ESG in 5 Sustainability News - 15-07-2025
- Anthony Walters
- Jul 14
- 2 min read
In this edition of ESG in 5, we spotlight major moves shaping the sustainability landscape. From Veolia’s landmark UK recycling facility and a $41 million carbon removal deal, to a record-breaking offshore wind investment and HSBC’s surprise NZBA exit, this week’s roundup covers the latest in climate tech, green finance, and the global transition to net zero.
Veolia Invests £70m in UK’s First Closed-Loop Recycling Plant.
Veolia has begun construction on the UK’s first “tray-to-tray” closed-loop PET recycling facility, marking the launch of its largest UK plastics project to date. The £70 million investment will transform a disused industrial site in Battlefield, Shropshire, into a state-of-the-art plastics sorting and recycling plant, expected to be operational by early 2026.
This facility represents a major leap for the UK’s recycling industry, allowing for food-grade PET plastic trays—traditionally unrecyclable domestically due to quality constraints—to be processed and returned to market in a closed loop.
Frontier Coalition Signs $41 Million Carbon Removal Deal with Bioenergy Startup Arbor.
Carbon removal buyer coalition Frontier announced a new $41 million offtake agreement with bioenergy carbon capture & storage (BECCS) company storage Arbor, to remove 116,000 tons of CO2 between 2028 and 2030, on behalf of companies including Google, Shopify, and H&M Group.
The new offtake agreements will enable Arbor to proceed with its first commercial-scale plant near Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is targeting fully operational status by 2028, and to test the viability of its new, highly efficient BECCS approach for generating clean electricity and removing CO2.
£5.2 Billion for UK Offshore Wind Project.
Spanish energy and electricity provider Iberdrola and UAE-based clean energy-focused developer Masdar announced today a new agreement to co-invest £5.2 billion in the 1.4 GW East Anglia THREE project, marking the largest offshore wind transaction of the decade.
Located off the Suffolk coast in the UK, East Anglia THREE will be one of the largest offshore wind farms globally, delivering enough clean energy to power 1.3 million British homes.
HSBC Exits Net Zero Banking Alliance.
HSBC has announced that it has decided to withdraw from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), following its North American peers to become the first major UK bank to exit the UN-backed coalition dedicated to advancing global net zero goals through their financing activities.
Despite its departure from the NZBA, however, HSCB reiterated its commitment to pursue its net zero by 2050 goal, saying in a statement, “we remain resolute in this long-term ambition and in supporting our customers to finance their transition objectives.
View this week's Market Review for more industry updates here
Author.
Sources.
Veolia Invests $90 M in UK’s First Closed-Loop Recycling Plant, by ESG News, 10/07/25
Frontier Coalition Signs $41 Million Carbon Removal Deal with Bioenergy Startup Arbor by Emanuela Hawker, ESG Today, 11/07/25
Iberdrola, Masdar to Co-Invest Over $6 Billion in UK Offshore Wind Project, by ESG Today, 10/07/25
HSBC Exits Net Zero Banking Alliance, by ESG Today, 14/07/25 06/25
