Human rights abuse documented in global leather supply chain

A new report from the Fair Labor Association uncovered violations including child labor and discrimination.

Congress votes to rescind California vehicle emissions waiver

Clean vehicle advocates say air quality and public health would suffer while auto and petroleum industry lobbyists support ending California’s authority under the Clean Air Act.

FTC, DOJ weigh in on Republican states’ coal antitrust case against ‘Big Three’ asset managers

The federal agencies urged the court to reject BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Texas AG Ken Paxton and 10 other states.

State of the Labor Dept. ESG rule in a post-Chevron landscape

An ongoing challenge to a rule allowing pension fund managers to consider ESG factors stands as a litmus test under a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Updated May 29, 2025

BlackRock’s GIP to buy controlling stake in Eni carbon capture business

Global Infrastructure Partners is aiming for a 49.99% controlling stake in the Italian energy major’s carbon capture and storage holdings.

House-passed budget bill sparks concerns from clean energy industry

While the nuclear industry saw some positive changes from a committee-passed version, further updates to the IRA structure prompted concerns from clean energy and sustainable investing groups.

Walmart, Mondelēz, Mars, Nestlé leave the US Plastics Pact

Multiple major members appear to have recently exited the group, which is gearing up to pursue refreshed 2030 sustainability targets. Meanwhile, some other companies have doubled down on participation for the next five years.

PepsiCo resets packaging sustainability goals, ditches reuse target

The company discontinued some sustainability goals and revamped others for packaging and emissions. PepsiCo says the goals are still ambitious and reflect external challenges to achieving targets.

House’s 60-day deadline for IRA eligibility would trigger ‘scramble’: EY experts

“From a commercial perspective, it's not a unilateral decision most of the time on whether you can begin construction,” said Greg Matlock, a tax leader at EY Americas.

Microsoft tops Google for ‘world’s largest biochar carbon removal’ deal

The tech giant signed a 10-year agreement with Exomad Green for 1.24 million tonnes of biochar removals, surpassing a high-water mark set by Google in January.

Lululemon taps ex-Nike CSO for senior sustainability role

Noel Kinder will oversee the apparel brand’s internal and external green strategies in his role as senior vice president of sustainability.

FedEx buys SAF from Neste for express cargo delivery at LAX

The 3 million gallons of fuel will be used for delivery at Los Angeles International Airport and will account for roughly one-fifth of FedEx’s fuel consumption at the airport.

Updated May 21, 2025

Inside glass manufacturer O-I’s sustainability targets

The glass company recently ramped up its 2030 targets. Sustainability Director Sonya Pump discussed the philosophy around goal-setting, including a focus on energy efficiency and assessing opportunity with evolving technologies.

Stop work order on Empire Wind 1 lifted, Equinor resumes construction

Statements from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum imply that the restart approval was related to conversations about the state’s natural gas pipeline capacity.

Reju prepares to commercially expand its polyester recycling

The company expects to open its first large-scale plant and eventually plans to regenerate as many as 300 million articles per year.

Pennsylvania judge dismisses county climate lawsuit against oil majors

A judge ruled that state courts lacked the subject matter jurisdiction to settle Bucks County’s case because its stated claims are “so intertwined with emissions.”

Microsoft inks another forestry-based carbon offtake deal

The deal with Rubicon Carbon is “one of the largest single-buyer commitments of its kind” globally and will deliver 18 million tonnes of credits over a 15-20 year period.

Solar companies compete to advance tandem cell technology

Companies like Qcells, Trinasolar and LONGi are betting on perovskite and silicon tandem technology and achieving recent breakthroughs in stability and efficiency.

GOP supporters of IRA clean energy credits outline reconciliation bill recommendations

Fourteen Republicans asked to maintain the tax credit transferability mechanism through the phase-out period and make two other adjustments to the clean energy tax credit changes.

Honda postpones $11B EV production investment in Canada

The automaker is delaying the plan by at least two years while seeking increased production in the U.S. for multiple models to avoid tariffs.

Congressional Dems press US financial institutions on climate alliance exits

“Leaving doesn’t eliminate climate-related financial risk; instead, it diminishes your capacity to monitor and address that risk collaboratively,” a letter from over 40 lawmakers said.

Oklo looks to Trump to hasten nuclear permitting

The advanced nuclear company aims to submit its reactor license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission later this year. 

​​Ikea upgrades regional sustainability manager to CSO

Lena Julle took on the permanent role of chief sustainability officer at the Inter Ikea Group on May 1, after serving as the company’s acting CSO for almost eight months.

Resetting net-zero: What next?

Governments, businesses and investors should seek to maintain long-term investment in competitive technologies while taking a proactive approach to sectors most vulnerable to the current slowdown.

Why a former ESG skeptic is teaching fiduciaries impact investing at MIT

“Not all impact investments are created equal,” said Andrew Lo, a MIT Sloan School of Management professor. “One needs to focus very specifically on what kind of impact they'd like to achieve.”