Why the landscape industry must lead the ESG charge

Reproduced with permission from HortWeek. Click here for the original article.

Over the next decade, the grounds maintenance, landscaping, and environmental services sectors, particularly those focused on biodiversity and sustainability, will be reshaped by three undeniable forces: the climate crisis, rapid technological advancement, and growing public demand for measurable impact.

This isn’t speculation – it’s happening. The government’s 2025 Spending Review has set the tone, with billions committed to nature recovery, green infrastructure, and clean energy, alongside a growing recognition that skills development and technological innovation are critical enablers of this transition.

As an industry, we’re at a crossroads - sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. Environmental stewardship and biodiversity enhancement are now legal, commercial, and moral imperatives. The industry must evolve and quickly.

As a business, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in client expectations. Developers, councils, utility providers, and transport operators are no longer focused solely on aesthetics and upkeep. They want to know how contractors are helping them meet biodiversity net gain (BNG) targets, reduce carbon emissions, restore habitats, and support healthier, more resilient communities.

This marks a profound transition; one that demands a new type of service provider – those who succeed will embed environmental value at the heart of their operations, not as an add-on, but as a core principle.

This requires more than good intentions. It calls for new capabilities and a new mindset. As data-led green infrastructure and multifunctional landscapes become the norm, our sector faces growing challenges around labour and skills. The solution lies in combining human expertise with smart technology.

Technology is essential but it’s people who deliver lasting value. That’s why Ground Control is investing in both. From our GC Go app for rapid, cost-effective biodiversity assessments to our AI-powered quoting tool that cuts travel and emissions, and advanced plant equipment for precision vegetation management, we’re putting environmental intelligence into the field, efficiently and at scale.

But tools are only part of the answer, the industry needs an equal focus on people. Hence why our target of promoting 80% of leaders from within over the next three years reflects our commitment to nurturing talent. We're building the skills pipeline our sector urgently needs.

The future won’t be built on platforms alone but on empowered individuals with the purpose, knowledge, and tools to drive meaningful change.

Across the industry, ESG is no longer optional. It’s reshaping how services are procured, delivered, and measured. With many leading businesses now aligning their strategies with this new ESG-driven reality,

But compliance alone isn’t enough. So the industry must set ambitious benchmarks for environmental performance. For example, our 400-acre habitat banks are restoring biodiversity at scale while helping clients meet their BNG targets, while our Evergreen Fund reinvests 5% of our profits into green initiatives as a strategic investment in long-term environmental and business resilience.

The Government’s spending review reinforces this shift, with funding allocated to local nature recovery strategies, urban tree planting, climate resilience, and clean energy.

This represents an unprecedented opportunity for our sector to form deeper partnerships with public bodies and infrastructure providers, delivering long-term outcomes while driving innovation, job creation, and skill development. .

The challenge before us is clear: ESG must be embedded in every aspect of strategy, procurement, and service delivery. Good intentions are no longer enough, we need measurable, lasting outcomes. That means making decisions that prioritise long-term resilience over short-term returns.

I often say our business has grown from a village to a town and now we’re building the foundations of a high-performing city. We’re scaling with purpose to meet increasingly complex demands while staying true to our core mission: to leave the world in a better place than we found it.

This is a pivotal moment for our industry. The question is no longer if we can adapt but how fast and how well?

I believe that if we come together, investing in our people, embracing AI and technology, and placing ESG at the centre of everything we do, we won’t just meet the demands of the future. We’ll help shape it.