ESG encountering widening ‘gulf’ between US and European investors: Morningstar

“We are definitely seeing a widening gap … between asset manager support for environmental and social-related voting initiatives," Morningstar Sustainalytics’ director of investment stewardship research said.

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 5, 2025

Companies reduce philanthropy aimed at boosting racial, gender equality

Change in “corporate citizenship” initiatives coincide with a federal backlash against efforts to promote sustainability in the private and public sectors.

By Jim Tyson • Feb. 5, 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

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.”

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 4, 2025

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.

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 3, 2025

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.

By Zoya Mirza • Feb. 3, 2025

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.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 31, 2025

Developments driving the ESG, sustainability industry in 2025

The change in U.S. presidential leadership has triggered drawbacks of ESG and DEI commitments, as the private sector braces for a change in political direction.

By Zoya Mirza , Lamar Johnson • Jan. 31, 2025

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.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 30, 2025

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.

By Lamar Johnson • 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.

By Emma Penrod • Jan. 30, 2025

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.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 29, 2025

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.

By Cole Rosengren • Updated Feb. 4, 2025

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.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 28, 2025

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.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 27, 2025

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.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 24, 2025

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.

By Kate Magill • Jan. 24, 2025

Investor interest in solar, storage cools amid Trump administration uncertainty

Venture capital investment dropped 36% in 2024 for solar companies and 60% in energy storage, according to Mercom Capital Group.

By Emma Penrod • Jan. 23, 2025

BlackRock and Tennessee reach settlement on ESG suit

“We’re pleased to resolve this matter,” a BlackRock spokesperson told ESG Dive. The agreement dismisses the state’s 2023 lawsuit and does not find that the investment firm violated any laws.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 22, 2025

Trump pulls US from Paris Agreement — again — in packed day one slate

The president’s executive order freezes all funding related to the 2015 global climate treaty and also rescinds the nation’s International Climate Finance plan.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 21, 2025

Federal Reserve exits climate-focused central bank coalition ahead of Trump’s inauguration

The U.S. central bank said the work of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System has “broadened in scope” and no longer falls within its “statutory mandate.”

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 21, 2025

Google inks pair of ‘largest biochar carbon removal deals to date’

“The magnitude of these Google purchases speak to the importance of biochar as a carbon removal tool,” according to the CEO of Varaha, one of the companies involved.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 17, 2025

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.

By Mandi McReynolds and Jill Klindt • Jan. 16, 2025

Federal judge rules against American Airlines in 401(k) ESG lawsuit

A judge ruled the airline violated its fiduciary duty to loyalty through its retirement plan management, though experts say “the bar is being set really low for what's a violation.”

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 15, 2025

NZAM suspends all activities after BlackRock’s exit

The United Nations-backed Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative has pulled its signatories page and won’t assess their commitments while it undergoes a review.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 14, 2025

Barclays’ head of sustainability steps down as sector scrutiny heats up

Barclays’ Group Head of Sustainability Laura Barlow will leave her leadership role but continue at the bank as a senior adviser, a bank spokesperson told ESG Dive.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 14, 2025