Who’s who in the world of climate change and sustainability?

Your at-a-glance guide to the key players tackling the climate crisis in the UK.

As the national conversation around climate change becomes louder, you’re likely to see more and more companies and organisations taking part in the discussion. Here are some of the major organisations you should know about, organised by category.

Buildings

Association for Environmentally Conscious Buildings
A UK network of individuals and companies with the common aim of promoting sustainable building.
www.aecb.net

Passivehaus Trust
An independent, non-profit organisation that provides leadership in the UK for the adoption of the Passivhaus standard – the leading international low energy standard for buildings.
www.passivehaustrust.org.uk

UK Green Building Council
A membership organisation that aims to radically transform the way the built environment in the UK is planned, designed, constructed and maintained.
www.ukgbc.org

Carbon Footprint Calculators

WWF
The world’s leading independent conservation organisation.
www.footprint.wwf.org.uk

Finance

Good with Money
Tips, guidance facts and inspiration for putting money in a place where it can improve the world
www.good-with-money.com/

Share Action
Working with savers and institutional investors to ensure our communities and environment are safe and sustainable for all.

www.shareaction.org

UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association
The UK’s membership network for sustainable and responsible financial services.
www.uksif.org

Flooding

Environment Agency
The UK’s non-departmental public body, supported by the government to protect and enhance the environment and promote sustainable development.
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency

Flood Re
A joint initiative between the government and insurers to make flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.
www.floodre.co.uk

National Flood Forum
A national charity supporting flood risk communities around the UK.
www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk

Food and farming

LEAF
LEAF (linking environment and farming) is the leading organisation promoting sustainable food and farming.
www.leaf.org

National Farmers Union
The voice of British farming.
www.nfuonline.com

Nature Friendly Farming Network
Aims to unite farmers and the public with a passion for wildlife and sustainability in farming.
www.nffn.org.uk

RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commission
A public service established in 2017 to think afresh about where our food comes from.
www.thersa.org

Soil Association
The UK’s leading food and farming charity and organic certification body.
www.soilassociation.org

Sustainable Food Alliance
A global voice for sustainable food systems.
www.sustainablefoodalliance.org

Heat and power

Energy Networks Association
The voice of UK energy networks, representing the ‘wires and pipes’ transmission and distribution network operators for gas and electricity in the UK and Ireland.
www.energynetworks.org

Energy UK
The trade association for the UK’s energy industry with more than 100 members across a broad spectrum of the sector.
www.energy-uk.org.uk

National Grid ESO
The UK’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) tasked with balancing supply and demand in real time.
www.nationalgrideso.com

Media and news

Business Green
The UK’s leading source of information for the green economy, delivering the latest news and in-depth analysis on green business and environmental issues.
www.businessgreen.com

Carbon Brief
Cover climate science and climate and energy policy, specialising in clear, data-driven articles to improve the understanding of climate change.
www.carbonbrief.org

Climate Citizens Assembly
An assembly of citizens gather to learn, debate, and make recommendations on the issue of climate change.
www.climateassembly.uk

ECIU
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, providing informed debate on energy and climate change.
www.eciu.net

Edie.net
Daily news and commentary for sustainability, energy and environmental professionals.
www.edie.net

ENDS Report
UK source of intelligence for environmental professionals, delivering news, analysis and reference across the carbon, environmental and sustainability agenda.
www.endsreport.com

Land and forestry

ConFor
The Confederation of Forest Industries, shortened to ConFor, is the trade association for the forestry industry in the UK.
www.confor.org.uk

Countryside Landowners Association
The membership organisation for owners of land, property and business in rural England and Wales.
www.cla.org.uk

Forestry Commission
A non-ministerial department dedicated to increasing the value of woodlands to society and the environment.
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/forestry-commission

Woodland Trust
The UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Lifestyle

Ethical Consumer
A not-for-profit research and campaign organisation which publishes information on the social, ethical and environmental behaviour of companies and issues around trade justice and ethical consumption.
www.ethicalconsumer.org

Grist
A lifestyle website that aims to work toward “a planet that doesn’t burn and a future that doesn’t suck”.
www.grist.org

Transition Network
A movement of communities coming together to reimagine and rebuild our world.
www.transitionnetwork.org

One Home
The UK’s first portal for clean technology promoting climate action for both mitigation and adaptation.

www.onehome.org.uk

Environmental NGOs and campaigns

The Climate Coalition
The Climate Coalition is the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action against climate change.
www.theclimatecoalition.org

Extinction Rebellion
An international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse.
www.rebellion.earth

Friends of the Earth
An environmental campaigning community dedicated to the wellbeing and protection of the natural world and everyone in it.
www.friendsoftheearth.uk

Greenpeace
A movement of people passionate about defending the natural world from destruction.
www.greenpeace.org.uk

Green Alliance
An independent think tank and charity focused on ambitious leadership for the environment.
www.green-alliance.org.uk

UK Student Climate Network
UKSCN is a group of mostly under 18s taking to the streets to protest the government’s lack of action on the climate crisis.
www.ukscn.org

Renewable and sustainable energy

Centre for Alternative Technology
Offering practical solutions and hands-on learning to help create a zero-carbon world.
www.cat.org.uk

The Energy Saving Trust
A social enterprise dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, energy conservation and the sustainable use of energy.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

RenewableUK
The UK’s leading not-for-profit renewable energy trade association.
www.renewableuk.com

Sustainable Energy Association
A member-based industry body offering innovative policy solutions that link up building-level technologies and the wider renewables community.
www.sustainableenergyassociation.com

The Renewable Energy Association
The UK’s largest renewable energy and clean technology body, representing over 550 member companies
www.r-e-a.net

YouGen
Bringing together people interested in renewable energy.
www.yougen.co.uk

Science

Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations
A global hub for understanding the systemic and society-wide transformations that are required to address climate change.
www.cast.ac.uk

DEFRA
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities within the UK.
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

International Universities Climate Alliance
Providing a central hub for universities to share the latest climate research with the public and enable greater collaboration between leading research teams, supporting global leaders, policy makers and industry in planning for and responding to climate change.
www.universitiesforclimate.org

Met Office
The national weather service for the UK, providing internationally-renowned weather and climate science services.
www.metoffice.gov.uk

Tyndall Centre
An organisation bringing together UK scientists, economists and engineers to tackle the challenges of the climate crisis.
www.tyndall.ac.uk

Transport

Aviation Environment Forum
A UK-based organisation campaigning for aviation’s impacts on people and the environment to be brought within sustainable limits.
www.aef.org.uk

Living Streets
Dedicated to creating a walking nation, free from congested roads and pollution.
www.livingstreets.org.uk

Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership
A public-private partnership that exists to accelerate a sustainable shift to lower carbon, cleaner vehicles and fuels.
www.lowcvp.org.uk

Sustrans
The charity that makes it easier for everyone to walk and cycle in the UK.
www.sustrans.org.uk

Zap Map
A guide to help drivers locate and update EV charge points in the UK and Ireland with advice, help, and tools on charging points and electric vehicles.
www.zap-map.com

Waste

Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation works to inspire a generation to re-think, re-design and build a positive future circular economy.
www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

SAS Plastic Free
Working to create a community network that encourages life without single-use plastics.
www.sas.org.uk

Recycle Now
The national recycling campaign for England.
www.recyclenow.com

WRAP
WRAP works with governments, businesses and communities to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency.
www.wrap.org.uk

Water

Water UK
The trade association representing the UK’s water companies, working towards better policies for the future of water.
www.water.org.uk

Waterwise
An independent not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation promoting water efficiency and conservation throughout the UK.
www.waterwise.org.uk

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The information in this article was correct at the time of writing and is provided for guidance only. Please see the full disclaimer in our terms and conditions.

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