Sustainability Solved by Will Richardson

Will Richardson
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I am trying to change the way we work, the relationship we have our work and the world around us. We live in a complicated world with a lot of noise. But we need to be making decisions now and those decisions will have ramifications for decades. Will we always make the right decisions; no. But are we doing it for the right reasons I would like to say yes to that - speaking from my heart. This is an audible blog on what I am doing and what we as a business are doing. Some could say it is self promotion, it probably is a bit, I am trying to change the world and be a part of the solution BUT it is also my way to articulate where I am and keep a log of it for my future self and maybe others will learn from my mistakes as I am sure there will be loads!!

  1. 1d ago

    The ten minute conversation that set my career (5/7)

    A travel agent sold me a round the world ticket in ten minutes. A thesis on snowboarding in the Cairngorms quietly built the rest of my career. Part five of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: three students selling me their cities, why the best-told pitch always wins, and how to use what people are genuinely interested in. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle. Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack

  2. 4d ago

    How Sustainability Leads Are Actually Reading The Data Centre Backlash

    We spent thirty years cleaning up the air over Europe. It worked, and new analysis says it has made the warming faster. That is the fact I could not stop thinking about this week, and it is waiting for you at the end of this video. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent twenty years helping organisations measure what they had never measured before. I have now recorded more than 220 episodes of the Sustainability Solved podcast. In all that time I am not sure I have seen a single week reshape as many assumptions as this one. Here is what we cover. Data centres are now the biggest story in energy, with Google putting 13 billion euros into Finland behind a 22-year nuclear contract, Massachusetts forcing new sites to bring their own clean power, Scotland mandating environmental impact assessments, and the US House passing the Ratepayer Protection Act by 417 votes to 3. The EPA has repealed greenhouse gas limits on coal and gas power plants, with its own projection of 123 million additional tonnes of carbon. The EU rewrote its sustainable finance and CBAM rulebooks in a single week. And research from the LSE put one week of British heat at £1.15 billion of lost output. If you run net zero strategy, carbon accounting or Scope 3 emissions at a large organisation, this is the twenty minute version of the week that would otherwise cost you a day of reading. Chapters follow the countdown from 10 to 1, then the three facts at the end. Subscribe here for my substack that whittles down over 35 years of knowledge into bitesized chunks; Will Richardson | Substack Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle, and tell me in the comments which of the three facts surprised you most. #Sustainability #NetZero #CarbonAccounting #Scope3 #DataCentres Mentioned in this episode: 51-0 Referral Link Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack

  3. 6d ago

    Some people listen to some people (4/7)

    At nineteen I was offered the chance to be the youngest pub manager in the UK. I turned it down because of who told me to. Part four of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: managing staff at nineteen, the offer with the title and the money losing to the couple I actually trusted, and the sentence that is the whole reason Sustainability Solved Podcast is changing. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle. Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack 51-0 Referral Link

  4. Sep 16

    The chicken suit test (3/7)

    I walked into hundreds of pubs before one offered me a job, on condition I dressed up as a chicken. It is still the best lesson in communication I have ever had. Part three of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: why they tested the chicken suit and not my CV, how I was sacked repeatedly without ever being told, and why people have switched off from climate messaging. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle. Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack 51-0 Referral Link

  5. Sep 14

    1.5 Degrees Is Confirmed Gone. Here's What Businesses Do Now. | WC 7 Sept 2026

    This week confirmed something climate scientists have been tracking for years: the 1.5-degree target is no longer achievable. The UN's latest report projects a best-case scenario of 1.8 degrees of warming. That's not a disaster story - it's a planning story. And we've got 10 more this week you need to hear. We cover the supersized El Nino threatening food systems and supply chains worldwide - with the WMO warning it could be the strongest since 1950. We look at Nepal's catastrophic glacial collapse that killed over 1,250 people and exposed a near-empty Loss and Damage fund with $485 million against a $580 billion need. And we unpack the clean energy paradox where a record €1.9 trillion in investment still only covered 40% of demand growth. We also look at China's historic milestone - solar capacity surpassing coal for the first time - the UK food security crisis flagged by the NAO, and what the AfD's landslide in Germany means for climate policy across Europe. Plus: three environmental facts that didn't make the mainstream news this week - and should have. This is your weekly sustainability intelligence, ranked by what the world is talking about most. If you work in Food and Beverage, Media, Marketing and Advertising, or lead sustainability for a large organisation, this is your briefing. Want to know more and connect - Will Richardson | LinkedIn #sustainability #NetZero #climatechange #ESG #carbonaccounting Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack 51-0 Referral Link

  6. Sep 11

    Off grid since 1950: the cow field lesson (2/7)

    Rainwater harvesting, a reed bed and a solar thermal shower in a Welsh cow field. The engineering was never the hard part. Part two of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: how a caravan nobody wanted became a log cabin everybody agreed to, why my dad shipped it from Canada when he should have bought it here, and what to do about the site or supplier where your plan is going slowest. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle. Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack 51-0 Referral Link

  7. Sep 9

    Why sustainability communication keeps failing (1/7)

    My grandmother was taken to court for burning litter on a beach in Aberdyfi. Nobody asked her why the litter was there in the first place. This is part one of a seven-part series on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: the court case that started it, why the litter was the smaller problem, and the two questions to ask about any sustainability decision your organisation made last year. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle. Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack 51-0 Referral Link

  8. Sep 7

    Data Centre Signals: Two UK Sites Now Out-Emit ExxonMobil UK

    Two planned English data centres would emit more carbon a year than ExxonMobil's entire UK operations. That single number tells you where sustainability is heading this autumn, and it sits at the top of this week's countdown. This week we run the full top 10 in sustainability news, ranked by what the world is actually talking about. Data centre emissions and the public backlash take number one. Heat adaptation moves into corporate budgets at number two, with 37% of UK businesses already spending on it. Solar and battery storage turn into a business continuity play at number three, and energy costs become a strategy problem at number four. We also cover the reporting split, with ISSB adoption reaching 35 jurisdictions while Brazil steps back, and what PepsiCo's use of environmental attribute certificates tells us about the new Science Based Targets initiative rules on Scope 3. Then we count down the three most surprising environmental facts of the week, including where an AI data centre's water footprint really comes from, and hand you one thing your business can act on straight away. If your organisation is working out what net zero, carbon accounting and Scope 3 reporting mean while the rules keep moving, this is the weekly sustainability update built for business leaders rather than specialists. More on our platform and advisory work: www.51tocarbonzero.com Our referral programme for sustainability consultants and advisors: www.51tocarbonzero.com/referral/ #Sustainability #NetZero #CarbonAccounting #Scope3 #DataCentres Mentioned in this episode: Keep informed on Sustainability News I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense. My Personal Substack 51-0 Referral Link

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About

I am trying to change the way we work, the relationship we have our work and the world around us. We live in a complicated world with a lot of noise. But we need to be making decisions now and those decisions will have ramifications for decades. Will we always make the right decisions; no. But are we doing it for the right reasons I would like to say yes to that - speaking from my heart. This is an audible blog on what I am doing and what we as a business are doing. Some could say it is self promotion, it probably is a bit, I am trying to change the world and be a part of the solution BUT it is also my way to articulate where I am and keep a log of it for my future self and maybe others will learn from my mistakes as I am sure there will be loads!!

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