Olga Hancock, Head of Responsible Investment at the Church Commissioners for England, explores the implications for investors of the EHCR decision on Swiss government inaction. In November 2023, I wrote about the links between human rights and climate change for investors. Since then, there have been significant developments. One in particular stands out. Last month, the European Court of Human…
Capgemini, Schneider Electric Launch New Energy Optimization Platform
Global professional services firm Capgemini, and energy and automation digital solutions provider Schneider Electric, announced today a new collaboration, launching the Energy Command Center, a new energy management platform aimed at enabling organizations to monitor and manage the performance of energy assets across their operations, in order to lower energy consumption and support decarbonization goals. According to the companies, the…
Eurazeo Launches $800 Million Planetary Boundaries Solutions-Focused Buyout Fund
Investment management firm Eurazeo announced today the launch of Eurazeo Planetary Boundaries Fund (EPBF), a new thematic impact buyout fund, aimed at investing in future leaders focused on reversing or adapting to overstepping of planetary boundaries. Eurazeo said that the new fund has a target size of at least €750 million (USD$813 million), with a portion of carried interest tied…
New H&M-Backed Textile Recycling Startup Syre Raises $100 Million
Textile recycling startup Syre announced today that it has raised $100 million in a Series A financing round, aimed at supporting the company’s buildout. Founded earlier this year, Syre was launched by fashion and design brands company H&M Group and impact-focused venture investor Vargas, aimed at mass producing textile-to-textile recycled materials, and enabling a closed loop solution for the clothing…
IBM Adds AI-Powered Emissions Planning and Forecasting Capabilities to ESG Data Platform
IBM announced the addition of AI-powered emissions planning and forecasting capabilities to its ESG data collection, analysis and reporting platform IBM Envizi, aimed at enabling companies to streamline and enhance their sustainability planning and climate strategies. According to IBM, the new capabilities are aimed at helping companies to guide their planning to towards their emissions reduction goals and to meet…
UK Proposes Expanding Emissions Trading Scheme to New Sectors, Carbon Removals
The UK government’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Authority announced today the launch of a new package of consultations, proposing expanding the ETS carbon pricing system to new sectors, including the energy from waste and waste incineration sectors, and on integrating greenhouse gas removals into the ETS. Launched in 2021 to replace the UK’s participation in the EU’s Emissions Trading System,…
Microsoft Signs 1 Million Tonne Bioenergy-based Carbon Removal Agreement with Ørsted
Microsoft announced a new carbon removal offtake agreement with energy provider Ørsted for the purchase of one million tonnes of carbon removal over ten years from Ørsted’s new bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project in Denmark, Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub. The agreement adds to a prior commitment from Microsoft announced last year to buy 2.67 million tonnes of carbon…