Environmental News

1/25/24:  In 2023, the European Union experienced a notable 8% reduction in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, marking the lowest levels in six decades

1/18/24: EU lawmakers reached a provisional agreement on proposed new emissions rules for heavy-duty vehicles

1/17/24: More than two-thirds of companies are planning to upskill their workforce in response to climate change

1/16/24: A group of 27 investors in Shell has submitted a resolution calling for stricter climate targets from the energy company

1/10/24: Rhodium Group's Preliminary Analysis Shows 1.9% Decrease in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Despite Economic Growth in 2023

1/10/24: World Economic Forum Identifies Climate Change, Demographics, Technology, and Geopolitics as Major Drivers of Destabilization in 2024

1/2/24: A combination of climate change and infrastructure is to blame for critical shipping delays in the Panama Canal

1/2/24: Canada Initiates Consultation for Federal Plastics Registry to Monitor Creation and Distribution of Plastics

12/28/23: Biden Administration Grants Louisiana Regulators Authority to Approve Carbon Capture Projects

12/28/23: China Aims to Produce Over Half of World's Cleaner Energy Ships by 2025

12/27/23: Largest U.S. Clean Energy Project Raises $11 Billion, Commences Construction

12/27/23: International Energy Agency Reports Rapid Deployment of Renewable Energy in 2023, Led by Significant Growth in Solar Power

12/20/23: UK Government Unveils CCUS Vision to Establish Global Leadership in Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage

12/20/23: Microsoft Strikes Deal to Remove Up to Three Million Tons of Carbon Through Partnership with Nature-Based Startup

12/18/23: KKR Identifies 'Brown-to-Green' Transition of Asset-Heavy Sectors as Key Mega-Theme for 2024

12/13/23: COP28 Concludes with Global Leaders Agreeing to Unprecedented Climate Deal Urging Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

12/12/23: 50 Major Oil and Gas Companies Commit to Near-Zero Methane Emissions by 2030 and Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 at COP28

12/5/23: Global Carbon Budget Report Warns of Record High CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuels in Current Year

12/5/23: Microsoft Enters Brazil's Voluntary Carbon Market with One of Its Largest Carbon Removal Deals

12/4/23: COP28 Finance Day Launches Global Climate Finance Centre (GCFC) to Accelerate Development of Climate Finance

11/30/23: Global Green Skills Report: Demand for Green Skills Outpaces Supply in 2023

11/30/23: COP28 Nations Approve Landmark Deal Establishing 'Loss and Damages Fund' to Aid Developing Nations Hit by Climate Emergencies

11/27/23: European Commission Unveils €4 Billion Investment to Drive Innovation in Decarbonization Technologies

11/24/23: European Commission Initiates €800 Million Subsidy Pilot Program for Renewable Hydrogen Producers

11/23/23: Brazil's President Lula Announces Increased Conservation Efforts, Aims to Reduce Deforestation to Historic Lows in 1-2 Years

11/22/23: UK Government Allocates £4 Billion to Boost Investment in Green Technologies and Clean Energy

11/20/23: Accenture Study: Over 75% of Large Global Companies Reduce Operational Emissions Intensity Since 2016, But Less Than 20% on Track for Net Zero by 2050

11/9/23: Indonesia's President Inaugurates $108 Million Floating Solar Power Plant with 192 MW Peak Capacity

11/6/23: UN Committee Breaks Impasse on 'Loss and Damage Fund' to Assist Vulnerable Nations Hit by Climate-Driven Disasters

11/2/23: UNEP Report Outlines Seven Strategies to Boost International Financing for Climate Adaptation Programs

10/30/23: Study Warns of Earlier 1.5°C Threshold Crossing by 2029 if Current Fossil Fuel Burning Rates Persist

10/30/23: COP28 Leadership Urges Governments to Triple Renewable Energy Capacity by 2030

10/29/23: White Hydrogen: A Potential Game-Changer in Supercharging Energy Transition

10/27/23: New York Governor Kathy Hochul Unveils Largest State Investment in U.S. History for Renewable Energy

10/24/23: Environmental Coalition Report Highlights Global Lag in Achieving 2030 Deforestation Goals

10/23/23: WWF Report: Water Crisis Poses Threat to Food Security, Sustainability, and $58 Trillion in Economic Value Linked to Water and Freshwater Ecosystems

10/23/23: IEA Forecasts Peak in Carbon Emissions by 2025, Driven by Tenfold Increase in EV Usage and Widespread Adoption of Solar Power by 2030

10/17/23: Across Demographics, Most Americans Express Interest in Purchasing Sustainable Products, Regardless of Party, Income, Age, and Location

10/13/23: Biden Administration Unveils $7 Billion Investment in Seven Clean Hydrogen Hubs

10/8/23: UAE Launches First Utility-Scale Wind Power Program Following Unveiling of Fourth-Largest Wind Farm

10/3/23: International Coral Reef Initiative Launches Coral Reef Breakthrough to Protect Over 75% of the World's Coral Reefs

9/26/23: Emmanuel Macron Unveils Plan to Slash France's Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 55% by 2030

9/26/23: Morgan Stanley and Stanford University Launch Open-Source Tool to Calculate Impact of Human-Built Structures on Ecosystems

9/26/23: Nature Action 100 Gains Momentum: Nearly 200 Investors Join Global Initiative to Address Nature and Biodiversity Loss

9/21/23: EU Lawmakers Reach Agreement to Ban Vague Product Taglines Like 'Environmentally Friendly' and 'Climate Neutral

9/20/23: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Delays Ban on New Gasoline and Diesel Cars to 2035, Citing High Costs for Average Households

9/18/23: California Sues Major Oil Companies for Alleged Cover-Up of Fossil Fuel Production's Role in Climate Change

9/11/23: U.S. and Peru Seal $20 Million Debt-for-Nature Swap to Support Amazon Rainforest Restoration

9/11/23: G20 World Leaders Commit to Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity by 2030 and Strengthening Paris Agreement Initiatives

9/8/23: NGFS Introduces Framework for Central Banks to Evaluate and Address Nature-Related Financial Risks

9/7/23: ECB Climate Stress Test: Banks' Credit Risk May Surge Over 100% by 2030 with Delayed Global Climate Goals

8/31/23: AI Paving the Way for Greener Buildings

8/29/23: EU Sees Record Low: Fossil Fuels Contribute Only One-Third of Power in First Half of 2023

8/29/23: Google Launches Three New APIs for Mapping Air Quality, Solar Potential, and Pollen Counts

8/28/23: Over 20 Countries Achieve Environmental Milestone as Electric Vehicles Capture 5% of New Car Sales

8/22/23: Biden Administration Reinstates Obama-Era Offshore Drilling Safety

8/21/23: DOE Commits up to $30 Million to Address U.S. Critical Minerals Demand

8/17/23: OceanWell and LVMWD Announce Partnership to Pilot California's First Blue Water Farm

8/14/23: Montana Judge Rules in Favor of Young Activists on Constitutional Rights to a Clean Environment

8/9/23: India Surpasses Expectations with 33% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity Over 14 Years, Boosted by Renewable Energy and Forest Growth

8/8/23: California Governor Gavin Newsom unveils plans to establish the state as a clean hydrogen hub

8/7/23: U.S. Department of Energy Commits $46 Million to Drive Innovation in Buildings' Energy Efficiency Across 15 States

7/28/23: Business leaders have launched Chapter Zero Southern Africa, aiming to halve fossil carbon emissions by 2030

7/24/23: UK High Court Rejects ClientEarth's Challenge Against Shell, Upholding Company's Net Zero Emission Strategy 

7/20/23: EU Greenlights €850 Million Aid to Support ArcelorMittal France's Decarbonization Efforts in Steel Production

7/14/23: RMI and Bezos Earth Fund Research Forecasts Surge in Solar, Wind, and Battery Capacity, Aligning with Global Net Zero Goals by 2030

7/12/23: EU Parliament Advances Nature Restoration Law

7/7/23: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the "2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships."

7/6/23: EPA Proposes Revisions to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for More Accurate Methane Emission Data

7/6/23: EPA Proposes Revisions to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for More Accurate Methane Emission Data

7/6/23: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has formed a Clean Truck Partnership with leading truck manufacturers and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association to promote zero-emission vehicles for commercial trucks.

7/5/23: A survey by Fidelity International reveals that while companies are increasingly incorporating ESG considerations into their operations and governance, fewer than 60% are on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

7/3/23: Portugal has increased its targets for solar energy and green hydrogen production, aiming to decommission natural gas-fired power plants by 2040 and potentially achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.

6/30/23: Insurance group AXA has announced decarbonization targets for its investment and insurance activities including reducing emissions of its largest commercial insurance clients by 30% and cutting the carbon footprint of its general account investment assets by 50% by 2030.

6/27/23: The World Economic Forum released a roadmap for China to develop its market for green hydrogen.

6/22/23: The governments of the UK and France have launched the UK-French Global Biodiversity Credits Roadmap, an initiative aimed at expanding the market for biodiversity credits.

6/20/23: The European Council has reached an agreement on nature restoration measures, including a requirement to protect and restore at least 20% of EU land and sea areas by 2030 and all areas in need of restoration by 2050.

6/15/23: A new report by S&P Global Ratings warns that the growth of carbon capture, carbon removal, and carbon credits by companies to address hard-to-abate emissions will present challenges and risks.

6/7/23: FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, has been accused by the Swiss Fairness Commission of making false claims about the environmental impact of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

6/2/23: The climate crisis continues to make it even harder to obtain insurance, with California’s largest home insurance company (State Farm) pulling out of the state due to growing catastrophe exposure.

5/31/23: The World Bank has approved a $400 million loan to the Dominican Republic to support the government's efforts in improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the energy sector.

5/22/23: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced they are committing roughly $60 million to advance clean hydrogen technologies and improve the electric power grid.

5/18/23: The EPA's newly established $27 billion clean energy fund is generating enthusiasm in both red and blue states, prompting them to launch their own green banks and attract investments in solar, wind, and energy efficiency projects.

5/17/23: Forecasters at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that global temperatures are likely to soar to record highs over the next five years.

5/12/23: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed ambitious carbon emissions standards for power plants that would push many to either install carbon capture equipment (CCS) that can siphon CO2 from a plant’s smokestack or use super-low-emissions hydrogen.

5/12/23: UK High Court judge dismissed a breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit against Shell Oil’s board of directors alleging that they failed to assure that the company adequately addressed climate related issues.

5/11/23: BNP has become the second largest bank (after HSBC) to exit new oil and gas project financing.

5/8/23: More than twenty VC firms have launched the Venture Climate Alliance— the latest member of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

5/4/23: New York will become the first state to ban gas stoves and heating in buildings between 2026 and 2029.

4/28/23: California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a new set of rules including one to ban the sale of diesel trucks by 2026.

4/26/23: EU lawmakers agree to deal setting binding targets for airlines in Europe to increase their use of sustainable aviation fuels

4/26/23: Apollo Global Management launches a $4 billion fund to invest in companies transitioning to clean energy

4/25/23: European Council announces the establishment of a carbon tax on imported goods

4/24/23: EU and Norway establish a Green Alliance

4/21/23: Australia to launch its first sovereign green bond by the middle of 2024

4/19/23: European Parliament passes law to ban imports of commodities if they are linked to deforestation

4/5/23: Mastercard announces efforts to accelerate the removal of first-use, PVC plastics from its cards by 2028

4/5/23: Two of five NYC pension funds enact plans to reach net zero by 2040

4/5/23: Citi launches Sustainable Time Deposit

3/30/23: UK publishes its updated net-zero Green Finance Strategy

3/23/23: US government announces $250 million in funding to help federal agencies implement net-zero building projects

3/22/23: European Commission releases new proposed anti-greenwashing rules

3/16/23: EU commission proposes Net-Zero Industry Act

3/14/23:  European Parliament requires all member states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

3/13/23: European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) and the European Central Bank (ECB) to encourage climate change-related disclosures for structured finance products

3/8/23: US Department of Energy to direct $6 billion in funding for decarbonization projects

3/8/23: Canada announces new climate risk management and disclosure requirements for banks and insurance companies

3/8/23: Survey shows 98% of their companies may begin complying with SEC’s upcoming climate-related disclosure rules regardless of when they become law

3/2/23: International Energy Agency (IEA) says global CO2 emissions rose less than 1% in 2022

2/28/23: Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) brings a lawsuit alleging greenwashing against Mercer Superannuation 

2/28/23: Canada to require major government suppliers to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and set reduction targets

2/28/23: UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) announces plans to take a “more permissive approach” in enforcing antitrust rules for climate change agreements

2/28/23: European Union reaches provisional agreement to establish a green bond standard

2/24/23: Department of Energy (DOE) funding $2.5 billion for two carbon capture management programs

2/9/23: Environmental law firm ClientEarth files a shareholder lawsuit in the UK against Shell’s board of directors

2/7/23: 100,000 clean energy jobs created since the adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act

1/31/23: US lawmakers launch Congressional Sustainable Investment Caucus (CSIC)

1/31/23: Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance has bans members from counting carbon removal methods towards emissions reduction targets

1/30/23: Study shows it is now less expensive to build a new solar or wind energy operation as a result of Inflation Reduction Act

1/27/23: New York City requires Uber and Lyft to have a zero-emissions fleet of 100,000 by 2030

1/27/23: Goldman Sachs predicts that clean hydrogen will be a $1 trillion market by 2050

1/26/23: US Department of Energy invests $118 million in 17 projects to accelerate sustainable biofuel production

1/26/23: India’s first green bond issuance met with strong demand

1/17/23: UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and S&P Global launch the Nature Risk Profile

1/13/23: New York State unveils a new “Cap-and-Invest” program, charging large emitters

1/10/23: Goldman Sachs raises $1.6 billion for its first climate/environment private equity fund

1/10/23: Biden administration releases the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization

1/9/23: The ozone layer is back on track to being restored

1/5/23: Ford becomes the second largest electric vehicle (EV) automaker

1/5/23: HSBC among coalition files shareholder resolution with mining and commodities company Glencore

12/27/22: Allstate commits to achieve net zero across its value chain

12/27/22: India planning a $2 billion incentive program for the green hydrogen industry

12/21/22: Canada announces regulations to help increase the supply of zero-emissions vehicles

12/20/22: US Postal Service (USPS) to invest $9.6 billion to build fleet of 66,000 electric vehicles

12/20/22: General Atlantic raises $3.5 billion for climate solutions fund

12/19/22: COP15 conference in Montreal ends with nearly 200 nations agreeing to new biodiversity goals

12/19/22: More than 190 countries agree to protect 30% of the lands and oceans by 2030

12/14/22: European Banking Authority (EBA) announces new ESG/sustainable finance roadmap

12/14/22: HSBC will stop financing new oil and gas projects

12/13/22: EU will implement a carbon tax on imports

12/13/22: CDP, environmental disclosure platform, reveals company scores for 2022

12/13/22: Nuclear fusion breakthrough announced by US Department of Energy

12/7/22: First-ever US floating wind auction closes at $750 million

12/6/22: EU to ban the import of products that contribute to deforestation

12/5/22: GRI issues a revised biodiversity reporting standard

12/5/22: Fed releases a series of proposed principles for large banks regarding climate-related risk

11/30/22: EU may require all packaging in the EU market to be fully recyclable by 2030

11/23/22: New York bans certain carbon-based crypto mining

11/23/22: Switzerland requiring climate disclosures for large companies and banks

11/19/22: In UN agreement, rich countries agree to pay for climate damages in poorer countries

11/15/22: International Energy Agency (IEA) report: $9.5 trillion investment needed to achieve net-zero

11/15/22: Energy Impact Partners’ (EIP) Frontier Fund closes at $485 million

11/15/22: Three European Supervisory Authorities launch review of greenwashing

11/9/22: EU agrees on CO2 emission cut targets

11/8/22: UN’s High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) targets greenwashing of net-zero pledges

11/8/22: UK launches framework for companies to disclose net-zero transition plans

11/8/22: Biden administration to announce program helping developing countries adopt renewable energy with carbon offsets

11/8/22: Climate Innovation and Development Fund (CIDF) completes electric mass transit investments in India and Vietnam

11/3/22: EU commits to investing €3 billion in cleantech projects

11/3/22: Nasdaq’s emissions targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative

11/2/22: European Central Bank (ECB) warns banks failing to address climate risks about higher capital requirements and/or fines

11/1/22: International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will require climate-related scenario analysis

10/31/22: $100 Billion in Climate Finance Goal expected to be met by 2023

10/28/22: Hong Kong Exchange launches voluntary carbon market

10/28/22: EU reaches a deal to ban the sale of combustion engine cars by 2035

10/26/22: Royal Bank of Canada releases targets for 2030 to reduce carbon emissions in heavily polluting sectors

10/26/22: Three NGOs threaten to sue bank under French law for supporting fossil fuel companies

10/25/22: Apple aims to decarbonize global supply chain by 2030

10/21/22: Reporting on Scope 3 emissions required under new ISSB standards

10/20/22: British bank Lloyds stops support toward direct financing to develop oil and gas fields

10/19/22: HSBC’s climate ads banned due to purportedly misleading information

10/13/22: 2023 proxy topics according to ISS 

10/4/22: Princeton divests and disassociates from fossil fuel companies

9/22/22: HSBC Asset Management commits to phase out thermal coal

9/15/22: Patagonia founder transfers ownership to two entities combating climate change

9/13/22: Transitioning to a decarbonized energy system by 2050 could save at least $12 trillion

9/7/22: BlackRock defends climate risk policies, responding to anti-ESG movement

9/1/22: California passes $54 billion climate bill

8/24/22: California to ban sale of new gas cars as of 2035

8/16/22: A defense against the anti-ESG movement’s climate critiques

8/12/22: A discussion of scientists’ views on the Inflation Reduction Act's climate provisions

8/8/22: An analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on climate change

7/29/22: West Virginia bans banks from doing business with state because their reduced financing of coal

7/19/22: UK’s High Court rules that the government's net zero strategy must be strengthened

7/12/22: Discussion on how Texas’s anti-ESG law drives down competition and results in higher costs

7/1/22: Possible ways forward for environmental regulation despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s West Virginia v. EPA decision

6/30/22: U.S. Supreme Court severely restricts the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to combat climate change

6/21/22: A recap of the SEC's proposed climate disclosure rule and the headwinds it’s facing

6/17/22: Despite its focus on stakeholder responsibility, the Business Roundtable comes out against the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rule

6/17/22: Comment letter from a bipartisan group of securities experts on why the SEC has the legal authority to require public company climate disclosures

6/15/22: New plan for finance to transition to net zero advanced by consortium of sustainable finance groups

6/13/22: S&P study finds that only 10% of green funds are aligned with global climate goals

6/13:22: Fascinating podcast between Kara Swisher and John Doerr (founder of Kleiner Perkins and author of Speed & Scale) discussing whether “we can tech our way out of climate change?”

6/3/22: A new New York law that would ban crypto mining that runs on carbon sources

5/24/22: Promoting sustainability in India

5/20/22: Private Equity firm Vista has announced that each of its majority-owned portfolio companies have agreed to measure greenhouse emissions, set a reduction target, and offset emissions on an annual basis

4/20/22: Texas to punish companies moving away from fossil fuels

4/4/22: Report from the US Congressional Research Service on how climate change may effect the US economy.

3/25/22: Environmental questions raised by the war in Ukraine

3/22/22: How to read the SEC’s proposed Climate-Related Disclosure Framework 

3/21/22: Two opposing views from SEC commissioners on the proposed public company climate disclosure rule:

• Chair Gensler (pro)

• Commissioner Peirce (con)  

3/21/22: SEC proposes public company disclosures relating to climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions

2/28/22: UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the climate is changing faster than we can adapt