Zero Carbon Forum: 'The judges' decision validated our unique model'

Zero Carbon Forum was named Consultancy of the Year at the UK Green Business Awards 2025. Here, the company's Nicola Evans reflects on its award win last year, its plans for 2026, and offers tips to those entering the awards this year.

The UK Green Business Awards are back for 2026 and are now open for entries - check out all the details on the entry process, venue, and awards ceremony here.

1. What was it like to win at the UK Green Business Awards 2025? 

Winning Consultancy of the Year was a proud moment for our whole team. The judges' decision validated our unique model - bringing the industry together under our non-profit, the Zero Carbon Forum, to drive collaborative change and working to support each company's individual needs with Zero Carbon Services. It recognises the impact we're delivering at scale, whether that's helping operators save £5m on energy initiatives alone or working in collaboration with over 70 operators to build sector resilience. For us, the award marked a milestone in showing that practical, data-led climate action is possible and commercially essential. 

2. What was your favourite memory from the awards night? 

The standout moment was hearing our name announced and turning to see the reaction of our team. The room was full of organisations doing incredible things, and being recognised among them was energising. Winning the award for Best Sustainability Consultancy of the Year, across all industries, was the icing on the cake. Talking to other finalists and hearing what's happening across the green economy reminded us how powerful collaboration can be. The atmosphere had a real sense of optimism - the focus was on solutions, not challenges. 

3. What top tips would you give anyone looking to enter the 2026 UK Green Business Awards? 

We started by sitting down with the team and really listening - asking the right questions that uncover what's working well and where the real progress is being made. I'd recommend spend time with the people closest to the detail to understand the impact of their work and the challenges they've overcome. From there, pull together the stories, evidence and outcomes that best reflect the organisation's achievements and how they align with the award criteria. 

4. How has winning influenced your future projects or goals? 

Winning has given us real momentum. It's opened new conversations with operators and partners who want proven, practical support to reduce emissions, cut costs and to work across the sector and supply chain. It's reaffirmed our commitment to scaling our impact, particularly through our DESNZ-funded work helping over 600 SMEs, which is already providing smaller operators with access to tools and data they've never had before. The award has also strengthened our resolve to push harder on Scope 3 reductions, supplier engagement, and building resilience across the supply chain. It's encouraged us to keep raising the bar in the resources, insights, and collaborative initiatives we deliver. 

5. What's happened over the last year for your business? 

We've strengthened our emissions data tools, we're embedding AI into our database to provide quick, accurate and tailored support to our clients, we've expanded our working groups, and we continue to produce practical guidance to support the sector through rising energy costs, tightening regulation, and increasing climate risk.  

We have saved our clients over £5m on energy efficiency initiatives. reducing their energy emissions by 52 per cent (proving that sustainability and commercial success go hand in hand). We secured DESNZ funding to help over 600 SMEs measure, understand, and cut their carbon emissions - unlocking cost savings and building long-term resilience.   

Five years ago, we published a roadmap for the hospitality and brewing sector and we're about to release our Five Year Review showing the achievements, challenges and next steps the industry needs to take to reach its net zero targets. 

6. What are your green priorities for 2026? 

In 2026, our green priorities centre on driving efficiency, strengthening resilience, and helping operators build stronger, future-focused brands. 

We'll be focusing heavily on supplier engagement and reducing Scope 3 emissions across our membership. That includes expanding our work on more accurate emissions factors so operators get the precision they need to cut carbon and costs with confidence. Better data means quicker decisions, smarter interventions, and faster progress.

We're prioritising practical support that helps businesses stay competitive as extreme weather and supply chain pressures grow. This means protecting yields, improving quality, and supporting operators to future-proof their operations, helping teams adapt early rather than respond late. 

We'll continue to champion industry-wide collaboration so members can share insight, reduce duplication, and scale impact. Part of this is ensuring SMEs have access to the same tools and support as larger operators, helping them demonstrate credible climate action to customers, investors and partners. 

2026 is about deeper collaboration, better data and bigger impact, all in service of a stronger, more sustainable and commercially successful sector. 

7. What aspect of the green economy are you most excited about? 

I'm most excited about the shift from long-term ambition to immediate, commercially relevant action. Operators are now able to see precisely where their emissions come from and what the financial impact of reducing them will be. Data tools, smarter emissions factors, and supply chain collaboration are making it possible to tackle Scope 3 emissions in ways the sector couldn't have imagined a few years ago. There's a growing recognition that climate action goes hand in hand with business success - it's about resilience, quality, cost reduction, and protecting the long-term viability of the industry. 

8. What would your green superpower be? 

If I could choose a green superpower, it would be the ability to help every business leader instantly see the connection between a thriving natural world and commercial success. Everything we need to run a successful business is secured with a healthy natural system yet that connection is often invisible in the day-to-day pressures of running an operation. My ideal superpower would make that link undeniable: showing, in a single moment, how protecting nature supports yields, resilience, quality, supply chains, customer experience, and ultimately the bottom line. If everyone could see that clearly, the shift from short-term fixes to long-term, nature-positive action would happen overnight.