Barclays announced that it has decided to exit the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), marking the second UK-based bank to withdraw from the UN-backed coalition dedicated to advancing global net zero goals through their financing activities, after the departure last month of HSBC. The departures of Barclays and HSBC follow the exit of all major Wall Street banks, as well as…
The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) announced the publication of its revised Exposure Drafts of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), significantly simplifying and scaling back reporting requirements for companies under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Among the key changes from the initial ESRS, the new standards remove all voluntary disclosures, and reduce reporting datapoints by 68%,…
The Silent Crisis in a Shifting Market As global pension schemes and institutional investors consolidate, the asset management industry faces a subtle yet profound challenge: remaining relevant in a world of fewer, larger, and more discerning clients. Traditional strategies, broad marketing campaigns, generic fund updates, and macroeconomic outlooks are losing traction. This crisis, though quiet, is reshaping the industry from…
Fusion energy company Helion announced that it has started working on the site of Orion, its first fusion power plant, aimed at providing carbon-free energy to offtaker Microsoft by 2028. Fusion, the process of combining two atoms to release energy, is seen as a potential source of abundant, zero-carbon power. Unlike fossil fuels, fusion does not emit carbon, and unlike…
Clean energy developer and producer Greenvolt announced today a €150 million (USD$171 million) share capital increase, fully subscribed by alternative asset and private equity investor KKR, aimed at supporting its growth, with a particular focus on its large-scale battery storage solutions. Founded in 2021, Portugal-based Greenvolt was acquired by KKR in 2024 for €1.2 billion. The company operates in 20…
Solar deployment solutions provider Planted Solar announced that it has raised $12 million in a new funding round, with proceeds aimed at growing its platform to help developers accelerate the buildout of solar projects. Founded in 2020, California-based Planted Solar provides solutions aimed at helping developers and independent power producers (IPPs) deploy solar projects faster and at lower cost than…
UK-based bank Barclays published a new sustainability-focused presentation for investors, revealing that revealed that it earned approximately £500 million (USD$660 million) in revenues from sustainable and transition finance activities in 2024, and indicating that its sustainable and transition finance volumes have accelerated over the past few months. In the H1 2025 sustainability presentation, Barclays also reiterated its ambition “to be…
A group of state treasurers and financial officers from 21 U.S. states* has sent a series of letters to the CEOs of several major investment firms including BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and others,** warning the firms against embedding sustainability and climate considerations – or even the EU’s CSRD regulation – in their investment strategies and engagement and proxy activities….
Renewable energy fund manager Octopus Australia announced a significant new partnership with Dutch pension asset manager APG Asset Management (APG), in which the pension fund investor will commit over A$1 billion (US$640 million) to Octopus Australia’s flagship renewable energy platform OASIS. The deal will accelerate the growth of Octopus Australia’s platform and its pipeline of utility-scale solar, wind, and battery…