The Latest
-
Deep Dive
Why climate alliance memberships are no longer ‘en vogue’ for Wall Street
Financial institutions have increasingly departed groups like the Net-Zero Banking Alliance and Climate Action 100+, but experts say banks are still committed to sustainability.
-
Vanguard dilutes diversity guidelines for US board proxy voting
The updated policies exclude a recommendation that boards “at a minimum, represent diversity of personal characteristics, inclusive of at least diversity in gender, race and ethnicity.”
-
Senate confirms Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as DOE secretary
Wright aims to expand U.S. power supplies — including renewable energy — to help lower electricity prices, he said during his Senate confirmation hearing.
-
Meta’s HR changes reflect widely touted aspirational approach to DEI
Eliminating hard inclusivity goals won’t protect against reverse discrimination complaints but it will help, legal specialists say.
-
Republican officials urge SEC, DOL to adopt anti-ESG, DEI rules
The letter signed by 22 Republican state finance officials cited American Airlines’ recent legal loss as evidence that fiduciaries are breaching their duty to loyalty with regards to ESG and DEI.
-
Treasury Department exits global regulatory climate coalition
The Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office withdrew from the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System last week to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
-
Trump’s executive orders cause hesitation, confusion for clean energy developers
“There are daily developments, and I think people are just doing the best they can with the limited information we have at the moment,” said Felisa Sanchez, a partner with law firm K&L Gates.
-
Banks improving clean energy finance ratios, still well-short of net-zero pace: report
“The ratio isn’t evolving at the pace needed to hit the 4:1 level required this decade under commonly referenced scenarios to limit climate change to 1.5 [degrees Celsius],” according to BloombergNEF.
-
Target ends some DEI initiatives, reiterates commitment to belonging and inclusion
Chief Community Impact and Equity Officer Kiera Fernandez cited “the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape.”
-
Zeldin is confirmed as the new EPA administrator. What’s next?
The former New York representative will helm the agency as it navigates executive orders pausing climate programs and reviews pending regulations that could affect the waste and recycling industries.
Updated Jan. 30, 2025 -
PPA prices continue to rise amid Trump policy uncertainty: LevelTen Energy
But energy buyers and sellers have grown more adaptable in the face of an unstable policy landscape, LevelTen Energy said.
-
Rockefeller grant strengthens push for nature-related disclosures
The Rockefeller Foundation announced it will give the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures $500,000 to scale its voluntary adoption efforts, as the organization rolls out additional sector guidelines.
-
Trump pauses renewable projects leasing on federal lands, waters
The Department of the Interior issued the order on Donald Trump’s first day in office, though just a small portion of the nation’s renewable energy capacity is located on government land.
-
1 in 8 companies say they plan to weaken DEI commitments in 2025
More than half of managers said diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives were implemented primarily for public relations purposes, Resume.org found.
-
Triumvirate Environmental confirms private equity investment
Berkshire Partners’ investment values the Massachusetts-based environmental services company at $1.8 billion and marks the latest example of growing interest in the sector.
Updated Feb. 4, 2025 -
American Express’ travel arm unveils emissions-based carbon pricing tool
American Express Global Business Travel said its new tool will help business travelers calculate their carbon footprint and direct investments toward sustainability initiatives.
-
BlackRock launches brown to green material fund to back low-carbon transition
The materials sector-focused fund will be the first the firm launches under the United Kingdom’s “Sustainability Improvers” label.
-
Deep Dive
Tech industry works to meet AI’s energy demands as ESG use cases grow
“I don't think we're going to ever capture the opportunities of AI if we don't think about it in a responsible way,” Cisco Chief Sustainability Officer Mary de Wysocki told ESG Dive.
-
USDA releases guidance on climate-smart crops in biofuels
The interim rule gives insight into how farmers can access renewable fuel tax credits, though a Trump administration freeze on recent federal regulations is creating more uncertainty.
-
State AGs threaten financial institutions over ESG, DEI policies
Bank of America, BlackRock, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley were all asked about how they plan to implement or have implemented hiring or supplier diversity goals.
-
Companies continue to pursue scope 3 reporting, despite regulatory and data collection challenges
Mejuri and Kontoor Brands are working with supplier networks to improve transparency of scope 3 reporting, while LinkedIn is using an internal carbon fee as an oversight mechanism.
-
While Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders pile up, JPMorgan Chase CEO doesn’t flinch
In response to activists’ anti-DEI efforts against his company, the CEO said to “bring them on.”
-
Northern Trust AM exits Climate Action 100+, Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative
The departure is the latest in Wall Street’s continued exodus from climate-focused alliances and groups as sector scrutiny heats up under the new Trump administration.
-
Opinion
The dual mandate: how CSOs and CFOs are tackling the regulatory and digital evolution in 2025
In the year ahead, chief sustainability officers and chief financial officers must combine digital sustainability leadership with financial discipline to thrive in a new low-carbon economy.
-
Trump freezes Inflation Reduction Act funding
The White House later issued a memo to clarify the funding pause, specifying that it pertains only to aspects of the law mentioned in Section 2 of the executive order.