Thursday newspaper round-up: JCB, M&S, smart meters

The British digger maker JCB, owned by the billionaire Bamford family, continued to build and supply equipment for the Russian market months after saying it had stopped exports because of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Guardian can reveal. Russian customs records show that JCB, whose owners are major donors to the Conservative party, continued to make new products available for Russian dealers well after 2 March 2022, when the company publicly stated that it had “voluntarily paused exports” to Russia. – Guardian

Marks & Spencer is teaming up with a recycling technology group to enable the retailer to trace what happens to its drinks bottles, cartons and other plastic packaging. The Polytag system prints an invisible tag on to containers, which can be picked up by electronic readers located at recycling centres. Products featuring the tags will begin appearing on shelves in the next three months. – Guardian

Car salesmen face a shortage of petrol vehicles under Rishi Sunak’s net zero crackdown, one of Britain’s biggest dealership chains has warned. Vertu Motors said sales of electric cars had “stalled” in the UK, raising the risk that manufacturers will miss sales targets mandated by law. Under the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate, 22pc of carmakers’ sales must be electric this year with the target rising annually until it reaches 80pc in 2030. – Telegraph

Smart water meters must be made compulsory across all households to protect the UK against climate change, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has warned. The government agency is urging ministers to ramp up the roll-out of devices, as it claims water supplies were becoming one of the country’s biggest challenges. Without smart water meters, the NIC said the UK is at heightened risk of drought. – Telegraph

A challenger consultancy firm has been picking up staff recently cast aside by the Big Four as it readies itself for a rebound in merger and acquisition activity. DSW Capital, owner of the Dow Schofield Watts brand, has “invested significantly in recruitment” over the past 12 months. – The Times