Companies that used to shout about their ESG efforts are now seemingly saying much less, afraid of pushback from all sides. This apparent trend may lead many to believe that they had given up on their green commitments, however that hasn’t been my experience in recent discussions with investee firms and there are still many reasons to remain optimistic. Antidote…
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), one of the world’s largest investment managers, announced the launch of its new Sustainability Stewardship Service, offering institutional clients with the ability to follow a sustainability-focused engagement and proxy voting framework. According to SSGA, the new service was launched in response to institutional client feedback, seeking more engagement with companies on sustainability topics, and designed with…
The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), Scottish Widows and Canbury have outlined the rationale for an enhanced focus on systemic risk in financial services with a clear framework for action in a report published at UKSIF’s Spring Conference in Edinburgh. The report – Systemic Risks: A Framework for Portfolio Resilience – is designed to demonstrate the importance of…
Shareholders in Barclays and Standard Chartered are set to call on both banks to publish plans and set funding targets for the renewable energy sector at their annual general meetings (AGM) on 7 and 8 May respectively. An investor statement will be read by ShareAction to the board of Barclays on behalf of 31 investors managing £1.36trn in assets, calling…
Global investment manager Schroders’ renewable infrastructure investment unit Schroders Greencoat announced the acquisition of a 24.5% stake in an offshore U.K. wind farm from Danish multinational energy company Ørsted for £456.1 million (USD$6!0 million). Under the deal, Ørsted will retain a 25.5% interest in the West of Duddon Sands wind farm, and will continue to operate it. The wind farm,…
Montreal-based startup Exterra Carbon Solutions announced that it has raised CAD $20 million (USD$14.5 million) to advance development of its technology to convert mining waste into low-carbon energy transition and sustainable building materials. Founded in 2021, Exterra specializes in the conversion of asbestos mine tailings (AMT), the asbestos fibers in leftover rock and waste from mining, into minerals including nickel…
IKEA announced that the Inter IKEA Group has appointed Lena Julle as its Chief Sustainability Officer, taking over from outgoing CSO Pär Stenmark, who the company said will stay with the company. Inter IKEA Group is the group of companies that connects IKEA franchisees with range development and suppliers, and is responsible for aligning the overall IKEA strategic direction. Julle…
Coca-Cola has agreed to make a series of changes to the recycling claims on its plastic bottles, according to a statement today by the European Commission, following a greenwashing complaint made by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). The agreement follows an alert issued in November 2023 by the BEUC, along with member organizations from 13 countires against bottling companies including…
Microsoft and Swedish energy company Stockholm Exergi announced today a significant expansion of their agreement to permanently remove carbon through a planned bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project, growing the deal to more than 5 million tonnes over ten years, from the previously announced 3.33 million tonnes. According to Stockholm Exergi, at 500,000 tonnes per year, the new…