The UK’s Sustainable Companies
“Sustainability” has become a defining focus over the past decade, with an increasing number of companies striving for carbon neutrality and more responsible ways of running a business.
Across most industries, businesses are embracing greener practices — transitioning to renewable energy, reducing waste, and fostering ethical supply chains. As sustainability becomes more important for consumers, investors, and policymakers, companies are rethinking their strategies to build a future that prioritises resilience, innovation, and long-term impact over short-term gains.
We’ve explored the state of sustainability in the UK and the pioneering companies leading the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future.
The UK’s push towards more sustainable companies
In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to set a net zero target in law, by amending the Climate Change Act 2008. This means that the total greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to the emissions removed from the atmosphere in the UK by 2050. Scotland also entered the initiative separately, committing to net zero by 2045.
This is an ambitious goal, and the UK government has introduced a number of key steps to make this more achievable. These steps include significant investments in renewable energy, phasing out fossil fuels, and promoting energy efficiency across industries.
The Labour government has since promised to expand the UK’s offshore wind capacity, and has recommitted to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. Additionally, government policies such as the Green Finance Strategy, introduced in 2019, and stricter emissions regulations are encouraging businesses to prioritise sustainability.
The UK is also investing in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. We recently introduced the carbon capture buzzword onto the Beauhurst platform, so Beauhurst subscribers can quickly and easily find carbon capture and storage companies.
If you’re a subscriber, you can try it for yourself here. Or book a demo with one of our experts to see how it works.
Industries at the heart of sustainability
Whilst it’s evident that all companies are going to have to “do their bit” to make net zero emissions by 2050 possible, there are a number of key industries that are often seen at the forefront of sustainability. But first of all, let’s examine what a “sustainable company” is.
What is a sustainable company?
A sustainable company is a business that operates in a way that minimises its environmental impact, promotes social responsibility, and ensures long-term economic viability. These companies integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into their strategies and decision-making.
In 2023, we introduced ESG signals onto the Beauhurst platform. This means you can quickly and easily find companies that uphold ESG values simply by using our search filters.
If you’re a Beauhurst subscriber, you can try it for yourself.
Sustainable fintech
Fintech companies in the UK are playing a growing role in driving sustainability by offering green financial products, supporting ethical investing, and reducing the carbon footprint of financial transactions.
According to our data, there are currently 275 active fintech companies in the UK that uphold one or more of the ESG values. In 2022, there was a record amount of investment into sustainable fintech companies, with £1.35b poured into these companies over the year. Looking at announced deals, £21.9b was raised by all companies across the entirety of 2022, meaning that these sustainable fintech companies equated to 6.2% of all equity investment raised that year. However, investment in this sector has since dropped,in line with overall investment levels. Find out more in our flagship report: The Deal 2024.
A number of the big fintech companies uphold sustainability initiatives. One example is London-based challenger bank, Starling, which is fully paperless and fully branchless — meaning all their communications happen online. This significantly reduces the company’s carbon footprint. Since its incorporation in 2014, Starling Bank has gone on to raise a huge £715m, as well as receiving a £100m grant in 2019 from the Capability and Innovation Fund. The company used the grant to create nearly 400 new job opportunities in the UK.
There are also fintech companies that focus primarily on “green finance”. Green finance refers to financial products, investments, and policies that support sustainable development, climate action, and environmental protection. It involves funding projects that reduce carbon emissions, promote clean energy, and encourage sustainable business practices.
Tandem is one such fintech company that focuses on green finance in particular. Founded in 2014, it has evolved into one of the UK’s prominent challenger banks, offering a range of products and services aimed at benefiting both customers and the environment.
In November 2024, Tandem Bank announced a partnership with Climate Impact Partners to offset 100% of its operational Scope 3 carbon emissions for 2023. This initiative involves purchasing three thousand tonnes of high-quality carbon credits to compensate for emissions not directly produced by the bank but related to its operations. This is just one of many initiatives Tandem has taken to offset its carbon footprint.
The Fintech Top 50 UK | 2025
Sustainable healthcare
Healthcare companies in the UK are increasingly focusing on sustainability to reduce their environmental impact in line with the government’s commitment to carbon zero.
The NHS, being the largest healthcare provider in the UK, has made its own separate commitments to net zero. For those emissions it directly controls, known as the NHS Carbon Footprint, it aims to achieve net zero by 2040, with the ambition of reaching an 80% reduction between 2028 and 2032. For emissions it can influence, referred to as the NHS Carbon Footprint Plus, the goal is to reach net zero by 2045, with an ambition to achieve an 80% reduction between 2036 and 2039.
According to our data, in 2024 there was £170m invested into UK healthcare companies that uphold one or more of the ESG values. And so far in 2025, we’ve already seen £135m invested into these companies, and we’re just in February — a sign of promising investment in this area for the rest of the year.
Alongside the NHS, there are many ways that healthcare and pharma companies are striving towards greener ways of doing things. Companies such as AstraZeneca are reducing carbon emissions from drug manufacturing and transportation. This is part of the company’s Ambition Carbon Zero strategy to eliminate emissions by 2025 and be carbon negative across the entire value chain by 2030.
There are also companies that are enhancing sustainability by offering recyclable and biodegradable medical products. One example is BD, otherwise known as Becton Dickinson.
In April 2022, BD established the Sustainable Medical Technology Institute to reduce the environmental impact of its product portfolio. This initiative focuses on developing products with sustainable materials and designs, aiming to minimise waste and promote recyclability.
While BD is not based in the UK, Bard UK is a subsidiary of Becton Dickinson, and offers medical products like catheters and other devices that are moving towards using greener materials and more sustainable production practices.
Top 10 UK Healthtech Companies | 2025
Alternative sustainable materials
In 2020, the UK generated approximately 191 million metric tonnes of waste, a 14% decrease from 2018 figures. Of this, commercial and industrial (C&I) waste accounted for about 40.4m tonnes, with England responsible for approximately 33.9m tonnes. Despite these figures, the UK continues to face challenges in waste management and recycling. But there are numerous UK startups that are developing sustainable alternatives.
One notable example is NOTPLA. Headquartered in Tower Hamlets, NOTPLA have created food and liquid containers made from seaweed. The company has received 14 grants worth a total of £3.25m since it was established in 2014.
Similarly, Scottish company S’Wheat has created a range of water bottles made from plants. S’Wheat has received three grants and has been through one funding round. It also attended the Entrepreneur Accelerator in 2020.
Renewable energy and sustainable energy
We can’t talk about sustainability without speaking about renewable energy companies. Renewable energy is one of the most important industries when it comes to achieving carbon zero emissions by 2050 and supporting sustainability in the UK.
Looking at our data, we can see that renewable energy companies always get significant investment. This peaked in 2023, when £1.71b was put into renewable energy companies in the UK — and in 2024, renewable energy companies still secured a large sum of £1.07b. And while we’re only in February 2025, we’d expect to see this funding continue as 2050 creeps ever closer.
It’s hard to pick out the most interesting renewable energy companies in the UK but we’ve spotlighted a couple to talk about. One is the OVO group. The OVO group comprises of a number of clean energy companies, including OVO Energy, which supplies gas and electricity. To combat the climate crisis, the OVO group has come up with its own carbon zero commitment called ‘Plan Zero’. The group has so far raised a total of £259m in equity.
Hackney-based Field is a renewable energy company which specialises in battery energy storage systems (BESS). These large-scale batteries store renewable energy when production is high and release it during peak demand, enhancing grid reliability and flexibility. The company’s operational portfolio is projected to prevent approximately 3.9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions over a 20-year period. The company has raised a total of £240m in equity since it was incorporated in 2020.
Another renewable energy company we wanted to spotlight is Culham Centre for Fusion Energy spinout, Tokamak Energy. The company is developing fusion technology with an aim of advancing fusion energy production. Fusion energy produces no greenhouse gas emissions or long-lived radioactive waste. Tokamak Energy has not only raised £222m in equity funding, it’s also received 12 grants totalling £11.4m.
How can you find sustainable companies?
With Beauhurst it’s easy to find sustainable companies with our dedicated ESG signals, allowing you to quickly identify businesses that align with environmental, social, and governance criteria.
Whether you’re an investor, advisor, government body, or university, the Beauhurst platform will provide you with powerful data and tracking tools to highlight companies committed to sustainability, ensuring you can discover and engage with the right opportunities in just a few clicks.
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