In today’s highly competitive business environment where a company’s reputation may be created or destroyed in less than the blink of an eye, strong business governance has become the silent motivator for long-term success. While innovation, marketing, and technology may dominate discussions about growth, it is governance that provides quiet power to organizations for their endurance and resilience. Governance could…
ESG Today: Week in Review
This week in ESG news: SBTi passes milestone 10,000 companies with science-based climate goals; ECB to intensify monitoring banks’ climate risk, transition planning; U.S.’ Hegseth to “sledgehammer” small business assistance program over DEI; EY appoints Chief Global Sustainability Strategist to integrate sustainability across firm’s services; TotalEnergies to reduce clean fuels investments over regulatory uncertainty in EU; AllianzGI launches $1 billion…
TD Bank Purchases 44,000 Tonnes of Carbon Removal from Charm Industrial
Climate solutions provider Charm Industrial announced a new carbon offtake removal deal with TD Bank, with the Canada-based financial services firm purchasing 44,000 tonnes of carbon removal over 10 years, starting in 2029. California-based Charm began operations in 2021, and has focused primarily on bio-oil production and sequestration, using plants to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, collecting agricultural residue from…
Ananda Raises €73 Million for New Impact Venture Fund
Impact venture capital firm Ananda announced that it has raised €73 million at the first close of its fifth core impact fund, significantly surpassing the firm’s initial €50 million. Founded in 2009, Munich-based Ananda invests in early-stage tech-driven startups across Europe that provide solutions to address societal and environmental problems. According to Ananda, the firm’s largest first close to date…
Engie to Build New $95 Million UK Biomethane Plant After Supply Deal with PepsiCo
Power company Engie announced that it has made a final decision to proceed with a new UK-based biomethane plant, with an estimated investment of up to £70 million (USD$95 million), following a 10-year purchase deal with food and beverage company PepsiCo UK. Biomethane, or renewable natural gas (RNG), is expected to play a critical role in the transition to cleaner…
Geothermal Startup Zanskar Raises $115 Million to Find and Develop Carbon-Free Energy Using AI
Geothermal energy exploration and development company announced that it has raised $115 million in a series C funding round, with proceeds from the financing aimed at expanding its AI-powered geothermal discovery platform, and to develop power plants that it has uncovered with its technology. Launched in 2021 by co-founders CEO Carl Hoiland and CTO Joel Edwards, Salt Lake City, Utah-based…
Wolters Kluwer Appoints Maria Montenegro as New CEO of Corporate Performance & ESG Unit
Professional services and information solutions provider Wolters Kluwer announced the appointment of Maria Montenegro as CEO of its Corporate Performance & ESG (CP & ESG) division. Montenegro takes on her new role after 4 years at Wolter Kluwer, where she has been most recently serving as Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer. Prior to joining Wolters Kluwer, Montenegro worked at McKinsey…
SBTi Passes 10,000 Companies with Validated Science-Based Climate Targets
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) announced today that it has passed a new milestone, with the number of companies with validated science-based climate targets passing 10,000. The achievement marks significant growth for the organization, with more than 2,800 new companies validated in 2025, and the total number of validated companies increasing nearly 40% from around 7,200 in early 2025, and…
TotalEnergies CEO Says Company will Reduce Investment in Clean Fuels on Expectation that EU Will Water Down SAF Mandate
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said that the company will reduce its planned investments in clean fuel capacity, based on his prediction that the EU will not stick with its mandated targets for required sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use. Pouyanné statement, made Wednesday during a panel discussion on clean fuels at the WEF annual meeting in Davos, follows the recent announcement…