Beyond carbon: The business case for holistic action

Clare Ollerenshaw • June 22, 2023

The latest research by Accelar into the sustainability commitments of FTSE350 companies has been published by SustMeme this week. In a guest blog which is shared below, Clare Ollerenshaw sets out the need for businesses to look beyond carbon in order to take meaningful action to meet environmental and climate targets. 


We are grateful to SustMeme for publishing these insights from our research and you can view the original article and explore the latest other corporate sustainability and innovation content here. To find out more about how Accelar is supporting businesses to accelerate the green transition, grow their business sustainably and engage with high integrity UK offset markets, check out our services page or contact Clare Ollerenshaw. 

The 2023 synthesis report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was underpinned by a pivotal message: this decade represents humanity’s last opportunity to take action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Whilst a large portion of this responsibility undoubtedly falls on global leaders and governments, large businesses and corporations, in collaboration with their supply chains, also have a critical role to play. So, how well are they rising to the challenge?


More commitments made public

Well, in recent years, an increasing number of businesses have been publicly pledging their commitment to environmental sustainability. They have been making some of the right noises. This trend has been driven by a combination of factors, including tighter environmental regulations, growing customer demand for less environmentally impactful products and services, and a genuine desire amongst companies to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. However, when we take a closer look at those commitments, the focus soon starts to narrow.


Narrow focus in the FTSE 350

Accelar carried out data analysis to explore these trends in more detail, looking at businesses on the FTSE 350 Index, which comprises the 350 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Accelar reviewed the websites of 88 FTSE 350 businesses, analysing publicly stated organisational commitments to managing carbon, working with nature, managing resources and climate resilience.

Of the 88 businesses put under the microscope, our analysis discovered:

  • 58 have made public their carbon commitments;
  • 19 have made public their nature commitments;
  • 25 have made public their resource, materials and circular economy commitments; and
  • 5 have made public their climate resilience commitments.



In terms of the thematic mix of commitments made, our study of the 88 also revealed:

  • 25 have made a public commitment on 1 theme;
  • 37 have made public commitments on 2 themes;
  • 3 have made public commitments on 3 themes, or more; but
  • 23 have made no public commitments, at all.

Risk of ‘Carbon Tunnel Vision’ 


It was no surprise that the most popular theme proved to be carbon, with 58 of the 88 companies making a public commitment. Especially at a time of spiralling energy costs and a gas crisis in Europe, carbon reduction is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges for business, today. However, for that same reason, it is all too easy for carbon to become the sole focus of a company’s environmental action plan. This can result in what is known as ‘Carbon Tunnel Vision’.



Carbon Tunnel Vision is where a narrow focus on carbon reduction is pursued almost exclusively, often at the expense of other important areas like circular economy, biodiversity, and climate resilience. There is even a risk of unintended consequences arising out of this unhealthy obsession with carbon. So, in order to achieve effective and urgent climate action, organisations will need to look further than just carbon reduction and embrace a more holistic approach to net zero. By prioritising a broad range of sustainability areas, businesses can achieve effective and urgent climate action while also contributing to carbon reductions. Broadening the scope of commitments to incorporate other key focus areas such as circular economy and biodiversity can bring wider co-benefits for business, over and above just carbon reduction.


As regards biodiversity, our research found that 21% of businesses have made a commitment, which might arguably be seen as a relatively encouraging sign. In the UK, for example, this may increase further as government mandates for minimum Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) come into place, helping to boost the topic’s profile within the built environment sector. 


Much less positive was the data around climate resilience, with only 5 businesses out of 88 having made public commitments on what is now a key issue for business. Climate resilience strategies are not only important in terms of both policy and investors, but practically, as well. By setting resilience targets, companies can proactively identify and address potential risks to their operations and ensure continuity, plus stay ahead of regulatory requirements. This area is set to become business-critical for most organisations within the next five years, which is why a more holistic approach to environmental commitments is not just desirable, but essential.

BNG Finder: A Year In Review

By Jennie Beebe • February 5, 2026
2025 was a year of change and uncertainty for the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Market. Despite it being BNG's first full calendar year of being a regulatory requirement, there has been caution amongst developers, landowners and the wider industry as the sector awaited outcomes of Government consultations. Following the announcement at the end of 2025 that exemptions will apply to smaller sites of up to 0.2 hectares, it is recognised that while this change avoids a more severe impact on the BNG sector, it does still represent a setback for nature recovery and for incentivising private investment in nature markets. The government has, however, stated its intention to make offsite BNG easier to deliver, which will be critical to achieving nature restoration at a national scale. How this commitment is translated into practice over the coming year will therefore be of particular interest. Despite this, clarity from the announcement has brought some stability back into the market, and with the potential inclusion of NSIPs into BNG regulation this year, there are new opportunities on the horizon to be excited about. This is the first full year that we have published the BNG Dashboard, which provides open insights into how the BNG Market is evolving. As the year has come to a close, some of the key trends and highlights are: ✅300% increase in registered BNG units since January 2025 ✅190 total registered BNG sites ✅4,263 hectares of land have been registered for BNG as of the start of January 2026 ✅96% of BNG units are habitat units, the majority being grassland (69%), followed by heathland (14.7%) and woodland (11.7%) units. ✅Over 12% of LPAs are currently registered with BNG units We asked our colleagues, Nina Hees, Senior Sustainability Consultant and Chris Fry, Managing Director, to reflect on the past year in BNG, and how they see the future evolving. Why is BNG such an important planning regulation? Nina: Development is inevitable, and as we have already stripped England of much of its wildscapes, aligning the two to ensure not only no net loss, but net gain for nature, is critical. Mandated BNG policy addresses the UK's nature decline by enhancing ecosystems, and given the way the metric is set up, it helps encourage habitat corridors and networks, enhancing fragmented habitats, and connecting us to nature. And you might ask - well why is biodiversity important? That's a question for another time, but in essence biodiversity underpins so much! What sets BNG apart as a market mechanism? Nina: BNG puts the mitigation hierarchy into action - principles which are already embedded in global frameworks and agreements (For example, Environmental Impact Assessments, CSR standards, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework). Additionally, BNG provides a measurable mechanism and accounting method to flow private finance into nature and, being backed by government, provides more security. It creates a regulatory market - one which encourages adequate supply, demand, and accountability. Importantly, it brings together ecologists, developers, local government, landowners, NGOs, and investors within one framework - something that doesn't always happen in nature conservation. What's also exciting is that it is one of the more advanced, mandated global biodiversity markets, one which sets a precedent for other nations who may approach similar systems, and a mechanism to learn from. How have you seen the evolution of the BNG market in the past year? Nina: If I consider 2024 to 2025, the BNG market has transitioned from a theoretical policy framework to a live, growing market. Since early 2025, scaling has been rapid with the increasing uptake of habitat banks and BNG-dedicated land. Currently, supply is generally outstripping demand, especially for easier to establish habitats like grasslands. There is a risk that England turns into a monoculture of 'other neutral grassland' - so to speak. However, demand and pricing is strongest for rare or harder to replace habitats (For example, water related units, higher distinctiveness habitats) and I expect that to continue, especially where those units are hard to source locally. Chris: The completion of many Local Nature Recovery Strategies around the country in 2025 is also positive for informing where and what kinds of offsite habitat creation and enhancement can achieve the greatest impact. How are Accelar & BNG Finder driving the BNG market? Chris: We recognised that the BNG market was complex and wanted to play our part in helping our clients large and small, on the supply side as well as developers and infrastructure bodies, to navigate it successfully. BNG Finder is in a unique position firstly as it is a curated service that recognises that different parties will have different priorities (to achieve social, climate or other environmental co-benefits from high integrity offsite BNG provision). Nina: Also, we are providing the service as an extension of our advisory work to help to accelerate the green transition. That means we have insight into the supply and project development side through our work with farmers and land managers like nature conservation charities, as well as the demand side through our engagement and contacts with buyers of units and investors. We also monitor unit prices, trades etc. and model BNG revenue/ cost for projects so have insight into where the risks lie and what a project could look like over 20-30 years. We have an adaptive business model, which is important given an evolving policy landscape. We can respond to changes in regulation, price and support clients in this. How do you see the impact of the recent small development exemption on the evolution of the BNG market, and on nature more widely? Nina: Whilst there are benefits to making the system more efficient and lowering costs by limiting exemptions to very small sites, we may miss out on some private-sector investment that would otherwise go to nature. In the current market, demand for small sites account for most of the BNG demand. With the small sites exemption, I would expect a reduction in private sector demand for smaller, fractional units, which could affect the speed or viability of some nature restoration projects. And, from nature's perspective, everything is connected and small contributions can add up! What is exciting about the next year or few years in BNG? Nina : The expansion of the BNG mandate to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) is likely to be a significant demand trigger. I'm also curious about the shift towards digital BNG. Moving away from Excel can make the system more transparent and efficient to navigate but may also come with its own challenges. Chris: The expansion of BNG into NSIPs arises at a time when the UK’s pipeline of investment in infrastructure projects is rising again. The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) was formed last April and has already published a new 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy that is backed by at least £725 billion of government funding. Whether associated with NSIPs or slightly smaller scale asset upgrade projects, the potential demand for offsite BNG has already been illustrated in lots of recent procurement exercises by utility companies. As we head into BNG’s second full year, and emerging shifts to the regulatory landscape come into play, BNG Finder will continue to monitor and report on how the market evolves. Stay up to date by following us on the BNG Finder LinkedIn , checking our dashboard for its monthly updates, and feel free to get in touch with our team via bngfinder@accelar.co.uk.

Get a quick overview of the BNG market via our new dashboard

By Cara Clarke • February 13, 2025
Happy birthday Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - it is now a year since the mandatory regime went live in February 2024. The year has flown by with: Heroic habitat healing, Forward-thinking farmers forging nature-based resilience for their estates, Dynamic data-driven approaches, Bold bank building (habitat banks that is), Guidance galore, and Multiple marketplaces. It is still relatively early days for BNG to really make its mark and there is no doubt plenty more scope for innovation. To celebrate the anniversary, the ever-resourceful analytics team at BNG Finder have come up with a one page dashboard to provide a monthly snapshot of the national picture. We get it, BNG is pretty complex and keeping track can be challenging. So we thought that the dashboard could be useful to provide a concise overview of how the BNG market is progressing and some of the key trends. We hope it is useful and would be delighted to hear your feedback and we can’t promise but do shout if you have any requests for developing it a bit further in future months. Please get in touch .

BNG's First Six Months: Key Insights for Landowners and Developers

By Cara Clarke • September 18, 2024
August marked the six-month milestone since Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became mandatory for most planning applications under the Town and Country Planning Act. Drawing from Natural England's recent reflections and our own expertise with our BNG Finder service, we'll explore how this first half year has gone.