ESG tops in-house counsel litigation concerns

Organizations bringing lawsuits are finding more ways to tie company actions to impacts, a report finds.

By Robert Freedman • Jan. 13, 2025

BlackRock leaves NZAM as Wall Street runs from climate groups

The nation’s largest investment manager is leaving the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, joining a broader financial institution exodus from high-profile climate alliances.

By Lamar Johnson • Updated Jan. 10, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from ESG Dive

The landscape for ESG continues to shift, as U.S. exits from major climate agreements and organizations are juxtaposed with states forging ahead with their own climate disclosure laws.

By ESG Dive staff

Treasury finalizes guidance for IRA’s tech neutral, clean electricity tax credits

They’re “the most important clean energy tax credits ever enacted,” said Brad Townsend, vice president of policy and outreach at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. 

By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 10, 2025

5 ESG trends sustainability professionals should monitor in 2025

Upcoming leadership changes in the White House and Congress are expected to create a more adversarial stance on ESG and climate issues in 2025.

By Lamar Johnson , Zoya Mirza • Jan. 9, 2025

Shell shareholders file resolution asking oil giant for transparency on LNG strategy, climate goals

The proposal calls out Shell’s plans to increase its sales of liquified natural gas and asks how the company justifies its growth strategy with its climate commitments.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 9, 2025

SBTi appoints EY corporate sustainability partner as next CEO

David Kennedy will take on the chief executive role at the climate target validation organization in Q2 from interim CEO Sue Jenny Ehr, pending an agreement with his current firm.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 8, 2025

McDonald’s cools on DEI, shifts to ‘global inclusion’

The shift in strategy comes as a result of work done last year, McDonald’s said, including a “comprehensive Civil Rights Audit.”

By Caroline Colvin • Jan. 8, 2025

JPMorgan becomes latest major US bank to exit NZBA

The bank’s departure from the Net Zero Banking Alliance follows the exits of five other major U.S. banks from the climate coalition in the past month.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 7, 2025

Big Oil urges Supreme Court to weigh in on Honolulu climate case

The judges will determine whether to take up the oil giant's appeal during a Jan. 10 conference.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 6, 2025

Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley latest to exit Net-Zero Banking Alliance

The financial institutions’ decision to leave NZBA comes shortly after Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo announced they were departing the United Nations-backed climate coalition last month.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 3, 2025

Did Costco just reset the narrative around DEI?

In contrast to a slew of companies, the warehouse retailer has forcefully rejected an anti-DEI shareholder proposal as bad for business.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 3, 2025

Sustainability profession at ‘crossroads’ amid regulation, compliance headwinds: Trellis

Compliance is becoming a bigger part of a sustainability executive’s role, coupled with greater oversight from legal and CFO teams, according to the research firm.

By Suman Bhattacharyya • Jan. 2, 2025

How AI is shaping the future of sustainability

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is redefining how industries operate, and its influence on sustainability is no exception, according to PwC’s ESG principal. 

By Sammy Lakshmanan • Jan. 2, 2025

Walmart to miss 2025, 2030 emissions reduction targets

The retail giant said it will miss its goals to reduce operational emissions because of challenges with energy policy and infrastructure, as well as technology availability.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 20, 2024

Nostromo Energy receives $305M conditional commitment from DOE for thermal energy storage system

If finalized, the loan will support up to 193 IceBrick installations in commercial buildings across California, scaling the ice-based system’s integration with virtual power plants, the company says.

By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 20, 2024

People are as important as technology for reliable ESG data collection

Driven by various regulatory frameworks, companies of all sizes may need to retool their approaches to data collection to meet compliance timelines in the most effective ways possible.

By Matthew Gardner • Dec. 19, 2024

Vanguard Renewables names new CEO as owner BlackRock looks for growth

The anaerobic digestion company’s former CEO, who held the role since before Vanguard was purchased by a division of BlackRock Real Assets, has departed, the company confirmed.

By Jacob Wallace • Dec. 18, 2024

More than 70 investors have left Climate Action 100+ since GOP probe: House Judiciary

The disclosure was made in an interim report that alleges climate coalitions developed a playbook to push “disfavored” companies towards net-zero.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 17, 2024

SAP adds carbon-tracking solution to its cloud-based resource planning toolkit

The Green Ledger tool tracks and accounts for emissions across business units, the technology company said Monday.

By Matt Ashare • Dec. 17, 2024

Supply chains of over 100 fashion brands linked to oil, gas fracking in Texas

Stand.earth identified 107 fashion companies — including H&M, Puma and Adidas — that use textile materials generated by petrochemicals linked to the Permian Basin in a new report.

By Zoya Mirza • Dec. 16, 2024

E+S proposals grew over decade alongside anti-ESG submissions: report

“Investors show little to no interest in proposals that advocate a political viewpoint without demonstrable economic relevance,” proxy advisory firm ISS-Corporate said in an analysis.

By Suman Bhattacharyya • Dec. 13, 2024

CBRE’s climate transition strategy targets supply chain, efficiency actions

Measures to decarbonize include working with clients and suppliers to reduce emissions, which would help decrease its large share of scope 3 emissions, the real estate firm said.

By Joe Burns • Dec. 13, 2024

Appeals court rejects Nasdaq effort to boost director diversity

The Fifth Circuit found that the Securities Exchange Act doesn’t allow a stock exchange to require listed companies to report directors’ race and gender.

By Justin Bachman • Dec. 13, 2024

California to ease enforcement action on climate rules for first year of reporting

The California Air Resources Board said it would “not take enforcement action” on entities subject to Senate Bill 253 for incomplete reporting during the first reporting cycle due 2026.

By Zoya Mirza • Dec. 12, 2024

Court blocks Target’s attempt to move, dismiss DEI-related shareholder suit

The lawsuit argued that Target’s “DEI/ESG mandates” had a “known risk of adverse customer reactions,” and should have therefore been disclosed in investor statements.

By Caroline Colvin • Dec. 12, 2024