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17 Dec 2025

Draft 2026 workplan for the Climate, Environment and Sustainability Programme

As 2026 starts we are excited to share the draft work programme for member approval ahead of a final version being approved in January. 2025 saw a deluge of policy announcements, a change in the politics of climate action and new trends impacting the sector. To reflect this, you can see our policy priorities, event programme, working groups, public affairs strategies and we’d love to get more members involved. Major trends will be around AI, the new circular economy plans in the UK, new ESG disclosure requirements and a bigger focus on nature.

In addition to the policy work we will keep members up to date and compliant with voluntary standards, changes to soft law, more alignment internationally and helping members be more sustainable. Like in other years we have built in contingency to react to new developments (for example new inquiries, react to the latest innovations or unexpected government announcements), but are expecting a bit more stability as we’re clearer on where things are in terms of regulation.

In terms of changes we are creating a new one-stop ‘Climate Policy Group’ as climate is distributed across lots of our fora, creating new ‘taskforces’ (small groups of <10 members who can work intensively on key issues for a time-limited period), prioritising MP engagement significantly and supplementing our events with themed events series/roundtables and introducing key pre-recorded ‘educational’ webinars on major issues. We will also be working much more closely with other techUK workstreams like energy, AI and public sector as the sustainability demands spread into all areas of business.

See below for our workplan and if you like what you see get involved with the team below!

Campaigns and themes for 2026

These will be our major issues for 2026, and each one will be supported by our working groups/Council and taskforces of members. We will have a regular stream of roundtables and reports to support these.

AI and climate: This remains the crucial issue as we try to square a net-zero aligned sector with rapid scaling of this truly transformative industry.

Industrial decarbonisation: There will be lots of focus with a new strategy to help with the application of digital solutions to help other sectors become more productive and reach net zero.

Nature and the role of tech: As nature gets parity with climate in businesses, we will look at how digital tech supports restoration, can be more resilient, and the future of farming, while understanding reporting and regulation.

Climate resilience: More and more firms and communities are looking at how to ‘adapt’ to climate change and become more resilient.

Policy and public affairs priorities

ESG disclosures and corporate reporting: The UK will likely introduce mandatory climate transition planning and wider sustainability reporting regulations. With the EU implementing their own rules (and not mandating transition plans) too this will be a major issue for tech and larger businesses. Our key messages will be around proportionality, the primacy of voluntary standards and the need for alignment on rules.

Responsible Business Conduct Review: The Home Office, DBT and FCDO will conclude a major legislative review which will most likely create new due diligence and human rights requirements. techUK supports new laws and moves to replace the Modern Slavery Act but needs laws to work globally as human rights is a global issue.

Sustainable gov tech: The Defra led Digital Sustainability Alliance will reset how government approaches sustainable tech with a new strategy and requirements for suppliers.

Responsible Business Conduct: A new UK strategy and EU law will change how businesses will need to approach their supply chains and manage human rights risks.

New ESG reporting rules: The UK (and indeed the EU via the Omnibus rules agreed in December 2025) will introduce mandatory climate transition plans and sustainability disclosures which will be very complicated for businesses.

New Circular Economy Strategy: With a new strategy Defra will reset circularity rules for device manufacturers and provide the wider sector with opportunities to help other industries become more ‘circular’.

Working with other techUK programmes: We will need to work collaboratively across other techUK programmes on the following issues:

Water efficiency and use: As the water sector reorganises and transforms, how can tech support digitalisation, and how will companies improve water efficiency and resource efficiency.

Net zero and growth: With climate policy becoming more politicised working to demonstrate the economic growth benefits and planetary benefits.

Planning and Land Use Framework: As the UK balances the need to build more infrastructure (energy grids, data centres, telecoms) with nature protection, how can tech support this? We expect changes to Biodiversity Net Gail and secondary legislation for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

AI and human rights: As supply chain due diligence becomes ‘value chain’ due diligence, AI related workers are increasingly seen as an emerging human rights risk.

Electrification of everything: Led by our energy and utilities team how best can digital tech support lower energy costs, showcase the AI potential of supporting the great grid upgrade, rollout of nuclear and GB Energy, societal benefits.

Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan: Delivering the decarbonisation of industry alongside our AI adoption work programme.

External groups and collaborations

techUK is partnering with a range of people and sits on a range of advisory groups, and the priority ones for 2026 are below.

All Party Parliamentary Group on Environment: The Environment APPG remains a key forum for private sector bodies to work with civil society and politicians on strategic issues impacting environment policy.

Climate Tech Policy Coalition: techUK will remain part of this coalition (along with Tech Nation, Startup Coalition, Undaunted and CleantechUK) to make sure the policy environment supports climate tech in scaling up and identifying barriers to climate-tech startups. With net zero being politicised this group will show the exports, jobs and growth potential of a sector the UK is genuinely world leading at.

Digital Europe: Digital Europe remains of vital importance to techUK and given the mood-music on more EU alignment on sustainability regulations and the general extra-territorial impact of EU law, techUK will be very involved. We sit as Vice Chair of the Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) Group and all key Working Groups.

AI and Sustainability working group: Reporting into the DESNZ/DSIT AI Energy Council this group looks at the main sustainability challenges posed by AI, and how government policy can address it. techUK also convenes another working group on grid connections.

BSI committees: techUK and members representing techUK will sit on dozens of BSI committees to develop and implement voluntary standards ranging from recyclability and energy efficiency to implementing net zero strategies and due diligence.

UN TEC on Digitalisation: techUK has joined the UNFCCC managed committee on how tech can support decarbonisation, and they main workstream for 2026 will be a global report on the opportunities for AI.

Business Forced Labour Roundtable / Forced Labour Forum / UNGPs advisory group: techUK will remain on 3 separate, but related, government advisory boards on business and human rights regulation. As the FCDO/Home Office/DBT get ready to make new laws in 2026 (such as replacing the Modern Slavery Act) these groups will be vital ways to make sure the tech sector is heard.

Government Digital Sustainability Alliance: As sustainability rules and requirements get more important in public sector tech procurement, the Defra managed GDSA will be key decision makers for how public sector buyers think about circularity and net zero in public sector tech.

The Environment and Labour Domestic Advisory Groups: These 2 separate steering groups are how DBT look at labour and environmental issues in international trade negotiations. As the UK looks to push for more deals these are a great way to collaborate with other industries, trade unions, NGOs and officials.

Joint Trade Association (JTA): A group of electronics and electrical trade associations to share best practice, intelligence and provide a uniform voice of manufacturers to government. This will be very important as the government looks to reform e-waste, batteries and eco-design laws. techUK also sits on the board of Material Focus (set up by the JTA) which oversees how the WEEE Compliance Fee is used.

REACH X-Sector Group: This group brings together all industries involved in the chemical regulation REACH. As the UK looks to do more on PFAS, move closer to the EU and change the approach to chemical regulation this group will be key.

Tech Against Trafficking: techUK plans to remain a member of the BSR administered Tech Against Trafficking initiative. Since 2017 it has brought together industry, international bodies, governments and NGOs to look at how tech can be deployed to help combat trafficking.

Working groups

Climate Council: Elected until November 2027, the Council is our board of members that decides what techUK thinks, says, and does on climate.

Climate Policy Group: New for 2026, our broad group who look at climate policy issues.

Digital Device Environment Group: Our device manufacturer group where we discuss circular economy (e-waste, batteries, packaging), chemicals and eco-design.

Responsible Business Conduct Group: Our de-facto ‘ESG’ group looking at corporate disclosures, supply chain transparency, human rights and ethical business generally.

Tech Nature and Biodiversity Group: The group of members interested in nature risks, biodiversity net gain (BNG) and using digital tech to help meet nature aims.

Please email [email protected] if you wish to sign up to any of the above!

Events

techUK will be running four major events with webinars to support key milestones and new issues. We expect to add a few more webinars in to react to major announcements or events, and we intend on partnering with Climate Action, Reset Connect, Innovation Zero and Utility Week.

Conferences and receptions

March/April: Tech and Nature Summit

June: Parliamentary reception on green skills and green growth

June: Summer Energy and Environment reception – hosted during London Climate Action Week

October: Tech and Net Zero 2026 – this will include the 2026 Tech-Led Decarbonisation Showcase.

Webinars

January: What does the EU Omnibus mean for the UK and the tech sector?

February: The role of tech in the Land Use Framework + Environmental Improvement Plan

Q2: New Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy

Q2: Water Bill and tech within the water sector

December: COP 31: Outcomes, next steps and what does it mean for tech?

New for 2026: techUK will publish pre-recorded and run live ‘lunch and learn’ webinars on a range of educational and operational issues.

Reports and white papers

Member feedback and internal discussion said more 1-page briefing notes and 1 or 2 reports is the right mix, and championing member innovations through the Climate Action Hub techUK runs.

Digital Sustainability 2035: Our flagship report will amplify in Q1 2026 with recommendations on exactly how government can deliver a sustainable tech sector by 2035.

Tech and Nature: A new report on the role of tech in protecting nature, conservation, restoration and how to manage nature risks.

Briefings: Part of techUK’s plans to do more MP outreach we will have one-page briefings (made available to members) on key policy and regulatory issues.

Human Rights and Tech Campaign week: techUK will be running a ‘Campaign Week’ to raise awareness of the relationship between tech and human rights w/c 16 February

BusinessGreen: techUK will continue to write for BusinessGreen on the strategic issues impacting the tech sector.

Changes

In response to member feedback and best practice across other techUK programmes we are going to introduce more agile processes, particularly with establishing ‘taskforces’ (small groups of members who volunteer to work intensively on issues for a time limited period) modelled on the work of our resilience taskforce.

Monthly updates: We will be moving the programme-wide monthly update calls to bi-monthly and theme them to make them more strategic.

Videos and guides: techUK will be recording webinars and how to guides for members to help them understand new and emerging regulatory, standardisation or industry trends.

Addition of a new Climate Policy Group (as mentioned above).

Taskforces: As mentioned above we will be setting up taskforces, for example on industrial decarbonisation, land-use or AI value chain.

Closer integration with our energy and infrastructure team (called the Smart Infrastructure and Services Programme).

Create a new repository of member resources (policy positions, slides etc).

Craig Melson

Associate Director for Climate, Environment and Sustainability, techUK

Josh Turpin

Programme Manager, Telecoms and Net Zero, techUK

Lucas Banach

Programme Assistant, Data Centres, Climate, Environment and Sustainability, Market Access, techUK

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By 2030, digital technology can cut global emissions by 15%. Cloud computing, 5G, AI and IoT have the potential to support dramatic reductions in carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. techUK is working to foster the right policy framework and leadership so we can all play our part. For more information on how techUK can support you, please visit our Climate Action Hub and click ‘contact us’.