Tech-led decarbonisation showcase 2025: key insights

techUK’s tech-led decarbonisation showcase brought together six innovators driving practical emissions reduction across IT, manufacturing, industrial operations, and corporate sustainability. Across all presentations, one message stood out clearly: digital technology is becoming central to how organisations measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint while also unlocking financial and operational value.

See below for highlights from each of our presenters, as well as the full recording at the bottom of this page.

1. IT sustainability moves to the core of corporate strategy

Anthony Levy, CEO of Circularity First, opened the showcase by highlighting the escalating footprint of IT emissions and the need for organisations to integrate sustainability directly into digital strategy. He emphasised that IT can represent a significant proportion of emissions in service-led organisations, yet it remains one of the least measured and least understood areas of the corporate carbon profile.

Anthony outlined how remanufacturing, asset life extension, and better integration between sustainability and executive decision-making can cut embodied carbon and deliver notable cost savings. He stressed that IT decarbonisation is shifting from a technical issue to a board-level priority.

2. Renewable energy procurement enters a new phase of granularity

Zana Cooper from Renewabl discussed the industry shift from annual to far more granular energy matching, driven by evolving regulatory expectations and the need for credible climate claims. She described the challenges organisations face in accessing reliable consumption data, running complex tenders, and managing global portfolios.

Digital platforms are increasingly helping organisations overcome these constraints by automating data aggregation, improving transparency, and enabling more accurate tracking of renewable energy use. Zana stressed that hourly and location-based evidence of renewable consumption is rapidly becoming the future standard.

3. Circular manufacturing shows how sustainability and profitability align

Mike Griffin of Myprintpod highlighted the scale of the global plastics challenge and the growing importance of circular solutions. He described the company’s approach to converting marine waste into reusable materials for 3D printing, supported by digital tools that provide emissions data at a per-component level.

Mike explained how encouraging customers to return used or damaged parts lowers material costs and increases profitability. He also noted that legislative pressures, both domestic and international, are accelerating demand for low-waste, low-carbon products. The session reinforced that circularity, backed by digital traceability, can drive both environmental and commercial benefits.

4. Industrial decarbonisation depends on data harmonisation and AI

Millie Pardoe from AVEVA demonstrated how industrial organisations can unlock significant emissions and energy savings by harmonising their operational data. She described how many companies struggle with fragmented energy and production information across multiple sites, formats, and systems.

By creating a unified and contextualised data layer, employees at all levels can access real-time insights that support better decision-making. Millie showed how, once this data foundation is in place, AI-driven optimisation and predictive maintenance can dramatically improve efficiency. The discussion highlighted that industrial decarbonisation requires both advanced digital tools and a culture of data-centred decision-making.

5. Climate Action Platforms Must Balance Accuracy, Compliance and Commercial Value

Neil Ross Russell from Ecologi outlined why organisations are increasingly seeking support to interpret complex emissions standards, particularly for Scope 3, where methodologies differ significantly by sector. He explained how businesses need not only credible measurement frameworks but also help turning data into actionable reduction plans, investment strategies and transparent reporting.

Neil emphasised that compliance is only part of the story; organisations are increasingly recognising the commercial value of strong climate action, from investor confidence to talent attraction. Supply chain expectations and social value considerations are also pushing climate reporting deeper into procurement processes.

6. IT Emissions Measurement Requires Precision, Automation and Real-Time Insight

Magali Saul from Sopht focused on the growing demand for precise, automated measurement of IT emissions across cloud environments, devices, networks and digital activities. She explained how organisations are seeking more comprehensive visibility across their technology estate, along with tools that allow them to model the impact of decarbonisation actions and track progress over time.

Magali highlighted rising expectations for granular, transparent data and noted that real-time emissions monitoring is increasingly becoming embedded into IT operations. The discussion underscored that digital sustainability requires continuous, automated insight rather than one-off assessments.

7. Cross-Cutting Trends and Panel Insights

Across the panel discussion and audience Q&A, several common themes emerged:

Awareness and education remain major barriers, especially for smaller innovators.

Regulation and supply chain pressure are accelerating adoption faster than voluntary action alone.

Standardised, trusted data is essential for scaling digital sustainability.

AI and automation will drive the next wave of efficiency and transparency.

Sustainability is shifting from differentiator to hygiene factor, with early movers already capturing commercial advantage.

Next Steps

techUK will be releasing its 2026 Work Plan shortly, outlining next year’s priorities in digital sustainability, industrial decarbonisation, and climate tech.

If you would like to be connected with any of the showcase speakers or learn more about their work, please contact [email protected] for more information.

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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’.