King's College London tool helps businesses go green

April 15, 2026

South London News Smart London Desk Edited By Jimmy Nsubuga

Local businesses could soon be getting a major boost in their efforts to go green thanks to a groundbreaking new tool developed at King's College London. It's designed to help companies turn their eco-friendly ideas into real-world action.

Nature's Inspiration for Greener Business

The innovative tool, called Nature's Playbook: Ecological Design Thinking for a Circular Economy, is the brainchild of Dr Emma Fromberg at King's College London's Centre for Sustainable Business. It uses prompts based on how natural ecosystems work to help teams rethink how materials and products are used and reused, rather than just thrown away.

This could mean finding clever new ways to work with suppliers or turning waste into valuable resources for new processes. The tool has already been tested with businesses from retail, consulting, manufacturing, and the public sector.

"What people mostly found is that it helped them to think differently about existing circularity challenges and draw inspiration from natural systems," explained Dr Fromberg. "In addition to that, also to turn that shift in perspective into practical ideas they could take back into their organisations and start applying straight away."

Real-World Impact for London

Organisations like Cross River Partnership, a London-based public–private partnership, have already seen the benefits. They used Nature's Playbook to explore how ecological thinking could help them tackle complex urban challenges.

Ross Phillips, Sustainable Transport Manager at Cross River Partnership, said: "The Ecological Design Thinking workshop encouraged us to think differently and more experimentally about complex challenges. It broadened our perspective and helped us think more holistically about the systems we work within. I left with new approaches that I’m already applying in my work."

The project has received support from King's SPARK Innovation Fund, which backs research with strong potential for real-world impact. Plans are underway to launch an open programme and bespoke workshops for organisations keen to adopt circular economy principles.

Author

South London News Smart London Desk Edited By Jimmy Nsubuga

From sustainable urban planning to AI-driven city services, the South London News Smart London Desk offers comprehensive coverage of how our environment is evolving. Our editorial staff provide analysis on urban innovation, green tech, and local infrastructure shifts, ensuring our readers understand the technologies shaping their future neighbourhoods.

Every report is produced under the rigorous oversight of a leadership team with decades of experience at Yahoo UK, Metro, and the Daily Mail. By bridging the gap between technical progress and daily life, our desk upholds the highest standards of journalistic integrity to provide an accurate, forward-looking perspective on our changing city.