By: Stefan Premer, Director of Consulting at Sphera In recent years, climate action and sustainability surged to the top of the policy agenda across Europe. The EU led the charge with the Green Deal, the launch of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and landmark rules like the EU Taxonomy – all aimed at redirecting the economy toward net zero…
Standards-setting organizations the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) announced today the launch of a landmark new strategic partnership aimed at unifying the global standards used for greenhouse gas emissions measurement and reporting. Under the new partnership, ISO and GHG Protocol have agreed to harmonize their existing portfolios of GHG standards, and to work together to…
Based on an interview with Alex Betson, LDC (the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group)
The Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit focused on ensuring responsible commodity sourcing by companies, announced the introduction of its new Regenerative Agriculture Standard, a new certification aimed at supporting coffee farmers while restoring ecosystems in tropical regions. Active in 62 countries, the Rainforest Alliance works with farmers, communities, governments, and companies worldwide. In 2024, it partnered with nearly 8 million…
Canadian institutional investor, La Caisse (formerly CDPQ) and Australia’s specialist climate investor Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) announced today the launch of Meldora, a new carbon credit-generating sustainable agriculture platform. The new platform is being launched with a AUD$250 million (USD$165 million) investment, including $200 million from La Caisse and $50 million from CEFC, as well as long-term agreement with…
Global alternative investment manager Apollo and German power producer RWE announced today the launch of a new joint venture, which will see Apollo committing €3.2 billion (USD$3.8 billion) to fund investments in expanding the transmission grid in Germany. The new JV, to be operationally controlled by RWE, will hold and fund RWE’s 25.1% stake in Amprion, one of Germany’s four…
M&G’s impact investing unit responsAbility Investments announced today that it has raised over $414 million in commitments for its Asia Climate Strategy, aimed at actively contributing to CO2 reduction in Asia through targeted investments in low-emission technologies. The latest closing for the fund included a $50 million investment from World Bank Group member the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Launched in November…
Zurich-based insurance and reinsurance company Swiss Re announced that it will no longer pursues Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validation for its climate targets, although the firm stated that its sustainability strategy remains unchanged – including its goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Swiss Re initially set a commitment to the SBTi in 2019 to…
A new collation of 14 venture capital and growth equity investment firms announced the launch of a new collaborative fund to back clean energy and decarbonization technology companies, aimed at enabling them to reach commercial scale. According to the group – the “All Aboard Coalition” – the new initiative is designed to help clean tech companies to avoid the “valley…
By Frédéric Godemel, EVP of Energy Management at Schneider Electric When you want to improve your diet, you don’t just rely on promotional packaging on food, you check the nutritional information. The real insights lie in the details: the facts and figures that tell you what you’re really consuming. The same principle should apply to sustainability. As the climate crisis…