Microsoft, carbon markets solutions provider Climate Impact Partners, and climate-focused project finance business Terra Natural Capital announced today a new finance and carbon removal purchase agreement, aimed at supporting the development of a large-scale afforestation project in India. As part of the agreement, Microsoft will will purchase 1.5 million tonnes of verified carbon removal credits over 30 years, representing 50%…
The Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ) announced the release of its finalized sustainability disclosure standards, based on the standards developed by the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), and anticipated to form the basis of mandatory reporting for listed Japanese companies of sustainability and climate-related information. The release forms a significant step towards internationally-aligned sustainability reporting requirements for companies…
Supply chain sustainability management solutions provider Assent announced the launch of the Assent Sustainability Platform (ASP), a new toolset aimed at enabling suppliers to manage high volumes of sustainability data request, in order to help streamline compliance reporting and declarations for across company value chains. Ottawa-based Assent provides systems to help manufacturers collect and manage the supply chain data needed…
Biorecycling startup Epoch Biodesign annouced that it has raised $18.3M in a Series A funding round, with proceeds to be used to scale its solution to use natural enzymes to break down difficult to recycle plastics . Founded in 2019, London-based Epoch utilizes AI, biochemistry, materials science and process engineering to develop enzymes that can break down materials such as…
International investment manager M&G Investments announced that it will adopt the new “Sustainability Improvers” label introduced by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) for its Sustain Paris Aligned range of climate mitigation-focused investment funds. The FCA’s SDR regulations were introduced by in November 2023, aimed at helping investors assess the sustainability attributes of investment products, and to avoid…
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), Japan’s second largest bank, revealed that it has decided to exit the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), further expanding what had been a primarily North America-focused series of exits from the UN-backed coalition of banks dedicated to advancing global net zero goals through their financing activities. In statements to media outlets, SMFG said that its decision…
More than 40% of senior executives report that they prioritize ESG factors when applying for jobs, well ahead of their more junior peers, and many see a rising role for sustainability in talent attraction over the longer term, according to a new survey released by Economist Impact. For the report, “Transitioning to sustainability: employee perspectives on workplace practices,” Economist Impact…