California’s carbon-pricing program generated $36.2B for climate initiatives: report

The Cap-and-Invest program deployed $15.5 billion to back 600,000 projects focused on clean air, energy efficiency, affordability and emissions reductions.

By Zoya Mirza • July 24, 2026

Black-owned banks Optus, Mechanics & Farmers to merge

The roughly $105 million deal, set to close in the fourth quarter, will create a $1.3 billion-asset entity, the largest Black-owned bank in the country, the institutions said Wednesday.

By Dan Ennis • July 24, 2026

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

Tracking New York’s climate ambition and corporate disclosure laws

The Empire State has had to dial back its climate ambition and revise targets in the wake of COVID-19, the Trump administration’s opposition to renewable energy and the ongoing affordability crisis.

By Zoya Mirza • July 23, 2026

Investor coalition urges SEC to ‘largely retain’ shareholder proposal rule

The Securities and Exchange Commission has indicated plans to alter Rule 14a-8, which governs the shareholder proposal process, with Chair Paul Atkins hinting at wholesale changes.

By Lamar Johnson • July 23, 2026

92% of CFOs, top finance staff feel pressure to show ROI from AI: survey

Half of survey respondents said their AI agents have yielded only limited measurable ROI, according to Avalara.

By Jim Tyson • July 23, 2026

BlackRock’s GIP, Microsoft-backed AI group buy Aligned Data Centers for $40B

The deal represents the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership’s first investment, as it joins Global Infrastructure Partners and UAE tech investment firm MGX in acquiring the data center developer.

By Lamar Johnson • July 22, 2026

Citizens Bank to exit agreements with ICE contractors

Citizens called the end of its relationships with CoreCivic and GEO “a business decision” that “does not reflect any change in our view regarding these companies' business models or operations.”

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 21, 2026

Citi commits $25M to drive innovation in housing access, affordability

The funding will be provided through the Citi Impact Fund which backs startups that aim to advance social equity and assist economically vulnerable communities while generating financial returns.

By Zoya Mirza • July 20, 2026

IRA clean energy gains mostly on track despite OBBBA, says MIT study

The report estimates 74% of all new clean electricity capacity that would have been added under the Inflation Reduction Act will be preserved despite Trump administration policy changes, including 82% of utility-scale solar generation.

By Diana DiGangi • July 13, 2026

EU Commission adopts revised sustainability reporting standards

The changes are expected to remove over 70% of data points from the European Sustainability Reporting Standards and cut compliance costs by 30% per company.

By Lamar Johnson • July 10, 2026

Google, McKinsey, Tencent invest in Indonesia carbon removal

Google and McKinsey will purchase 335,000 metric tons of nature-based removals through the Symbiosis Coalition, while Tencent will purchase 300,000 metric tons as its first offtake outside of China.

By Lamar Johnson • July 9, 2026

Resilience projects need funding. Green banks could help them reach new investors, one researcher says.

A hybrid institutional capital model could package small infrastructure resilience projects to make them attractive to institutional investors, a new research paper proposes.

By Vicky Uhland • July 9, 2026

Analysts expect rising PPA prices as clean energy tax credits phase out

“That missing money has to come from somewhere to make the project pencil, and that will likely be through PPA prices,” said Josh Price, director of intelligence and research at Crux.

By Diana DiGangi • July 7, 2026

Deutsche Bank, Lufthansa invest in SAF to cut business travel emissions

The deal between the German lender and the aviation company is estimated to enable up to 5,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions reductions compared to conventional jet fuel.

By Zoya Mirza • July 6, 2026

Amazon invests in ecosystem restoration for 1.95M metric tons of removal credits

The deal will run for over a decade and support the second phase of a nature-based carbon removal project in South Africa.

By Lamar Johnson • July 6, 2026

KKR to buy EDF power solutions’ North American operations for $4.2B

The investment firm said the deal with EDF will support the United States’ “broader energy security and affordability goals” at a time when electricity demand is rising.

By Zoya Mirza • July 2, 2026

ISS, Glass Lewis score wins against Kansas, Indiana anti-ESG laws

Federal judges issued preliminary injunctions to stop the implementation of laws targeting the proxy advisers in the two states.

By Lamar Johnson • Updated July 1, 2026

World Bank to sunset key climate financing goal following US pressure

The organization is scrapping a target to commit 45% of its annual financing to projects with climate benefits amid increased scrutiny from the Trump administration.

By Zoya Mirza • June 30, 2026

MSCI acquires First Street to expand physical climate risk modeling

The climate risk tech and data company’s acquisition will help financial institutions embed climate risk calculations “directly into how capital is priced and allocated,” First Street founder Matthew Eby said.

By Lamar Johnson • June 29, 2026

CARB delays emissions reporting deadline by 3 months

The agency said it will delay the compliance deadline for California’s SB 253 — the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act — and propose “limited changes.”

By Lamar Johnson • June 26, 2026

Luxury EV-maker Lucid Motors laying off 18% of US workforce, COO resigns

The layoffs follow a 12% reduction of the company’s workforce in February following the launch of the Gravity SUV, its second model.

By Eric Walz • June 26, 2026

Chemours agrees to $450M PFAS settlement with US government

The EPA accused the chemical giant of releasing forever chemicals into rivers near the company’s facilities in North Carolina, New Jersey and West Virginia. In some instances, without the required permits.

By Sara Samora • June 26, 2026

Green economy surpasses $10 trillion in market capitalization: LSEG

Green companies accounted for 9.9% of market capitalization in 2026, and green mergers represent 13.4% of M&A activity in the past decade, according to the London Stock Exchange Group.

By Lauren Schenkman • June 25, 2026

UN secretary general urges AI giants to disclose environmental impact

António Guterres called on artificial intelligence companies to make 2030 commitments, as part of a plan for achieving global energy independence and reaching net-zero by 2050.

By Lamar Johnson • June 23, 2026

4 out of 5 companies can’t measure sustainability’s financial impact

“While science and target setting have moved forward, valuation tools and financial methodologies have lagged behind,” the KPMG report states.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • June 23, 2026