Beyond Zero, a leading environmental asset manager, today unveiled a pioneering new insetting programme at the UK’s premier regenerative farming event, Groundswell 2025. The Transition to Net Zero Insets initiative is designed to support UK farmers and landowners as they begin their journey towards Net Zero - rewarding early action on emissions reduction, carbon removal, and habitat restoration.

Developed in alignment with the UK Carbon Code of Conduct (UKCCC), the programme enables producers to generate carbon insets - emissions reductions that can be transparently accounted for by food and farming supply chain partners.

Transition to Net Zero Insets allow food supply chain companies to credibly reduce their Scope 3 emissions through partnerships with transitioning farms. The programme focuses on improving soil carbon, reducing GHG emissions, restoring biodiversity, and implementing regenerative practices - all tracked via a digital portal and underpinned by UKCCC-aligned methodologies.

The system offers corporate buyers verified impact, while providing farmers with a new income stream and technical support. Although not yet full UKCCC credits, Transition Insets follow robust monitoring protocols and lay the groundwork for eventual transition to Beyond Zero’s High Integrity Credits - the UK’s gold standard for farms that have already achieved Beyond Net Zero.

“Farmers know they need to act, but the road to Net Zero isn’t straightforward or quick. With the Transition Insets, we’re offering a practical way to reward climate action now - not just when perfection is reached,” said Vaibhav Kadikar, CEO of Beyond Zero. “By working with farmers, not against them, we’re helping build the foundation for a more resilient, climate-smart agricultural future.”

The Transition programme takes a whole-farm approach, collecting data on emissions, soil carbon, biodiversity, and food production through an intuitive online portal. Participating farms commit to a five-year emissions reduction and carbon removal plan, with progress benchmarked and measured annually.

“We see this as a practical, science-backed way to accelerate climate action on farms while supporting their long-term viability,” added Kadikar.

Crucially, participating farms can graduate to Beyond Zero’s High Integrity Credits — fully UKCCC-approved, monitored, and verified - once they achieve a robust Net Zero baseline.

To support this transition, Beyond Zero has partnered with Oxbury Bank, the UK’s specialist agricultural bank, providing streamlined access to the Oxbury Transition Facility - a unique lending product for on-farm interventions that cut emissions and improve soil health. While Oxbury is a key strategic partner, other funding models are also available to suit the needs and contexts of different farms.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Beyond Zero,” said Carolien Samson, Head of Sustainable Banking at Oxbury Bank plc. “The extensive baselines and natural capital data generated through Beyond Zero’s programmes give farmers a seamless route to apply for Oxbury’s Transition Facility - where we’re backing those who want to farm smarter and more sustainably.”

The team from Beyond Zero - Doug Wanstall, Pete Wain, and Ian Bailey - will be showcasing the programme at Stand PF-C10 throughout the Groundswell Festival.