In this Green Dream episode, Holger Mertens, managing director and head portfolio manager of global credit at Nikko Asset Management, discusses how the new EU Green Bond Standard could further fragment the green bond landscape and create a tiered system based on the ‘greenness’ of a bond. He also shares his thoughts on how investors must engage with sustainability-linked bond issuers to…
Trump to Exit Paris Agreement
In a highly anticipated move, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump confirmed plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, as part of a new policy described by the White House as aimed at “ending Biden’s policies of climate extremism.” The move would mark the second time that President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the landmark international climate accord,…
Ecoplanet Raises €16 Million for Solution for Companies to Optimize Use of Green and Affordable Energy
Energy management software provider ecoplanet announced that it has raised €16 million in a Series A funding round, with proceeds aimed at supporting the expansion of its AI-powered energy orchestration solution across Europe to help companies drive energy efficiency and manage the complexities of the energy transition. Founded in 2022, Munich-based ecoplanet provides an AI-powered intelligent energy procurement software solution,…
IBM, L’Oréal to Use AI to Develop More Sustainable Cosmetics
Tech giant IBM and global beauty company L’Oréal announced the launch of a new collaboration aimed at leveraging generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology to advance the creation of cosmetics using more sustainable materials and reduced energy and materials waste. According to the companies, the new collaboration will combine L’Oréal’s expertise in cosmetic science with IBM’s AI technologies to create a first-of-its-kind…
Amazon Claims Title of “Largest Corporate Purchaser of Renewable Energy Globally” for Fifth Year
Amazon announced that it was the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally in 2024, citing Bloomberg NEF data, and marking the company’s fifth consecutive year in that position. The company said that it has now supported more than 600 wind and solar projects, up from around 500 in the prior year, with the projects anticipated to generate energy equivalent…
Nestlé, Unilever, Mars Warn Against Revisiting EU Sustainability Reporting and Due Diligence Laws
A group of major European companies, investors and industry associations published a letter to European Commission leaders, expressing concerns that the upcoming “Omnibus” package coordinating the EU’s key new sustainability reporting and due diligence laws could end up weakening the new rules, undermining business certainty and investment. Signatories to the letter include Nestlé, Unilever, Mars, DP World, NEI Investments, Ferrero,…
U.S. Federal Reserve Leaves Climate Risk-Focused Central Bank Coalition
The U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Friday that it has withdraw from the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), a global coalition of central banks aimed at working together on climate and green finance issues. The exit comes in the immediate leadup to the Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, in an environment in which…