
ESG Today: Week in Review
This week in ESG news: EU pledges to simplify sustainability reporting laws; 10-state coalition warns major Wall Street firms over ESG policies; Moody’s predicts $1 trillion sustainable bond market despite political headwinds; Microsoft signs nature-based carbon removal megadeal; Switzerland targets 65% GHG emissions reduction by 2035; first-ever green bond issued under new EuGB ‘gold standard’; BlackRock launches first-ever “Sustainability Improvers” fund; IFRS publishes guide for “climate-first” sustainability reporting; Meta sources renewable energy for Texas data center; Energizer rolls out plastic-free packaging; capital raises for sustainable food chain startups, clean energy metals tech, sustainable lending, and more.
See below for the highlights of the past week, and get all your ESG news at ESG Today:
Sustainability Goals, Initiatives and Achievements
Microsoft Inks 7 Million Ton Nature-Based Carbon Removal Megadeal
Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro to Invest $45 Million in Carbon Capture Tech for Aluminum Production
Meta Signs 595 MW Renewable Energy Deals in Texas
Zurich Signs 17,500 Ton Carbon Removal Deal with Climate Solutions Provider Nellie Technologies
STMicroelectronics Signs 15-Year, 1.5 TWh Renewable Energy Purchase Deal with TotalEnergies
Energizer Launches Plastic-Free Packaging for Batteries
Stockholm Exergi Awarded $1.8 Billion by Sweden for Bio-energy Carbon Removal and Storage Project
ESG Reporting
IFRS Publishes Guidance for Companies Taking a Climate-First Approach to Sustainability Reporting
Government & Regulators
Switzerland Sets Target to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 65% by 2035
EU Pledges “Far-Reaching Simplification” in Sustainability Reporting in New Competitiveness Roadmap
ESG Services and Tools
Sustainable Finance
A2A Issues the First Green Bond Under New EUGB “Gold Standard”
Sustainable Lending Startup Colesco Raises Over $800 Million
esVolta Raises $243 Million for Texas Battery Energy Storage Projects
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Earth AI Raises $20 Million to Use AI to Explore for Clean Energy Metals
Sightline Raises $5.5 Million for AI-Powered Market Intelligence Climate Platform
Chipotle Invests in Startups Reducing Emissions from Cows, Advancing Plant-Based Protein
Sustainable Investing
Euronext Adds Paris-Aligned Climate Index to CAC Benchmark Suite
Manulife Raises $480 Million for Carbon Credit-Generating Forest Climate Fund
Schroders to Adopt All Four of the FCA’s SDR Sustainability Labels for Funds
Exec Moves
BDO Appoints Hannah Routh as Head of its Sustainability and ESG Practice
Reports, Studies & Surveys
Moody’s Predicts $1 Trillion Sustainable Bond Market in 2025 Despite Political Headwinds