This Week's Top Five Stories in Sustainability
1. Carlsberg Collaborations: Transforming European Agriculture
Carlsberg urges the EU to accelerate regenerative agriculture, outlining solutions to protect and restore soil health, reduce emissions and support farmers
In 2023 agriculture was the third highest global contributor to emissions after the power sector and the transport sector.
Global food and beverage leaders are urging the EU to take swift action to accelerate the shift to regenerative agriculture.
A new report titled Sowing Change: EU Policy and Opportunities to Scale Regenerative Agriculture, published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), OP2B and Carlsberg Group, outlines key recommendations to overcome barriers and create a sustainable food system.
2. IKEA’s Net Zero Plan: Transitioning from Targets to Action
Ingka Group’s Net Zero Transition Plan lays out how the company hopes to achieve IKEA’s ambitious environmental goals including net zero by 2050
Ingka Group, the largest IKEA operator with 400 stores, has published its Net Zero Transition Plan.
The plan outlines a clear roadmap for achieving ambitious climate targets, aiming to reduce absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its value chain by at least 50% by FY30 compared to the FY16 baseline and reach net zero emissions by FY50.
“As part of the IKEA vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people, sustainability has been an important part of the business for many years, with the first IKEA environmental policy introduced in 1991,” says Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ingka Group.
“We have strong climate commitments, and the publication of our net zero transition plan means we have an even clearer roadmap for how to get there.
“Thanks to the dedication and work of many colleagues across the business, this plan has taken in many learnings and goes deeper than ever before into each of our climate emission categories for our business.
“We hope that by being transparent about our challenges, dependencies and innovation gaps we can inspire others and lead conversations that will support us in achieving the transition in our own business and broader society.”
3. What Could SHEIN's Move to Vietnam Mean for Sustainability?
SHEIN is adapting its supply chain strategy in response to US tariff changes, focusing on Vietnam to reduce risks and maintain its competitive pricing
SHEIN is currently reassessing its supply chain approach in the wake of actions by US President Donald Trump aimed at modifying the dynamics of tariff-free imports, posing a significant challenge to SHEIN's existing business framework.
The fast fashion giant has already come under scrutiny for unethical manufacturing practises and human rights violations in its factories — so what does a potential move from manufacturing in China to Vietnam mean for ESG?
Historically, SHEIN has capitalised on a trade provision known as the de minimis rule — which has permitted goods valued at less than US$800 to be shipped into the US devoid of any tariffs.
However, with President Trump's recent decision to eliminate this exemption and impose an additional 10% tariff on all goods imported from China, SHEIN has initiated a strategic pivot towards Vietnam as an alternative production base to circumvent escalating costs.
The company, originally founded in China but now headquartered in Singapore, has directly engaged with thousands of Chinese factories to dispatch low-cost fashion globally.
Nevertheless, the tightening grip of US trade policies has expedited SHEIN's drive to diversify its manufacturing locations beyond Chinese borders.
4. Daytona 500: ABB and NASCAR’s Electric Vehicle
ABB & NASCAR’s EV prototype debuted as a pace car at the 2025 Daytona 500 as part of NASCAR’s efforts to electrify its operations & become more sustainable
Electric is the answer to a lot of sustainability problems – it allows for renewable sources to take the place of fossil fuels.
NASCAR probably isn’t a place you’d expect to find electric innovation, but at the 2025 Daytona 500 ABB and NASCAR’s EV prototype debuted as a pace car.
Morten Wierod, CEO at ABB, says: “We are very proud to be working with NASCAR to decarbonise its operations as it seeks to achieve net zero operating emissions by 2035.
“With our electrification and automation solutions, we will help NASCAR outrun – leaner and cleaner.”
5. How Workiva is Transforming ESG Reporting Strategies
Corporate reporting platform Workiva's latest study reveals 97% of executives see sustainability data integration as key to business growth by 2026
In this day and age, environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting has become an essential practice for businesses around the world.
This change has been driven by mounting regulatory pressures and increasing demands for transparency from stakeholders.
The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is one of the standards to which companies must adhere.
The CSRD requires participating organisations to disclose their environmental and social impacts alongside traditional financial metrics.
Now, CSRD is widely considered to be the gold standard in corporate ESG reporting and, as of 2025, more than 10,000 companies and institutions have set science-based decarbonisation targets or committed to doing so.
Workiva is a global B2B company, which provides its clients with software and services that make reporting - including ESG reporting - easier than ever before.
Workiva has positioned itself as a key enabler of the sustainable transition, providing a unified platform for financial and sustainability reporting.
The company serves more than 6,000 global customers, including 80% of Fortune's top 1000 companies, including JPMorgan Chase, Iberdrola and AWS.
Staggeringly, Workiva's clients represent approximately US$55tn of global market cap.
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