature closer to people. Research shows that spending time in nature not only improves our health, wellbeing and social connectedness, but that engaging with nature projects and community gardening initiatives also encourages people to make more environmentally friendly lifestyle choices overall.

“The ‘Community Nature Network’ aims to connect the dots to give like-minded community groups the resources and guidance they need to be able to respond to and fulfil local environmental and social needs. It will also allow them to share their success stories and how they’ve overcome barriers. The incredible people involved in setting up and running these kinds of initiatives often lack funding, time and headspace. We want to help shine a light on the amazing work they do and build a supportive and effective network to allow these projects to really thrive and flourish.”

Members will gain access to a wide range of free useful resources, from videos and case studies to measurement guides and communications templates. Anyone involved in setting up or running a community-led green space is welcome to join the Community Nature Network – it’s free and it takes less than 5 minutes to sign up. Hubbub would also welcome conversations with organisations interested in providing funding to community-led green spaces.

In the lead up to the launch of the Community Nature Network, Hubbub has supported 26 community nature projects across the UK, kindly sponsored by the Bentley Environmental Foundation. Projects were awarded up to £5,000 to start or maintain community-led green spaces bringing people together to enjoy nature, learn new skills, and care for their local environment.

Wayne Bruce, Chief Communications and DEI Officer at Bentley Motors, and responsible for the Bentley Environmental Foundation said:

“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Hubbub to support their Community Nature Network. By fostering community-led green spaces, this initiative not only enhances local environments but also promotes healthier, more sustainable lifestyles, both of which align with the aims of the Foundation. We strongly believe in the power of nature to transform communities, and are excited to see the positive impact this network will bring to individuals and groups across the UK”

Felicity Mallam, Director, Wates Family Enterprise Trust said: “It’s so important that we increase access to green space and nature as it has the power to transform our communities; our health and well-being; and our climate resilience. That’s why we support programmes that promote equitable access to nature, help us to connect with and value it, and ultimately inspire engagement with the climate movement. The Chrysalis research highlights community and nature connection as a driver for climate action, and the importance of this work. We’re delighted to support this new network and bring more people on the journey.”

Hubbub has a successful track record in coordinating nature projects and a wealth of expertise in inspiring and supporting community-led environmental action. The charity also recently awarded over half a million pounds to 100 community projects across the UK to create or rejuvenate green spaces. These projects will automatically become members of Hubbub’s new Community Nature Network, continuing to benefit from ongoing funding opportunities, guidance, resources and support.

Hubbub set up and co-ordinates the Community Fridge Network, which now consists of more than 650 Community Fridges across the country which bring people together to share food, meet up, learn new skills and prevent fresh food from going to waste.

The popular holiday resort has been awarded £12,500 through the #InTheLoop grant fund, to boost out-of-home recycling for residents and visitors

Blackpool Council’s environmental service provider Enveco, has been awarded £12,500 to install its first ever on-the-go recycling bins along its famous beachfront promenade.

The funding is being provided by trade body Natural Source Waters Association (NSWA) as part of the #InTheLoop recycling initiative which is run by environmental charity Hubbub.

At the launch, BBC Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer and former winner, Jowita Przystał, unveiled the first of 20 recycling bins, dedicated to collecting plastic bottles and drinks cans for recycling.

The bins are being introduced along Blackpool’s promenade, famous for its iconic Tower, Comedy Carpet and three piers. The seafront and beach is a popular spot for picnicking and will be the first time Blackpool will have dedicated recycling bins to make it easy for the 20 million visitors per year, to recycle drink containers when visiting the country’s premier holiday resort.

Finding recycling bins for drinks containers while out and about can be difficult in the UK. With the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) delayed until October 2027 the #InTheLoop campaign aims to help alleviate the issue and boost efforts to secure as many plastic drinks bottles and cans for recycling as possible.

Blackpool’s new bins will have clear signage to guide people on what can be collected for recycling. They will be positioned along the promenade alongside general waste bins that are already in situ, to make recycling plastic bottles and cans when visiting the beach as easy as possible. Brightly coloured chalk footprints, including ballroom dancing shoes and seagull tracks (one of Keep Blackpool Tidy’s mascots), will be spray-painted on the promenade to help people easily find the bins.

Jowita Przystał, Dancer and former Strictly Come Dancing winner, said: “Dancing in Blackpool is always so special to me and many of my fellow dancers. It is great to see the seaside resort taking positive steps towards becoming more sustainable. I am thrilled to be invited to reveal the first of 20 new bins in the area. The colourful In The Loop designs fit so well with this playful destination, while also communicating the important message of recycling on-the-go. I’ll certainly be using them on my way to and from rehearsals and performances on the dance floor!”

Cllr Lynn Williams MBE, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the awareness of ‘ On the Go Recycling ‘ to everyone visiting our promenade and beach. The high profile Promenade location will give plenty of scope to recycle responsibly and reduce the level of plastic cans and bottles being littered on the beach entering the seas and oceans, and their devastating impact on the environment.”

Cllr Adrian Hoyle, Chairman of Board Enveco NW said: ‘Blackpool provides bins at all access steps to the beach during the bathing season (May – September), between North and South Pier. The award of the grant is a great opportunity to increase the recycling of materials that would normally be disposed of as general waste. The grant awarded will allow for 20 specific recycling, to maximise the recycling potential of plastic bottles and cans and the continued education for recycling responsibly.”

Anthony Walker, at Natural Source Waters Association, who represent natural source water producers in the UK, said : “Bottles and cans are a vital and valuable commodity, and we want these containers to be captured so they can be recycled into new ones. Producers are keen to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle the right things in the right places and Hubbub’s #InTheLoop campaign is a proven way of doing this. It improves both recycling rates and the quality of material collected on-the-go, helping these containers get another life, whilst also reducing litter. The next step in achieving a circular economy for bottles and cans is for aligned deposit return schemes to be introduced across the four nations of the UK, which is why we are working with UK Governments to make this happen.”

Hubbub launched #InTheLoop in 2018. Since then, over 2.5 million plastic and glass bottles and cans have been collected and recycled. There are now over 600 #InTheLoop bins across the country, providing solutions for towns and cities such as Blackpool who want to tackle out-of-home recycling.

The campaign is based on the #InTheLoop toolkit which was funded by environmental compliance scheme Ecosurety and brings together key learnings and insights gathered from previous trials and aims to act as a blueprint for future projects.

For more information on the grant funding and to access the In The Loop toolkit, including downloadable assets, visit www.intheloop.org.uk or contact intheloop@hubbub.org.uk

All three hybrid River Buses now in service on the Thames

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ brand new hybrid passenger ferry Mars Clipper has joined its fellow hybrid vessels Earth Clipper and Celestial Clipper to form an iconic trio – bringing sustainable river transport to more commuters and leisure travellers than ever before.

The capital’s first ever hybrid passenger ferry, Earth Clipper, was launched in September 2023 and was then joined by Celestial Clipper in March 2024. Mars Clipper will be Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ third hybrid vessel to carry passengers in Central London on journeys with zero tailpipe emissions.

Built at the Isle of Wight’s Wight Shipyard, the three vessels’ innovative design delivers an almost 90 per cent reduction in CO2e compared to journeys taken solely using conventional marine diesel. Operating only on electric power in Central London – i.e. between Tower and Battersea Power Station piers – the hybrid boats recharge while using biofuelled power on the rest of their journey. This hybrid system results in an emissions reduction of 16.5 per cent per boat when compared with running on biofuel alone throughout all parts of the route.

Mars Clipper is the 20th high-speed catamaran to join the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers fleet, and the three hybrid vessels increase the River Bus’s total capacity by just under 700 passengers. More Londoners and visitors than ever will be able to travel to work or see the sights in style – sitting comfortably in a cabin that boasts a fully licensed café-bar, offering a range of Barista crafted coffees, soft and alcoholic drinks, as well as snacks. Plentiful seating and large windows offer unique views of London’s most iconic riverside sites, while a spacious, open back deck provides an impressive panoramic vantage point. Tickets can be purchased online, on the Thames Clippers Tickets and Uber apps, and at piers.

Sean Collins, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers co-founder and CEO said: “We want to make London’s river travel the best and most sustainable transport option in the world. We are immensely proud of being able to launch our third hybrid vessel in less than 12 months. Seeing these wonderful boats sail the Thames together is a momentous day for Uber Boat by Thames Clippers and this symbolises our commitment to achieve a net zero status by 2040. Going forward, all of our new vessels will use our hybrid system and where possible, fully electrified or zero emission technology. The design of the catamaran can also be made even greener in the future, when technology allows.”

“We are currently working to introduce London’s first fully electric Zero Emission Cross River Ferry between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe by the spring of 2025 – the first of its kind in the UK.

“It’s a real British success story – our new boats are proudly built in the UK using the latest technology to create a comfortable and environmentally friendly way to get around our fantastic capital city.”

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is committed to using the most advanced technology to meet its ambitious climate targets of reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, before achieving net zero by 2040.

All the hybrid vessels were built at Wight Shipyard Co in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ investment has continued to be significant for the local economy on the Isle of Wight, with 65 people building the boats over the past year and 14 apprentices involved.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers offers services that run as far east as Barking Riverside and out to Putney in the west. The business is celebrating 25 years of operation in 2024, and in 2023 alone, carried just below 5 million commuters and visitors through London on the river Thames.

For more information and to book, visit www.uberboatbythamesclippers.com.

Community-led organisations in Cumbria and Northumberland invited to apply now

A new £500,000 funding programme to support community-led projects in rural Northumberland and Cumbria is today being announced by The Royal Countryside Fund, in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund.

The fund which launches on 1^st August, is seeking applications from organisations across the two counties that have the potential to ‘power up, not prop up’ rural communities. The initiative – the first county-based programme from The Royal Countryside Fund – aims to revitalise these areas by funding original, innovative projects that address the unique challenges and opportunities they face.

Figures show that the average wage in rural areas is 7.5% less than the urban equivalent, yet residents must spend up to 20% more on everyday items like fuel and transport, while many living in rural communities also face hidden levels of hardship such as loneliness and isolation.

Individual organisations can apply for up to £30,000 each over a period of 18 months to deliver activities designed to boost economic, environmental or social stability. Applications are encouraged from projects which have the potential to provide financial benefits to the locality, build a stronger sense of community and connectedness and/or increase environmental sustainability.

Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Royal Countryside Fund, said: “There is huge untapped potential within rural communities to drive economic prosperity and find innovative solutions to environmental and social challenges. This funding opportunity aims to support transformative initiatives that will truly inspire change in rural parts of Cumbria and Northumberland.

“We are particularly excited to see ideas that offer new and original solutions to rural challenges, especially where there is potential to replicate these in other communities and increase the scale of change. We are also profoundly grateful for the substantial support from The National Lottery Community Fund, which enables us to significantly enhance our impact.”

Duncan Nicholson, Regional Head of Funding for North East & Cumbria at The National Lottery Community Fund said: “We are delighted to be funding this terrific initiative in partnership with The Royal Countryside Fund and committing to the environmental sustainability and resilience of communities across these two counties.

“Supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable is one of our key missions at The National Lottery Community Fund, and thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to fund projects across the region to address local climate issues and create an infrastructure for the benefit of current and future generations.”

The Royal Countryside Fund has so far invested more than £12 million in over 500 rural community-led projects, including two previous examples of highly innovative and impactful projects in Cumbria and Northumberland:

Grizedale Arts and The Farmers Arms in Cumbria: a project in collaboration with the community which turned an old pub into a rural hub, creating a local space for creative and business projects to run as well as hosting training events and volunteer placements for local people.

Blackhall Mill Community Association in Newcastle: a community initiative to develop a how-to-guide and model for setting up an electric vehicle car club, called a ‘car club in a box’, to enable other communities to create their own. The innovation is designed to support the development of new clubs in other communities, de-carbonise transport, improve accessibility and strengthen to sustainability of their own club for the community.

The Royal Countryside Fund is seeking applications from community projects that will create tangible change, helping to do one or more of the following:

Help provide financial benefits to the locality
Build a stronger sense of community and connectedness
Benefit the local environment, creating positive benefits for the community
Create an innovative and replicable approach, addressing an unmet need within a rural area

To apply, visit www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/grants to submit a short video and complete a simple ‘Expression of Interest’ form, explaining why the idea is needed in the area, how it will help the community, how it demonstrates innovation and the long-term ambition for the project.

On Wednesday 7^th August The Royal Countryside Fund will host two webinars for people interested in applying to ask questions and find out more about the fund and application process:

Cumbria-6pm: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AuJSQyN7SmSGon0VsPwOwA
Northumberland- 7pm https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VpTKxrMASeyMFhIH821PDw

A coalition of major brands is being created to support the development of Home Advantage – a series of real-world household trials to support UK homeowners on their journey to net zero. The first companies to join the initiative are B&Q, Barratt Developments PLC, Starbucks UK, TSB and Unilever UK, who have been brought together by Hubbub. The environmental charity will develop clear guidance for how to support households to reduce their climate impact, based on in-depth research and testing. Insights from the research will be shared with policymakers, businesses and campaigning organisations to inform their understanding of how they can best support households on their journey to net zero.

Households have a crucial part to play in reducing climate-damaging carbon emissions and reducing waste, alongside government and businesses. 32% of the emissions reductions needed between now and 2035 to meet the UK’s net zero goal are down to the choices made by individuals and households according to the UK Climate Change Committee¹.

The initiative will see in-depth qualitative and quantitative research conducted over the coming months. UK households will be surveyed to understand current behaviours, motivators and barriers to change and to identify what support they need to overcome these barriers. Alongside this, Hubbub will work closely with a sample of homeowners to test behaviour change and messaging approaches, and to test potential policy scenarios.

The businesses involved will be helping to share insights to inform the project, as well as test ideas to help customers save money and live more sustainably.

The household guide to sustainable living developed as a result is expected to provide a holistic view of how households can be better supported by businesses and government, covering a wide range of topics including energy, food, fashion, electronic waste and green finance. It will also provide solutions aimed at helping people to save money, to support both people and planet –and will generate evidence to debunk the myth that sustainability is an unaffordable luxury in a cost-of-living crisis.

Legislation and incentives from government and business will be vital to remove systemic barriers to sustainable living faced by UK households. Insights from the research which will be used to engage businesses and policy makers to support the changes needed.

Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder at Hubbub said: “Recent research from DESNZ found that 80% of people are concerned about climate change. Our experience is that most people want to play their part to protect the planet, but they aren’t always sure what they can do, where to start or whether it will make a difference. By fully understanding the everyday barriers faced by households, Home Advantage will provide realistic steps and solutions that people can easily incorporate into their daily lives that will collectively make a real difference, as well as highlighting where systemic support is required.

“The expertise of the coalition of fantastic companies will be invaluable. We’re keen that we have representation from brands that touch on all significant aspects of people’s lives and would particularly be interested to hear from any energy providers and supermarkets who are interested in joining us.”

Sam Dyer, Head of Sustainability, B&Q said: “At B&Q we want to make a positive difference through tangible action to minimise the impact we, and our customers, have on the environment. By working with Hubbub and other collaborators, we aim to better understand and improve how we engage with homeowners and renters to help them to make more sustainable choices for their homes, for their benefit and the benefit of society as a whole.”

Yvette Edwards, UK & Ireland Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Unilever said: “At Unilever, we have ambitious climate targets and we’re clear we cannot achieve these alone. That’s why we’re committed to playing our part in wider systemic change, working with peers, regulators, policymakers, consumers, and other stakeholders. We are really pleased to be partnering with Hubbub and other businesses on the Blueprint for Sustainable Living. It will help us to better understand the barriers households face when it comes to taking action, and using these insights to inform our own work and to advocate for policies which will achieve the transformation we all need to see.”

Companies interested in joining the initiative should email hello@hubbub.org.uk

The brief

Following a brand rebuild delivered by Barley, ETP needed website development support to bring its new identity to life online. The organisation was looking for a long-term digital partner to help create a future-facing website that reflected the scale and ambition of its work across the global tea sector.

The new site needed to clearly show how ETP’s projects connect, communicate impact more effectively, and serve a wide range of audiences – particularly those working in tea-producing regions. A key challenge was translating ETP’s complex, three-dimensional Theory of Change into an experience that was engaging, accessible and easy to understand.

Insights and approach

We began with an intensive immersion phase, combining landscape, Google Analytics and SEO audits with stakeholder interviews and a UX workshop. This helped us build a clear picture of user needs, behaviours and priorities across ETP’s diverse audiences.

Taking an audience-first approach, we reshaped the sitemap, hierarchy and content architecture to make the site easier to navigate and more intuitive to use. To encourage exploration and keep users engaged, we designed a ‘revolving door’ experience, supported by a robust tagging and filtering system and clear calls to action linking to related stories throughout the site.To better communicate ETP’s impact, we created a dedicated impact page that places the organisation’s Theory of Change at its heart. By making this interactive rather than static, we transformed a complex framework into a more digestible, engaging experience that reflects the realities of the tea sector.

Results

The new website has significantly improved how ETP presents itself and supports its strategic goals. Clearer navigation and stronger content structure make it easier for users to find relevant information, while interactive elements encourage deeper engagement across the site.

ETP’s work and impact are now brought to life through well-organised, clearly tagged stories, and the refreshed design successfully projects the new brand while meeting AA accessibility standards. Improved performance metrics show users are spending longer on the site and engaging more meaningfully with content.Since launch, the organisation has also seen increased interest from prospective members, with three companies currently in the process of joining. The project was shortlisted for Best Website at the Memcom Awards 2024, recognising the effectiveness of the new digital experience.

Tracker maps announcements, investment decisions and operations of net-zero-aligned projects across critical industrial sectors globally
The pipeline is growing, but rapid acceleration is needed as almost 600 decarbonised plants must break ground in the coming years to meet 2030 net-zero targets
MPP urges collective action by governments, companies, and financial institutions to unlock investment barriers and fast-track progress

April 17^th 2024 Washington, D.C.; London: Mission Possible Partnership (MPP) launches its Global Project Tracker today, shedding new light on the state of transition in seven heavy industry and transport sectors, which account for 30% of global carbon emissions. It reveals a growing pipeline of net-zero-aligned projects across the ‘harder-to-abate’ sectors. However, it warns that rapid acceleration is needed to bring almost 600 decarbonised plants under construction in the coming years to meet deployment goals for a 1.5^oC aligned trajectory.

The Tracker shows that 68 commercial-scale net-zero-aligned plants are currently operational, and 42 are at Final Investment Decision (FID). More than 700 must be up and running by 2030, according to MPP’s industry-backed milestones for decarbonising key sectors in line with the Paris-aligned ambition. To meet these deadlines, FID must be reached within three years to enable construction this decade. Bridging the current gap and scaling near-zero solutions adequately requires an almost seven-fold increase in the number of plants that have achieved FID to date.

The encouraging news is that companies have issued a wave of project announcements in the past 12 months, indicating growing industry ambition and a shift towards more favourable conditions emerging in some locations. Plans to build 473 commercial-scale decarbonisation plants are identified on the Tracker, which, if brought to FID, would reduce the gap by 80%.

However, analysis by MPP indicates that many projects struggle to get from announcement to FID, which means that the current pace of progress is too slow. Various economic and policy barriers can be identified that stall projects. 595 plants must now be brought to FID across aluminium, cement, chemicals, steel, aviation, and shipping – within three years to meet 2030 deployment goals. The trucking target measures zero-emission trucks on the road, and millions more need to be operational this decade.

No sector is currently on target, and time is running out to get on course. Most progress is seen in aviation, with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending mandates and subsidy schemes driving projects to operation in Europe and the US. 15% of the target has passed FID.

There has been a marked increase in the green ammonia pipeline, with announcements now exceeding the 2030 target, supported by demand signals from the shipping and fertiliser sectors. The question is how quickly these plans can reach commercial scale.

MPP’s Tracker uses aggregated data to chart investment progress into net-zero-aligned projects, with updates every three months to reflect changes during this critical period. It is the first publicly available tool to combine all seven sectors and visually depicts a progress pipeline indicating a project’s status ranging from announced to FID and operational.

Today’s flagship projects prove that technologies are maturing, and announced projects show the opportunity to create critical mass and realise new markets for clean industrial products. However, the economic and policy barriers must rapidly be tackled to create widespread bankability for announced projects whilst encouraging the development of many more.

Evidence is emerging on the interventions that can be taken to accelerate the pipeline. Tracker analysis shows key levers of progress across sectors and regions, which can inspire further action:

Government policies can create demand and bridge the green premium: Regions that have introduced robust sectoral targets and policies have seen a surge in pipeline activity.
- E.g., SAF blending mandates in the EU and IRA subsidies and DoE grants in the US are increasing industry confidence and reducing the green premium.
Support for clean technology deployment can de-risk investment: Nascent technologies with higher green premiums must be supported at the early demonstration stage, and upscaling provided at the industry and government level.
- E.g., Canadian public-private partnership to develop new inert anode technology for aluminium has led to regional announcements.
Co-location of projects and enabling infrastructure brings synergies: Conjoined vision and a systems approach across green industrial hubs can unlock shared benefits with midstream infrastructure and community-based organisations.
- E.g., The Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition shipping route from Houston to Rotterdam is being established to enable green import and export infrastructure. Green hydrogen hubs are emerging globally, such as one at the Port of Pecém in Ceará, Brazil.

Dick Benschop, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Mission Possible Partnership, said: “We have a new level of insight into the decarbonisation trajectory for heavy industry and transport – and the rising ambition of industry is clear. But with the planet’s future hanging in the balance, there is no hiding from the challenges ahead. We need to rapidly unlock the barriers that can transform plans into plants. MPP is committed to addressing the collective action needed, and we urge all stakeholders to contribute.”

Christiana Figueres, Co-Founder of Global Optimism, said: “Realising the Paris Agreement means the so-called ‘hard-to-abate’ sectors ‘have-to-abate’. MPP’s Global Project Tracker demonstrates that they already can and – in many cases – ‘want-to-abate’. Exponential transformation is now within reach across heavy industry, shipping, aviation and trucking. But, while the MPP project pipeline provides a clear pathway for progress, success is not inevitable. Policymakers and investors must show courageous leadership at this crucial crossroads and make decisions that enable the have-to-abate sectors to move at the pace and scale required.”

Rob van Riet, Interim Head of the First Movers Coalition, World Economic Forum, said: “Gaining increasingly granular insights into where net-zero aligned projects are globally emerging is critical to accelerating and scaling collaborative action between offtakers, suppliers, financiers and policymakers towards industry decarbonization. That’s certainly true for the almost 100 companies that have signed onto the First Movers Coalition, thereby committing to purchase near-zero emission products in heavy emitting sectors. The tracker thus serves a key role in informing committed companies on where they may find the supply and partners needed to implement their commitments. FMC is looking forward to continued and deepened collaboration with MPP, including through leveraging the synergies between MPP’s Global Project Tracker and FMC’s First Suppliers Hub.”

Rachel Jetel, Co-Director, Systems Change Lab, World Resources Institute, said: “The MPP Global Project Tracker offers a real-time dashboard of progress against a clear roadmap that the industry sector can follow to tackle the climate crisis. Systems Change Lab finds that current efforts to decarbonize the industry sector are well off track — and in some cases heading in the wrong direction. This tracker helps identify where the bright spots are and where action is needed most to share learnings for how to accelerate climate action.”

Jacob Susman, Chief Executive Officer of Ambient Fuels, said: “There is so much work to do to decarbonize heavy industry, and it’s encouraging to see the numerous project announcements in the marketplace designed to support that goal. However, it’s very difficult for market participants to gauge how likely these announcements are to progress into real projects reaching a final investment decision and moving into construction to create real decarbonization. MPP’s independent, data-driven approach to this can provide valuable insights to the market and policymakers so we can better measure how we as an industry are meeting climate goals, and where more work is needed to increase deployment. We commend this work and look forward to supporting MPP in this endeavour.”

The Global Project Tracker is now live at tracker.missionpossiblepartnership.org and maps the location and status globally of net-zero-aligned assets across seven sectors. It enables industry groups to identify potential partners or green hubs, financial institutions to see potential investment options, and policymakers to track progress in their regions and inform decision-making. With quarterly updates, MPP will continue to chart the levers that can unlock progress in bringing a critical mass of projects to realisation this decade.

£1.9 billion worth of repairable items binned & £3 billion squandered on replacements in past year

Amidst the continuing cost of living crisis and the ever-deepening climate crisis, the London Recycles campaign is championing affordable and accessible repair services across the capital with London’s fourth Repair Week running from 11th to 17th March 2024.

Censuswide research, commissioned by London Recycles, reveals a staggering figure: Londoners discarded an estimated £1.9 billion¹ worth of repairable items last year, an average of £269.42 per adult in London, marking a £100 million increase from a similar survey commissioned by the campaign a year ago.

The financial toll is significant, particularly considering that Londoners also forked out an average of £459.80 to replace damaged or broken items that could have been repaired. Extrapolated across all Londoners, this amounts to a jaw-dropping £3 billion[1] spent replacing repairable stuff!

In more positive news the desire to change is palpable: 73%[2] of Londoners express a willingness to repair items themselves if the process is straightforward, while 71%² express a desire to acquire repair skills to save money. However, accessibility remains a hurdle: 65%² of Londoners lament the scarcity of nearby repair shops, while 63%² feel that there’s not enough support for repair businesses to keep them afloat on the high street.

In the words of Ali Moore, head of campaigns for London Recycles:“The fact that so many people are getting involved in Repair Week again shows what an appetite for repair there is in the city – and there are lots of simple repairs we can undertake ourselves to prolong the lifespan of bikes, clothes, furniture, and electronics. But for more complex repairs, repair experts usually offer services at a fraction of the cost of buying new – and these need to be accessible, which means we need to help the repair sector to thrive across the capital.

“We really hope that Repair Week inspires people to mend their own things but also leads to more support for organisations offering repair services to their community – for instance by landlords offering access to vacant shop premises, or financial institutions providing more business support, or simply through local people setting up or making better use of their community repair hubs or cafes. There’s a clear role for repair as people continue to struggle with cost of living pressures, because it can save us money by keeping our stuff in use for longer.”

To help bridge the skills gap, London Repair Week returns from 11th to 17th March 2024, featuring over 70 partners hosting events and workshops across the capital. These initiatives aim to empower Londoners with the knowledge and skills to repair their belongings, save money, combat climate change, and rekindle affection for long-neglected possessions!

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, said: “We must continue to do everything we can to minimise waste and tackle the climate emergency.

“Repair Week is a fantastic way for every single Londoner to play their part and I hope it will inspire us all, as we keep building a fairer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone.”

With Repair Week promising to be bigger and better than ever, the lineup includes a diverse array of events, from bicycle and textile repair workshops to electrical repair sessions – many of which are free of charge. ReLondon has also unveiled a series of free mini repair hack videos on their website, offering practical guidance for budding repair enthusiasts.

Confirmed event hosts for #RepairWeekLDN include UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, Fabrications, Makers Cabinet, and Hackney Fixers. For a comprehensive list of workshops, repair hacks, and a directory of professional repair services, follow the links below:

Join us in transforming the way we use our stuff, one repair at a time. Together, we can save money, protect the planet, and rediscover the joy in our cherished possessions!

The brief

The Confederation of Paper Industries asked us to develop and deliver a circular economy campaign to launch Papercycle — the UK’s first recyclability assessment method for paper and board packaging. The service helps producers and specifiers understand whether their packaging can be recycled in standard mills, in specialist mills or not at all.Developed following CPI’s Design for Recyclability Guidelines, Papercycle supports organisations preparing for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms from 2024. Our task was to raise awareness of the service, highlight its benefits and encourage industry engagement.

Insights and approach

We began with an in-depth immersion into Papercycle to understand how the service supports sustainable service launch goals and why consistent recyclability assessments matter in the context of new EPR regulations.

A workshop with the Papercycle team helped us pinpoint the priority audiences — brand owners, retailers, packaging designers and material developers — and build a clear narrative and messaging framework to motivate action.With this foundation, we created a channel plan spanning social media, targeted media relations, paid placements, stakeholder communications and updates to the Papercycle website. Working as an extension of the in-house team, we produced web copy, engaging social assets and a stakeholder toolkit to support roll-out. Meanwhile, our media team secured opportunities across specialist and mainstream channels to reach the audiences that mattered most.

Results

The campaign delivered strong awareness and industry interest in the new Papercycle service. Coverage across trade, sustainability and packaging media landed clear, positive messages about its role in supporting the circular economy and helping organisations prepare for EPR. Our work helped Papercycle reach decision-makers at scale, drive traffic to the service and underpin wider engagement with CPI’s recyclability guidance.

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24.5 million pumpkins ending up in the bin

The brief

Insights and approach

Results

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