Category: ESG Europe
The European Commission has awarded the construction contract for its new Joint Research Centre (JRC) building in Seville, Spain. Once approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the...
Italian state railways, Ferrovie dello Stato, is making a bold push into renewable energy. CEO Stefano Donnarumma announced plans for a €1.3 billion ($1.36 billion) investment in a photovoltaic plant,...
Europe’s Banks Are “In Debt to the Planet” Europe’s 25 largest banks are not doing enough to address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, according to a...
Iberdrola’s Milestone Investment in Sicily Iberdrola has secured a €100 million green loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), backed by SACE’s Archimede guarantee, to construct a state-of-the-art photovoltaic (PV)...
The News: KPMG’s 2024 Survey of Sustainability Reporting highlights strong sustainability reporting progress among Belgian companies, driven by upcoming EU regulations and a growing focus on governance and transparency. Key...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched a consultation to gather input on digitalizing sustainability and financial disclosures through the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). The goal? To...
The News: The European Union has finalized ambitious regulations requiring all packaging to be 100% recyclable by 2030. The comprehensive rules target the full lifecycle of packaging,emphasizing re-use, recycling, and...
Iberdrola and Kansai Team Up on Offshore Wind Iberdrola, a global leader in renewable energy, has partnered with Kansai Electric, Japan’s second-largest utility, in the €1.28 billion Windanker offshore wind...
German promotional bank KfW has unveiled plans to issue €10 billion in green bonds in 2025, further cementing its leadership in sustainable finance. The announcement came during its annual capital...
DWS has announced the first close of its ESG Infrastructure Debt Strategy (EIDS), securing €323 million from institutional investors across EMEA and APAC. This milestone highlights growing demand for sustainable...
Switzerland has made significant progress toward its net-zero emissions goals, achieving a 24% reduction in emissions from 1990 to 2022, while doubling the size of its economy. A new UBS...
The European Commission has launched €4.6 billion in funding under the Innovation Fund to accelerate decarbonization and enhance Europe’s green technologies. These initiatives are critical for meeting climate neutrality goals...
The European Union has agreed to delay the enforcement of its deforestation regulation by 12 months, moving the application date to December 30, 2025. This decision aims to provide additional...
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed Harry Boyd-Carpenter as Managing Director of its Sustainable Infrastructure Group (SIG), a key division covering municipal infrastructure, transport, and energy....
EU Taxonomy FAQ: A Step Towards Usability The European Commission released a comprehensive FAQ document to aid in implementing the EU Taxonomy, its sustainability classification system. Aimed at reducing administrative...
DHL Express and Shell have entered into a landmark 1-year agreement to promote sustainable air freight operations at Brussels Airport. The deal includes the delivery of 25 kt of Sustainable...
Record Demand for Iberdrola’s Hybrid Green Bond Iberdrola has successfully placed an €800 million hybrid green bond in the Euromarket, as reported to Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). The...
Details of the Transaction The European Commission raised €7 billion in its 10th syndicated bond transaction of 2024, with €3 billion allocated as NextGenerationEU (NGEU) Green Bonds. The issuance included:...
Deloitte and Workiva Expand Sustainability Compliance Tools Deloitte and Workiva have launched four new ESG accelerators aimed at simplifying regulatory compliance under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)....
Climate Risks and Financial Stability: Key Insights The European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA, and ESMA) and the European Central Bank (ECB) today published findings from the one-off “Fit-for-55” climate scenario...
The Council of the European Union has approved a groundbreaking regulation to enhance the transparency, consistency, and comparability of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings. This move aims to bolster...
Endesa, one of Spain’s leading energy companies, has announced a record-breaking €9.6 billion investment under its 2025-2027 strategic plan. The move comes as the company aligns with the ambitious electrification...
Follow ESG News on Linkedin In the first EU Parliament hearing since the US election, voices against the EU Green Deal from the right and far-right were louder than ever. Emboldened...
Singapore has joined the European Union (EU) and China in presenting the Multi-Jurisdiction Common Ground Taxonomy (M-CGT), a significant step towards harmonizing sustainable finance taxonomies across the three regions. Developed...
The European Parliament’s recent vote to delay the EU deforestation regulation signals a shift that could impact environmental and trade policies for years to come. While the law was originally...
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has released its final report on the prudential treatment of sustainability risks under Solvency II, recommending increased capital requirements for insurers holding...
The European Union’s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, reiterated the EU’s commitment to ending sales of CO2-emitting cars by 2035 and enforcing stricter CO2 limits for carmakers next year. This comes...
The Isle of Man, a self-governing Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, is positioning its future as a leading jurisdiction for responsible investment and green financial initiatives with the launch...
Irish businesses are intensifying their commitment to sustainability, with 81% of organizations reporting increased focus over the past year, according to EY Ireland’s State of Sustainability report. The survey, involving...
In a significant environmental milestone, net GHG emissions across the EU dropped by 8.3% in 2023, according to a new report by the European Commission. This decrease represents one of...
Follow ESG News on Linkedin KPMG’s latest report, Navigating EU Taxonomy: Progress and Pathways to Compliance, provides a comprehensive analysis of the EU Taxonomy disclosures of 291 European companies, offering critical...
Follow ESG News on Linkedin The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) governing board approved a groundbreaking $70 million investment for Turkey. This plan will support Turkey’s clean energy ambitions by boosting the...
Follow ESG News on Linkedin The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) have expanded their partnership, signing an agreement aimed at accelerating sustainable development in Italy’s public...
Follow ESG News on Linkedin The Federal Republic of Germany has appointed DZ BANK AG and Deutsche Bank as joint ESG coordinators for a planned update to its Green Bond Framework,...
Bain Capital has acquired an 80% stake in AQ Compute, Aquila Group’s data center business, marking a major move to create a sustainable data center platform across Europe. AQ Compute,...
Verdane, the European growth investment firm, has announced the final close of its Idun II fund at a €700 million hard cap, a significant milestone aimed at investing in businesses...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has released its 2024 European Common Enforcement Priorities (ECEP) Statement, setting strict guidelines on corporate reporting requirements. This year’s priorities focus heavily on...
Key Impact Points: Bureau Veritas has announced the acquisition of Aligned Incentives, an innovative leader in AI-powered sustainability planning solutions. This acquisition significantly enhances Bureau Veritas’ capabilities in Scope 3...
Key Impact Points: The European Commission has selected 85 innovative net-zero projects to receive €4.8 billion in grants from the Innovation Fund, aiming to accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge clean...
3 Key Impact Points: European Firms Lead in Climate Investments European companies are at the forefront of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, with 61% having already invested in tackling climate...
Key Impact Points: Why it matters: Germany, aiming to become climate-neutral by 2045, is taking bold steps to decarbonize its industries. The government’s $3.1 billion subsidies will support industrial companies...
Key Impact Points: Why it matters: Large companies in the EU must comply with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) starting in 2025. Many struggle with managing sustainability data. IFS...
Greece has presented a revised national energy and climate plan that significantly raises its renewable energy targets, aiming for renewables to account for 82% of electricity generation by 2030. This...
Leading the Charge on Textile Waste Spain’s largest fashion companies, including Zara owner Inditex, H&M, Decathlon, Ikea, and Primark, will start collecting discarded clothes in April next year as part...
Key Impact Points: The European Mortgage Federation – European Covered Bond Council (EMF-ECBC) and the Climate Bonds Initiative (Climate Bonds) have joined forces to certify bonds aligned with the European...
Key Impact Points: Pioneering Energy Storage Solutions Sweco, a leader in civil and electrical engineering, is set to design Green Turtle—one of continental Europe’s largest battery storage facilities—for GIGA Storage...
Eurofins Sustainability Services has introduced a new deforestation impact assessment designed to help businesses comply with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The EUDR aims to stop the import and...
Poland is now aiming for a 56% share of renewable energy in its electricity mix by 2030, according to Climate Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska. This target, presented in a draft of...
Eni and Snam have launched Ravenna CCS, Italy’s first carbon capture and storage project, positioning it as a leading initiative in global carbon capture efforts. This project is a cornerstone...
Sunly’s Major Investment Move Renewable energy company Sunly has secured €300 million in funding to enhance its production capacity in the Baltics and Poland. This significant investment, sourced from prominent...
The World Bank has successfully issued a €2.5 billion 7-year euro-denominated bond, marking its first such issuance in fiscal year 2025. The bond, maturing in August 2031, attracted significant interest...
For more from Tim Mohin, sign up for his newsletter here While there are still many questions about how all of these policies will work and interact, the time for implementation...
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has activated a €5 billion initiative to bolster Europe’s wind-energy equipment manufacturers. This includes a €500 million counter-guarantee to Deutsche Bank AG, facilitating up to...
International Airlines Group (IAG) has inked a landmark agreement with Repsol for over 28,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marking the largest SAF purchase in Spain. This fuel will...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published an Opinion on enhancing the Sustainable Finance Regulatory Framework, highlighting potential long-term improvements. Current Framework ESMA recognizes the robust development of...
New Leadership Announced Accountancy Europe has appointed Eelco van der Enden as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2025. This decision follows a comprehensive search process led by President...
The Iberian Peninsula is spearheading Europe’s cleantech transformation, with a forecasted investment of over €150 billion and the creation of approximately 2.65 million jobs by 2030. These insights come from...
Dutch companies show strong confidence in CSRD readiness. According to PwC’s Global CSRD Survey 2024, 79% of Dutch businesses expect to comply with the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)...
Cepsa and PreZero Spain have signed a strategic partnership that will enable both companies to advance in their decarbonization objectives. Under the agreement, PreZero Spain will supply biomethane from some...
After the rightward turn in Europe’s elections last week, few people thought that the EU would continue its streak of leadership sustainability policies. In a surprise move, the environment ministers...
Capgemini announced the signing of a long-term agreement with Equigy to develop a new decentralized energy system to manage more effectively the supply and demand of electricity across Europe. The crowd balancing platform (CBP)...
Over the last few years, Europe’s “green deal” produced a plethora of sustainability policies. It seemed like every week, we reported on a new, far-reaching, world-leading sustainability regulation. Now that...
As the world’s largest trading bloc, the EU uses its considerablepurchasing power to meet its ambitious sustainability goals. In doing so, the EU’s new rules will reach well beyond its...
The project will provide 80% of the heat demand for Finnish neighborhoods. Nestled on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, Google’s Hamina data center is set to become a...
Key Impact Points: The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched the “CSRD Essentials” series, a practical guide for understanding the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This initiative, developed with...
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization, has released the European State of the Climate (ESOTC) report for 2023. This document provides a comprehensive analysis...
After a green voting marathon, the EU Parliament closed its final plenary of this term before its June elections. The huge voting sessions yielded a plethora of new policies, including...
The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) selects Datamaran as its solution for data-driven ESG governance supporting the development of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group...
Scotiabank has issued its inaugural EUR 1 billion, 5-year senior fixed rate Green Bond (the “EUR Green Bond”) in the European market pursuant to Scotiabank’s Sustainable Issuance Framework released on April 5, 2024 (the...
At the Our Ocean Conference in Greece, the European Union is confirming its strong engagement for international ocean governance by announcing 40 commitments for action for 2024. These actions will be funded by €3.5 billion from...
The Council formally adopted a revised directive on the energy performance of buildings. The directive will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy poverty in the EU. Zero-emission buildings by...
Climeworks, the global leader in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) via DAC+S technology, has been awarded 2.2m CHF (26m NOK) in funding from Enova, at 50 percent funding intensity, in the...
MEPs adopted plans to facilitate the uptake of renewable and low-carbon gases, including hydrogen, into the EU gas market. The new directive and regulation on the gas and hydrogen markets...
The law will set up an EU certification framework for carbon removals to boost their uptake and help achieve EU climate neutrality by 2050. Parliament on Wednesday adopted the provisional...
Key Impact Points: Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland In a groundbreaking decision, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has issued a landmark ruling in a climate case...
A majority (70%) of European companies align less than 25% of their capital expenditures (CapEx) toward transitioning towards a net-zero economy, new analysis by CDP and Oliver Wyman reveals. Meanwhile,...
The Republic of Iceland issued a green bond in the amount of 750 million euros, the equivalent of ISK 111 bn. The bond bears a 3.5% fixed rate coupon, a...
Europe continued its leadership in sustainability policy with the approval of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) late last week. The new policy requires companies to identify and mitigate...
The Federal Government believes that Germany’s climate targets for 2030 are achievable. “Providing we stay on course, we are set to achieve our 2030 climate targets,” said Economics and Climate...
The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has published its 2030 EU Policy Roadmap, outlining key recommendations for European policy makers to accelerate private investment in the economic transition. The report presents...
On Wednesday, Parliament adopted its proposals to better prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU. MEPs adopted their first reading position on the proposed revision of the Waste...
Parliament has adopted its position on establishing a verification and pre-approval system for environmental marketing claims to protect citizens from misleading ads. The green claims directive would oblige companies to...
Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on revamped rules to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging, increase safety and boost the circular economy. The new measures aim to make packaging...
A recent Bloomberg survey of roughly 200 European financial market participants reveals a growing concern: managing the ever-increasing volume of ESG data. The survey, conducted throughout 2023 and encompassing respondents...
Wind turbines that use sensors to optimally adapt their rotor blades to the wind strength, fields that are fertilized more economically based on satellite data, factories that produce highly efficiently...
The Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley is part of the 33 projects included by the European Commission in Hy2Infra, the third Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) to support the...
Following a dialogue with the Commission and national consumer authorities, Zalando has committed to removing misleading sustainability flags and icons displayed next to products offered on its platform. Such claims...
The Commission is investing over €233 million in twelve new Strategic Projects across Europe under theLIFE programme to support the implementation of the EU’s environmental and climate ambitions under the European Green Deal....
The new law aims to reduce air pollution in the EU to achieve a clean and healthy environment for citizens as well as zero air pollution by 2050. Negotiators from...
The pivotal role of civil society in driving forward the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took centre stage during the plenary session of the European Economic...
The Environment Committee adopted its proposals to better prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU. On Wednesday, MEPs in the Environment Committee adopted their position on...
PFZW completed the two-year engagement programme targeting fossil fuel companies at the end of 2023. Seven listed oil and gas companies with a compelling climate transition strategy will remain part...
The PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) provides for the supply of energy for 10 years through Iberdrola’s photovoltaic plants. Iberdrola continues its commitment to the decarbonisation of the planet. The company will supply...
Europe announced a sweeping new proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, ahead of their 2050 carbon-neutral goal. The European Commission made the announcement on Tuesday ahead...
Google’s AI is being used to tackle the emissions issue in European skies, offering a cost-effective solution called “Contrail Avoidance.” This technology allows airlines to identify optimal changes in flight...
The Minister of Climate Action, Food, and Rural Agenda, David Mascort i Subiranas, and the Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of the Spanish Government, Teresa...
Paris, the host city for the upcoming Olympic Games, has taken a significant step towards a greener future by voting to triple parking charges for some SUVs in its central...
This week, tractors blocked highways across France, conducting “the siege of Paris,” partly in protest of unfair environmental standards driven by the EU Green Deal. Similar protests were seen across...
EIB President Nadia Calviño announced today in Madrid that the European Investment Bank Group had signed new financing worth around €11.4 billion in Spain in 2023. This financing went to high-impact projects...
57% of the energy mix covered by photovoltaics, wind, and hydroelectric power 2023 marked a historic milestone in Greece’s clean energy production, with 57% of the energy mix being supplied by...
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