Liontrust’s sustainable investment team has revealed it chose not to participate in SpaceX’s IPO due to environmental and governance concerns, as well as doubts over whether the company’s valuation could be justified. Peter Michaelis, who heads Liontrust’s sustainable investment team, said the firm’s Sustainable Future funds had avoided the IPO because SpaceX did not sufficiently align with its sustainability themes…
Deutsche Bank Invests in Sustainable Aviation Fuel with Lufthansa
Deutsche Bank announced a new agreement with Lufthansa group to invest in the deployment of sustainable aviation fuel, as part of its strategy to reduce the climate impact of business travel. Under the new agreement, Deutsche Bank will invest in approximately 1,600 metric tonnes (2 million liters) of SAF. The companies said that the transaction will enable Lufthansa to reduce…
Climentum Launches New Climate Tech Venture Fund with €60 Million First Close
Climate tech-focused venture capital firm Climentum Capital announced the launch of Climentum Capital Fund II, its second fund aimed at supporting early-stage climate technology startups across Europe. The new fund is being launched with €60 million (USD$68.4 million) in commitments raised at the first close, with Climentum targeting a fund size of €100 million (USD$114 million). Founded in Copenhagen in…
European Commission Adopts Finalized Corporate Sustainability Reporting Standards
The European Commission announced on Friday the adoption of the finalized revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for companies covered by the EU’s mandatory Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and its voluntary reporting standard for smaller companies. The adoption of the new standards may form the final major step in the Commission’s initiative to simplify sustainability reporting requirements for companies…
Lloyds, Wildfarmed Launch Fund to Help Farmers Adopt Sustainable Farming Practices
UK bank Lloyds Banking Group and regenerative agriculture company Wildfarmed announced the launch of the new Food & Nature Resilience Fund, designed to accelerate the transition farmland in the Uk to regenerative agriculture by supporting the adoption by farmers of practices that improve biodiversity, soil health, water quality and reduce carbon. Regenerative agriculture practices are aimed at addressing the environmental…
ESG Today: Week in Review
This week in ESG news: Google acknowledges moonshot climate goals “getting harder” to reach; Amazon signs 2 million ton nature-based carbon removal deal; EU regulators propose Taxonomy simplification measures; Companies still struggling to quantify impact of sustainability risks and opportunities; ISSB to allow TNFD metrics for nature-based reporting; World Bank drops key climate finance target under U.S. pressure; PwC’s new…
Actis Acquires Clean Energy Platform Klara Renewables from CVC DIF
Sustainable infrastructure investor Actis announced the acquisition of Klara Renewables, a 171 MW operating onshore wind portfolio in Poland, from private markets investment manager CVC’s infrastructure strategy CVC DIF. The transaction marks Actis’ entry into the Polish market and the launch of a new renewable energy platform targeting up to 1.5 GW of capacity across onshore wind, solar PV, and…
EU Regulators Propose EU Taxonomy Simplification Measures
Europe’s three primary financial regulatory agencies, the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) each announced the release of a series of proposals aimed at simplifying disclosure requirements and reducing the reporting burden for companies, asset managers, banks and insurers under the EU Taxonomy regulation. The ESAs include The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), The European Banking Authority (EBA), and The European…
KKR, SK Launch $1.3 Billion Renewable Energy Platform in South Korea
Alternative asset manager KKR and South Korean industrial conglomerate SK Group announced the launch of a new renewable energy platform valued at KRW 2 trillion (USD$1.3 billion), creating Korea’s largest renewable energy business, and aimed at addressing Korea’s surging clean-power demand from AI data centers and semiconductor manufacturing. The companies said that the new platform will consolidate renewable energy assets previously…
Amazon Signs 2 Million Ton Nature-Based Carbon Removal Deal
Amazon announced a multi-year agreement to purchase nearly 2 million tonnes of carbon removal credits from a nature restoration project in South Africa, with the company’s investment enabling the expansion of one of the largest carbon removal projects in the world. Under the project, 180 million spekboom shrubs – known for their ability to absorb carbon, and ecosystem restoration capabilities…