Where are we in the fight against climate change?

Sustainability InSight: This month's round-up of sustainability reading, listening and learning

This edition covers climate adaptation during Europe's recent heatwave, a milestone reflection on progress since COP26, the new SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, a directory of sustainability certifications, disclosure harmonisation, and a Freakonomics take on air pollution.

Climate adaptation in a heatwave: "Hotter Than Hell"

With heatwaves sweeping across Europe, this recent episode of the BBC's Rare Earth podcast on climate adaptation felt like an apt place to start this month. Recorded in response to May's heatwave, it explores a topic we'll all need to understand better in the years ahead: how we adapt to a warmer world, not just how we prevent it.

In our 250th edition, we ask just how well the fight against climate change is really going

Down to Earth, The Guardian's weekly environment and climate newsletter, marked its 250th edition this month by asking how well the fight against climate change is really going. Environment correspondent Fiona Harvey reflects on progress (and setbacks) since the 2021 COP26 conference in Glasgow, making it a genuinely useful gauge of where things stand. Worth subscribing to if you don't already.

The new Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is widely seen as the gold standard for corporate net-zero goals, so the launch of its Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 generated plenty of interest and comment this month. For the full detail, read SBTi's own summary and report. For a faster catch-up on the reaction, edie's summary and Trellis Group's round-up of corporate leaders' feedback are both worth a read.

103 sustainability certifications for 2026

Trellis Group has also updated its directory of sustainability certifications for 2026 this month. With so many certifications now available across the sustainability field, this is a genuinely valuable resource and well worth bookmarking for reference.

How the UK is tackling the "alphabet soup" of sustainability disclosures

As a companion to the SBTi update, this episode of S&P Global's All Things Sustainable podcast is well worth a listen. It explains how corporate sustainability disclosure standards are harmonising in the UK, and how that's starting to deliver more value to stakeholders.

This is Your Brain on Pollution

Finally this month, the Freakonomics team turn their usual entertaining, insightful lens on air pollution, one of the foundational issues on the environmental agenda and a topic still too easily overlooked.