US pension fund’s selection of ESG-tilted Nordea fund to manage US$450 million of equity investments highlights integration and engagement priorities. The essential role of engagement in the California State Teachers’ Retirement System‘s (CalSTRS) approach to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its investment portfolio is increasingly reflected in its manager choices. Earlier this month, CalSTRS, the world’s largest educator-only pension…
Schneider Electric Launches Building Decarbonization Planning Tool
Energy and automation digital solutions provider Schneider Electric announced today the launch of its new Building Decarbonization Calculator, designed to enable building owners and operators to quickly test and explore a range of energy and carbon conservation measures (ECCMs). Buildings are a key source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and also one of the hardest to replace, given their…
Masdar Acquires Renewables Developer Saeta from Brookfield for $1.4 Billion
UAE-based clean energy-focused developer Masdar announced plans to acquire renewable power company Saeta Yield from Brookfield Renewable together with its institutional partners, for an implied enterprise value of US$1.4 billion. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary approvals, and is expected to occur around the end of 2024. Based in Madrid, Spain, Saeta is an independent developer, owner…
More than Two Thirds of Asset Owners Say ESG Factors Have Become More Material: Morningstar Survey
Over two thirds of asset owners report that ESG has become more material to their investment process, as a greater share of assets is being invested in strategies that take ESG factors into account and asset owners increasingly set up dedicated ESG teams, according to a new survey released by investment research firm Morningstar. For the report, Voice of the…
Cleantech Startup Ayrton Energy Raises $7 Million to Tackle Hydrogen Transport and Delivery Challenges
Ayrton Energy, which is developing advanced methods for the transport of liquid hydrogen, has secured a $6.8 million seed round investment to advance its liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology. The company said that it will leverage the financing to scale its proprietary technology, double the size of its team, and expand operations into energy hubs in the US. Hydrogen…
IFRS Foundation Launches Guide to Help Companies Voluntarily Apply ISSB Sustainability Reporting Standards
The IFRS Foundation announced today the publication of a new guide aimed at helping companies to voluntarily apply the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) recently issued climate and sustainability-related disclosure standards and communicate their progress to investors. The IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board was launched in November 2021, with the goal to develop IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards to provide investors…
Australia Court Fines Vanguard Record $12.9 Million Over Misleading Sustainable Investing Claims
A federal court in Australia assigned a record A$12.9 million (USD$8.9 million) penalty to Vanguard Investments Australia for misleading claims made by the investment management firm about one of its ESG funds, including failing to apply exclusionary screens to avoid investments in companies with fossil fuel activities, as claimed in its communication materials and disclosures. The fund, the Vanguard Ethically Conscious…
Great British Energy Bill
On 3 September 2024, the UK Government published its factsheet on the Great British Energy Bill which received its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 5 September. The purpose of the Bill is to establish a publicly-owned energy company designed to drive clean energy deployment and support the UK Government’s aim of decarbonising the UK’s electricity system by…
Brazil’s Attorney General Files Climate Lawsuit to Protect Conservation Unit
On September 16, 2024, Brazil’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for climate damage resulting from environmental infractions allegedly perpetrated by livestock farmers inside a Conservation Unit, more specifically the Jamanxim National Park, located in the Amazon Rainforest. In Brazil, a Conservation Unit is a type of specially protected area, legally established by public authorities, to which a special…