This Week in Sustainability: Farming, Nature & EVs

M&S: Transforming Food With Vertically Farmed Salad Leaves

British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) is launching three vertically farmed salad products in its Food stores.

This forms part of the company’s ongoing journey to discover innovative ways to produce new food with a smaller environmental footprint.

The salad leaves have been grown using advanced robotics, which use less water and fertiliser than traditional farming methods.

Panthalassa's Floating, Wave-Powered Data Centre Technology

If proof were needed that necessity drives innovation, the race to power AI has made the case undeniable.

Since the artificial intelligence boom accelerated in 2022, one of the defining challenges for the global economy has been how to supply the vast amounts of energy the technology demands. Companies across the world are now competing to develop viable solutions.

It is widely recognised that AI systems – along with the data centres that support them – consume enormous quantities of energy.

Indeed, the IEA projects that the sector’s energy consumption will rise by 30% annually through to 2030, when AI is expected to account for 3% of global energy use.

This surge in demand has triggered a wave of unusual and inventive approaches, from restarting nuclear facilities to exploring satellite-based solar power and even investing in fusion.

IEA: Will the EV Market Continue to Grow in 2026?

Global electric car sales are expected to rise in 2026, following strong growth in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

It predicts that sales will reach 23 million, accounting for almost 30% of all cars sold worldwide.

The figures have been released in the newest edition of IEA’s annual Global EV Outlook.

Motor Sport: The FIA's Sustainability and D&I 2025 Report

The 2025 Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion Report by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) highlights how sustainability is becoming central to the future of motor sport, mobility and global transportation systems. 

Across the industry, organisations are moving beyond long-term promises and focusing on measurable environmental action through innovation, partnerships and operational change. 

The report demonstrates how energy transformation, EV development, supply chain improvements, procurement standards, advanced technology and sustainable manufacturing are shaping a more resilient and low-carbon future.

WWF: 40 Luxury French Brands Lack Nature-Based Security

Despite biodiversity and nature-based solutions becoming more recognised for economic and financial stability, France’s 40 biggest companies remain largely unprepared, according to WWF.

WWF has released its Nat 40 Index, studying nature-related disclosures within the scope of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

Each company was ranked on various different sustainability progresses and initiatives; however, the index found that no company has a fully formalised Nature Transition Plan.