As Editor of BusinessGreen, Michael Holder shapes global conversations on practical pathways to net zero economies. With 12+ years specializing in climate policy and clean tech innovation, his work bridges technical energy systems analysis and boardroom decision-making.
Michael Holder began his journalism career over a decade ago, focusing initially on recycling and waste management systems. His early work laid the groundwork for understanding circular economy principles, which later evolved into broader coverage of sustainability transitions. By 2015, he shifted focus to air pollution policy, producing investigative pieces on urban clean air zones that influenced London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) framework.
“The transition away from fossil fuels isn’t just about technology – it’s about rewriting the social contract between industries, governments, and citizens.”
Appointed Editor of BusinessGreen in 2018, Holder transformed the publication into the UK’s premier destination for net zero economy analysis. His tenure features:
This 2024 analysis dissected National Grid ESO’s blueprint for decarbonizing Britain’s power network by 2035. Holder combined technical assessments of hydrogen blending trials with sharp political analysis of planning reform bottlenecks. The piece revealed how delayed CCS investments forced grid operators to revise capacity margins, sparking parliamentary questions about energy security trade-offs.
Holder’s on-the-ground reporting from Norfolk’s solar belt contrasted local opposition groups with national energy security imperatives. By mapping supply chain linkages between these projects and British solar panel manufacturers, the article became a benchmark for analyzing the UK’s renewable manufacturing gap.
Published in Trellis, this global analysis synthesized data from 47 corporate energy transition plans. Holder identified a 300% ROI potential for building retrofits in emerging markets, while critiquing voluntary pledge systems that enable “efficiency theater.” The methodology combined World Economic Forum datasets with proprietary industry surveys.
Holder prioritizes stories demonstrating unusual industry alliances, like his 2023 coverage of a steelmaker-pharma joint venture repurposing industrial heat for district warming systems. Pitches should highlight measurable emissions impacts and governance frameworks for such collaborations.
With 14 articles since 2022 on energy storage and smart grid solutions, Holder seeks case studies of virtual power plants or AI-driven demand response systems. Avoid incremental battery tech updates – focus on systemic interoperability challenges.
His award-winning series on North Sea oil workers transitioning to offshore wind illustrates the need for datasets linking workforce retraining programs to regional economic outcomes. Pitches require hard metrics on wage parity and skills transferability.
Following his analysis of biodiversity-linked sovereign bonds, Holder tracks novel financial mechanisms bridging the $4T annual climate funding gap. Priority given to instruments with third-party verification systems and scalable structures.
Submissions should decode regulatory announcements through a capital allocation lens, similar to Holder’s dissection of the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Include interviews with procurement officers and supply chain managers.
Awarded for investigative series exposing discrepancies between corporate net zero pledges and approved capital expenditure plans. The judging panel noted Holder’s “unmatched ability to translate Scope 3 emissions data into compelling boardroom narratives.”
Recognized for multimedia project “Norway’s Carbon Capture Crucible,” which combined 360-degree video tours of Northern Lights CCS facilities with interactive supply chain maps. The project increased BusinessGreen’s Scandinavian readership by 37%.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Climate, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
