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Microsoft Signs 15-Year Renewable Energy Agreements with RWE in Texas

Microsoft Signs 15-Year Renewable Energy Agreements with RWE in Texas

German power producer RWE announced that it has signed two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Microsoft for the purchase of renewable energy from two new Texas-based onshore wind farms, with a combined capacity of 446 MW. The two new renewable energy projects include RWE Peyton Creek II and the Lane City project. Peyton Creek II, currently under construction, is…

ESG Today: Week in Review

ESG Today: Week in Review

This week in ESG news: 80% of companies see sustainability as revenue and profit driver, Morgan Stanley survey finds; EU passes environmental,  human rights sustainability due diligence law; Holcim to build €500 million net zero cement plant; tech giants launch carbon removal buyers coalition; Bloomberg survey finds most lawyers don’t expect SEC climate disclosure rule to survive intact; Diageo decarbonizes…

TNFD Agri-food Guidance Offers Data Boost

Quantitative metrics provide investors with further tools for engagement efforts. The industry has welcomed increased nature data for the agrifood sector provided by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), as it prepares to align with final guidance next month. The TNFD released final recommendations for nature-related risk management and disclosures last September. Those were meant to serve as a…

TNFD Agrifood Guidance Offers Data Boost

Quantitative metrics provide investors with further tools for engagement efforts. The industry has welcomed increased nature data for the agrifood sector provided by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), as it prepares to align with final guidance next month. The TNFD released final recommendations for nature-related risk management and disclosures last September. Those were meant to serve as a…

Rio welcomes Thomas Pruden as Associate Director, Financial Services

Rio welcomes Thomas Pruden as Associate Director, Financial Services

Thomas recently joined Rio AI as Associate Director – Financial Services. Based in London, he brings a deep understanding of sustainability practices, essential for crafting sustainable financial strategies. Previously at Deloitte, Thomas led initiatives around the EU Taxonomy Regulation, developed the ‘Taxonomy Map’ framework and supported clients with sustainability disclosures under various directives such as CSRD and SFDR. His extensive…

EU Adopts Environmental, Human Rights Sustainability Due Diligence Law

EU Adopts Environmental, Human Rights Sustainability Due Diligence Law

The European Council announced today the approval by member states of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), marking the final step in the adoption of legislation setting mandatory obligations for large companies to address their negative impacts on human rights and the environment across their value chains. The final adoption of the directive had come into significant doubt in…

Take Five: Bound by Destiny

A selection of the major stories impacting ESG investors, in five easy pieces.  Public and private sector coordination provides the theme – and events of Nairobi, London and Rio de Janeiro the backdrop – for this week’s digest. Natural allies – Just ahead of this year’s UN International Day for Biological Diversity, delegates gathered in Kenya for the first review…

JPMorgan Provides $680 Million in Tax Equity Financing for Ørsted Solar and Storage Projects

JPMorgan Provides $680 Million in Tax Equity Financing for Ørsted Solar and Storage Projects

Energy developer Ørsted announced that it has received a $680 million investment in tax equity financing from J.P. Morgan, aimed at funding the construction of new solar and storage projects in Texas and Arizona. According to Ørsted, the investment marks one of the largest solar and storage tax equity transactions using a combined production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax…

Focus on Outcomes

David Byrns, Portfolio Manager at American Century, explains why transition investing is fundamental to achieving net zero. While global sustainable investments reached US$30.3 trillion in 2022, at the same time greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have hit an all-time high. According to the World Meteorological Organization, global averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide, the “most important GHG”, were a full 50% above…

Climate Data in the Investment Process

Despite imperfections, investors should not wait for regulation to offer more comprehensive solutions, says David von Eiff, Director of Global Industry Standards at the CFA Institute. Climate change impacts, through direct and indirect channels, present us with tremendous economic risks and opportunities. While their complexity makes estimation difficult, cost estimates are generally staggering. A 2022 analysis by Deloitte projected that…