Top Trends for 2025

Zero Carbon Academy (ZCA) have identified our top 5 trends for 2025 within the net zero & sustainability space. These are trends we feel will define the coming 12 months and substantially alter the sustainability landscape. Our top trends are:

1.       Supply chain traceability

New regulation (particularly in the EU) is coming into force over the coming months, making now the time for companies to get their reporting practices in place and ensure they are compliant with incoming changes. With looming regulation there is also the expectation that business leaders will turn ESG and supply chain transparency challenges into opportunities, with action today providing advantage over their competitors.

2.       ‘Climate resilience’ takes centre stage

2025 will see businesses ramp up investments in ecosystem restoration and conservation projects driven by the need to address climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Regulation is set to be a driver too, with the EU’s CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) requiring thousands of companies to report on environmental topics such as biodiversity. Companies will increasingly integrate nature-based solutions and biodiversity programmes into their operations, this will be crucial in harnessing nature to reduce emissions, restore degraded landscapes and halt biodiversity loss.

3.       Artificial Intelligence

While 2024 saw companies experiment with basic AI-powered automation, 2025 will leap towards more sophisticated applications. From optimising supply chains and driving innovation in product development to reduce energy use and carbon emissions, AI is set to redefine business operations.

 4.       Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) set to expand

Corporate net zero commitments and government climate policies will lead to significant expansion of the VCM space. Supported by new regulation and international standardisation, we will see significant growth in high integrity VCMs. This will be further supported by improvements and uptake in AI and big data analytics, which will optimise carbon sequestration projects and trading strategies.

5.       Despite political headwinds, an enduring commitment to sustainability will remain

ZCA expects firms to conduct a balancing act between short-term and long-term climate goals, as they try to navigate the changing political and regulatory landscape. While some companies may pull back on initiatives in response to near-term pressures, others will recognise that inaction on sustainability carries a more significant long-term risk.

To read our in-depth analysis and to view our methodology and scoring Download the full research here.