Arjuna Capital, Follow This pull Exxon climate proposal after lawsuit

Natasha Lamb, Arjuna Capital’s chief investment officer, warned the lawsuit will silence investors concerned about climate risks.

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 5, 2024

ASHRAE, ICC unveil draft standard for GHG emission assessment in buildings

The proposed Standard 240P intends to provide a common platform to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions of buildings, the organizations say. 

By Nish Amarnath • Feb. 5, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from ESG Dive

This year has shaped up to be a formative one for ESG, from the U.S. pulling out of major climate agreements to federal agencies recalibrating their approach to sustainability under the new administration.

By ESG Dive staff

The ESG industry outlook on 2024: Climate disclosure rules, proxy voting and more

The upcoming year will determine how national and international regulation, shareholder rights and proposal approvals, and scope 3 reporting influence the ESG landscape.

By Zoya Mirza , Lamar Johnson • Jan. 30, 2024

Texas AG bans Barclays from state municipal bonds over ESG

The Lone Star state said the ban stems from the bank’s association with the Net Zero Banking Alliance and refusal to provide additional information about its carbon emissions commitments.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 29, 2024

EU ESG due diligence directive set to take effect

Final approval of the regulatory action is expected to happen soon. When it does, U.S. companies doing $300M in EU business must show they're meeting environmental and social goals. 

By Neil D’Souza • Jan. 29, 2024

US solar industry awaits federal moves on interest rates, tax credits as global M&A activity drops 15%

Global corporate solar funding rose to $34.3 billion last year with help from IRA incentives, while high interest rates slowed acquisition activity, said Mercom Capital Group CEO Raj Prabhu.

By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 26, 2024

EU lawmakers approve 2-year delay of CSRD reporting for non-EU companies and specific sectors

The deferral will allow companies to first focus on the implementation of broader sustainability reporting requirements before they start adhering to sector specific standards.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 25, 2024

New Hampshire bill would make use of ESG in investments a felony

The bill would punish “knowingly” using ESG factors in investment decisions with at least a year in prison.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 22, 2024

Top court appears mixed on keeping Chevron deference

The doctrine was recently cited to support the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging a Labor Department rule allowing employee retirement fund managers to consider ESG factors.

By Robert Freedman • Jan. 19, 2024

House GOP says SEC is overstepping authority, cannot demand climate disclosures

Expert witnesses for the Financial Services Subcommittee differed in legal interpretations of the agency’s power to issue the rule.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 19, 2024

To keep or not to keep: The fate of scope 3 emissions in SEC’s climate disclosure rule

Given all of the pushback the agency has received over its proposed rule, particularly scope 3 reporting requirements, experts are uncertain if scope 3 will make the final cut.

By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 18, 2024

Exclusive: Pro-ESG group tallies $150M in Big Oil donations to Republicans opposing SEC climate rule

A broad majority of the nearly 250 Republican state and congressional lawmakers have also expressed concerns about the rule’s inclusion of scope 3 disclosure, according to Unlocking America’s Future.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 18, 2024

Walmart to pay $60K over claim it did not promote woman with young children

The retailer promoted an employee who did not have young children, amounting to sex discrimination, the EEOC alleged.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 17, 2024

What Congress’ new attempt to strengthen age bias laws means for employers

The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would restore the “mixed-motive” test struck down by a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 11, 2024

Missouri’s bid to dismiss anti ESG-rules suit is denied

The U.S. federal judge’s decision greenlights a lawsuit challenging two of the state’s ESG rules that affect financial institutions.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 10, 2024

How 3 states are attacking carbon emissions from transportation

While 21 states sued the federal government over its new rule requiring transportation emission reduction targets, others are forging ahead to clean up the sector.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 10, 2024

4 ESG trends that set the tone for 2024

It’s shaping up to be a big year for ESG with a packed SEC agenda, fights over corporate DEI efforts and shareholder rights and a focus on financing the net zero transition.

By Lamar Johnson , Zoya Mirza • Jan. 10, 2024

Federal court won’t reconsider decision to overturn Berkeley, California, natural gas ban

If the city wants to continue to appeal the decision, its next step would be the U.S. Supreme Court. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 4, 2024

EU’s financial regulator: Stronger regulation needed to deter greenwashing

The European Securities and Markets Authority found negligible stock-based impacts of ESG controversies on companies, noting a lack of market-based mechanisms to prevent greenwashing. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Jan. 3, 2024

Industry leaders blast Treasury’s draft guidance for clean hydrogen tax credits

Some leading hydrogen producers are already talking about suing to stop the implementation of the Treasury Department’s proposal, according to Mona Dajani, a partner at Baker Botts.

By Emma Penrod • Dec. 22, 2023

New York finalizes climate-risk guidance for financial institutions

The state said the new rules will help banking and mortgage institutions prepare for the physical and transition risks of climate change.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 22, 2023

EU Council reaches agreement on new ESG rating rule

The regulation is designed to increase transparency of sustainability score providers and will apply to non-European Union based companies looking to operate in the bloc.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 21, 2023

Wyoming to require disclosure of the use of social investment factors

The secretary of state adopted the rule because of ongoing concerns about ESG strategies negatively affecting state industries like coal and agriculture.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 20, 2023

Tennessee sues BlackRock over ‘misleading’ ESG strategy

The lawsuit claims the $9.1 trillion firm misled consumers about the scope and effects of its ESG activity and released conflicting statements regarding ESG’s influence over its business decisions. 

By Anna Hrushka • Dec. 19, 2023

Banks are excluded from EU’s human rights, due diligence regulation — for now

Despite opposition to leaving financial institutions out, the final draft of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive only states the sector may need to comply at a later date.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 19, 2023