Here, edie rounds up five positive sustainability stories from this week.
Published every week, this series charts how businesses and sustainability professionals are working to achieve their 'Mission Possible' across the campaign's five key pillars - energy, resources, infrastructure, mobility and sustainability leadership.
Across the UK and across the world, leading businesses, cities, states and regions are turning environmental ambitions into action. Here, we round up five positive sustainability stories from this week.
ENERGY: Extra MSA installs 810 solar panels to cut energy use and costs
Motorway service operator Extra MSA has completed the installation of 810 solar panels at Cobham Services on the M25, one of the busiest motorway service stations in Europe.
The new system is expected to generate around 305,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year, supplying nearly a quarter of the site's annual energy demand. About 96% of the energy produced will be used on-site, reducing reliance on grid electricity and cutting overall energy costs by an estimated £75,000 per year.
According to Extra MSA, the project will also contribute to reducing the company's carbon footprint as it works toward a goal of cutting grid energy consumption across all sites by 35% by 2030.
The solar installation, carried out by renewables firm Spirit Energy, is one of the largest single-site solar projects at a UK motorway service area.
It follows other recent sustainability upgrades at Cobham Services, including the addition of six new ultra-fast IONITY electric vehicle (EV) chargers, bringing the total number of chargers at the site to 24 -- all powered by renewable energy.
Extra MSA's ESG manager Micheal Grantham said: "The cost savings we're delivering will also allow us to reinvest back into our people and customers, whether through enhanced amenities, improved customer experience, or support for our teams.
"We're proud to be setting a precedent for the motorway service sector and look forward to continuing our progress toward a greener, more sustainable future."
RESOURCES: Scottish startup develops waste trading platform to boost circular economy
An Edinburgh tech startup has developed a digital platform that allows businesses to trade organic waste materials, aiming to make it easier for industries to reuse by-products and cut carbon emissions.
Vaste's system, described as similar to a financial trading platform, will enable companies to buy and sell materials such as food waste, used oils, agricultural residues, and by-products from whisky and brewing.
The tool is designed to connect waste producers with buyers who can turn these materials into biofuels, chemicals and other low-carbon products.
The company is working with computing experts from Edinburgh College through a project funded by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC). It plans to open the platform to commercial users later this year.
Vaste said it is already in discussions with potential buyers looking to secure supplies of used cooking oils and waste potatoes for biofuel production.
The platform will also provide users with market data, environmental performance information, and automated compliance tools to support sustainability reporting.
The project builds on earlier work by IBioIC, Scottish Enterprise and Zero Waste Scotland to identify available bio-based feedstocks in Scotland, with the aim of strengthening supply chains in the growing bioeconomy sector.
Vaste's chief executive Evans Chelal said: "The demand for the kinds of organic waste materials we are looking at exists locally, but the supply chains are either nascent or completely undeveloped.
"Industrial buyers don't necessarily have the transparent connections or effective tools to access these materials. This is where our platform comes in - bridging the gap between supply and demand.
MOBILITY: Bosch begins using hydrogen truck to cut emissions in plant logistics
Bosch has introduced its first hydrogen-powered truck at its Nuremberg site as part of efforts to make its logistics more sustainable.
The 40-tonne vehicle uses Bosch's own fuel-cell system, which converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, allowing it to operate without tailpipe emissions. When powered by renewable hydrogen, the truck runs entirely climate neutral.
Used for transporting goods between the plant and a local logistics partner, the truck is expected to replace diesel trips covering about 12,000 kilometres per year. Bosch says the switch will help lower the site's carbon footprint while providing real-world data to improve future hydrogen powertrains.
The fuel-cell system delivers more than 200 kilowatts (kW) of power and allows a range of up to 800 kilometres. Refuelling takes only a few minutes, similar to a diesel vehicle, making it suitable for continuous operation.
Bosch sees the project as part of its broader goal to develop a hydrogen economy in Germany, supporting Bavaria's Hydrogen Strategy 2.0. The company has already begun large-scale production of its fuel-cell systems and components at its plants in Stuttgart, Bamberg and Homburg.
Plant manager Alexander Weichsel said: "This deployment is an important building block that helps us reduce our emissions in logistics. The fact that several thousand trucks with Bosch fuel-cell systems are already on the road worldwide shows that the concept is proving its worth."
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: BAM and Eden Project team up to put nature at the centre of construction
BAM UK & Ireland has formed a partnership with the Eden Project to promote nature recovery in construction and infrastructure projects.
The three-year collaboration will focus on embedding biodiversity and wellbeing into the design and delivery of buildings and public spaces.
The initiative aims to challenge conventional construction practices by showing how development and nature can coexist. It will centre on three areas: education, practical action on projects, and industry influence.
Both organisations plan to create programmes that raise awareness about nature-based design, work with clients to deliver projects that enhance biodiversity, and share their findings to encourage wider change across the sector.
BAM will begin by targeting projects where natural design can have the greatest impact, including hospitals, schools and community facilities. The company also plans to improve its own sites and offices with green spaces such as healing gardens, outdoor learning areas and biodiverse zones for staff and local communities.
The collaboration aims to demonstrate how integrating nature into the built environment can support both environmental goals and human wellbeing.
Eden Project's chief executive Andy Jasper said: "Nature is not a luxury - it's the foundation of our wellbeing, our communities, and our future.
"We are excited to be collaborating with BAM UK & Ireland, we have the opportunity to reimagine construction as a driver of ecological recovery and to prove that every space we build can also be a space for life."
SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP: Newark & Sherwood United FC adopts sustainability-focused model
Newark & Sherwood United FC is reshaping how a football club can operate by putting ethical and environmental principles at the centre of its running.
The Nottinghamshire side, which plays in the United Counties League Premier Division North, is owned by B Corp-certified Gusto Group and works with other certified partners such as plant-based food company BOSH! and law firm Shakespeare Martineau.
The club has introduced several measures to cut waste and promote sustainable practices. Its new kit is made from recycled materials supplied locally, food served on matchdays is plant-based, and single-use plastic has been removed through a reusable cup system developed by Recirculate Systems.
Plans are also in place to build a new ground using repurposed shipping containers, part of a wider effort to reduce the environmental impact of grassroots football and link the club's operations more closely with community and sustainability goals.
Newark and Sherwood United's operations director Jed Wright said: "By aligning closely with other values and mission-led B Corp businesses, Newark and Sherwood United are developing and expanding a community that champions both sustainability and innovation. Our ambition is to create a blueprint for how football clubs can operate no matter their size.
"We passionately believe that football holds a huge amount of power to unite communities, champion positive values, and become a platform for meaningful change."