Roughly 25% of Article 8 funds and 30% of Article 9 funds were deemed to be at risk of greenwashing, according to Mainstreet Partners’ recent ESG & Sustainability Barometer. The barometer examines the ESG and sustainability characteristics of 1,600 funds, rating the asset manager, the investment strategy and the overall portfolio of each fund. See also: MSP’s Meatyard: ESG is…
Mars Signs One of its Largest Renewable Energy Purchase Deals in Europe
Snacking, food, and pet care products provider Mars announced that it has signed a new contract with investment manager Foresight Energy Infrastructure Partners to secure the majority of the output of a large-scale wind farm in Sweden, marking one of the company’s largest renewable energy commitments in Europe to date. The new agreement forms Mars’ second European contract under its…
EU Approves €400 Million Greek Cleantech Investment Aid Program
The European Commission announced today that it has approved a €400 million Greek aid scheme aimed at supporting investments to boost cleantech manufacturing capacity. The Commission’s approval was made under the new Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), designed to enable Member States to provide support for goals including clean energy development, industrial decarbonization and clean technology. Adopted in…
EU States Give Final Approval to Omnibus Package to Cut Sustainability Reporting and Due Diligence Requirements
EU member states in the European Council voted on Tuesday to approve an agreement to significantly scale back sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies under the “Omnibus I” simplification package. The green light by EU states marks the last major step towards the final adoption of the new rules to dramatically cut back the number of companies covered…
Microsoft Signs 1.8 Million Ton Carbon Removal Deal to Restore African Rainforest
Forest restoration company Rainforest Builder announced that it has signed a new multi-year agreement with Microsoft to deliver up to 1.8 million carbon credits to the tech giant, generated from a large scale ecosystem restoration project in Sierra Leone. According to Rainforest Builder, the 15-year deal marks one of the largest carbon removal transactions in Africa to date. Founded in…
Toyota to Build Circular Factory in Poland to Recycle End-of Life Vehicles
Toyota Motor Europe announced the launch of a new circular factory in Walbrzych, Poland, aimed at scaling the company’s capabilities to process vehicles at the end of their life cycle and advance its circular economy strategy. According to the company, the factory is expected to process close to 20,000 End-of-Life vehicles annually, and will facilitate the recovery and recycle of…
Nike Sources 100% Clean Electricity for Japan Operations
Global trading and investment company Mitsui & Co. and Nike, announced the signing of a new virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) in Japan, to supply renewable energy certificates generated from domestic solar power plants. According to the companies, the new agreements will enable Nike Japan to source 100% of its electricity needs across its distribution centers, stores, and offices from…
Enel to Increase Renewables Investment to $20 Billion Over Next 3 Years
Italian energy company Enel announced the launch of its new 2026-2028 Strategic Plan, which includes plans to dramatically increase investment in renewable energy over the next three years. Under the new plan, Enel said that it aims to invest approximately €53 billion (USD$63 billion) through 2028 – up by around €10 billion compared with the company’s prior 2023-2025 strategic plan…
India Launches Review of ESG Ratings Provider Regulations
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced that it has launched a new working group to review of the regulatory framework governing ESG Rating Providers. The new review follows the release by SEBI in 2021 of its “Master Circular for ESG Rating Providers,” which effectively brought ESG ratings providers into the SEBI’s regulatory framework for credit ratings agencies. The…