In this week’s ESG News Week In Review, climate governance and market infrastructure continued to evolve as policymakers balanced ambition with pragmatism. The EU introduced a voluntary standard for permanent carbon removals to guide global markets, while courts blocked Texas’ anti-ESG law and global public-sector reporting advanced with new climate disclosure rules from IPSASB. Governments also reassessed priorities, with India refocusing climate policy around development and energy security and Sweden weighing state equity stakes in nuclear projects.

Across markets, momentum built around carbon integrity, grids, and storage. Bloomberg integrated Calyx Global carbon ratings into its terminal, Puro.earth launched on-demand CDR issuance, and new carbon removal projects advanced from biomass burial to African restoration. In energy and finance, hyperscalers signed major offshore wind and solar PPAs, battery storage platforms raised multi-billion-dollar green loans, and hybrid bonds, SAF funding, and fusion capital signaled continued investor appetite for scalable transition infrastructure.

GOVERNMENT, POLICY & REGULATION

• EU Sets Voluntary Standard For Permanent Carbon Removals To Shape Global Carbon Markets
• Federal Court Blocks Texas Anti-ESG Law SB 13 On Constitutional Grounds
• US EPA Enforcement Hits Record Low Under Trump Second Term
• India Refocuses Climate Policy Around Development, Resilience and Energy Security
• IPSASB Sets Global Climate Disclosure Rules for Governments
• Sweden Weighs State Equity In Nuclear Projects As Financing Risks Rise

CARBON

• EU Sets Voluntary Standard For Permanent Carbon Removals To Shape Global Carbon Markets
• EIB Advances $3.5 Billion To Shield Households Ahead Of EU Carbon Market Launch
• Mast Reforestation Issues First Biomass Burial Carbon Credits, Funding Post-Wildfire Restoration in Montana
• Bloomberg Integrates Calyx Global Carbon Credit Ratings Into Terminal To Strengthen Carbon Market Transparency
• Trafigura-Backed Alliance Targets $1 Billion Investment In African Carbon Removal, Woodland Restoration
• Puro.earth Launches On Demand Issuance Service to Accelerate CDR Liquidity, Revenue Cycles

CLIMATE & ENERGY TRANSITION

• Amazon, Google and Industry Leaders Form GIGA to Accelerate Europe’s Grid Overhaul
• Canada Pulls Back EV Sales Target, Tightens Emissions Rules
• Meta, Zelestra Expand US Solar Partnership With 176 MW Texas PPA As Corporate Clean Energy Demand Accelerates
• Amazon Signs 110 MW Offshore Wind PPA With RWE in Germany
• SBTi Opens Consultation On Updated Automotive Net Zero Standard Targeting Use Phase Emissions
• Honeywell, TruAlt Partner To Produce 80,000 TPA Sustainable Aviation Fuel In India
• Google Signs 100 MW Offshore Wind PPA With EnBW In Germany
• Google Cloud, OVO Deploy AI To Personalise Energy Use And Identify Vulnerable Customers
• IKEA Launches Fully Electric Heavy Truck Logistics Project In Italy To Cut Freight Emissions

EXECS ON THE MOVE

• Green Steel Startup Stegra Appoints Markus Holm as CFO
• Kearney Appoints Angela Hultberg As Global Sustainability Director
• The Conservation Fund Appoints Kristina Wyatt As Executive Vice President And General Counsel
• Sweep Appoints Former EFRAG Sustainability Board Chair Patrick de Cambourg Senior Advisor
• Ford Appoints Lisa Drake to Lead New Ford Energy Storage Business
• Mantle8 Appoints Sylvain Marcant as Chief Commercial Officer

SUSTAINABLE/CLIMATE FINANCE

• EnBW Issues $1 Billion Green Hybrid Bonds To Finance Climate Neutral Grid, Renewable Expansion
• Iberdrola Signs Contract Worth $2.5 billion for New Submarine Electricity Interconnector
• Jupiter Power Expands Credit Facility to $500 Million to Accelerate U.S. Battery Storage Buildout
• UK Funds Four SAF Producers $225,000 to Advance Testing and Certification
• Avalanche Energy Raises $29 Million To Advance Compact Fusion Commercialisation, Licensing Path
• Lunar Energy Secures $232 Million To Scale Home Battery Systems, AI Virtual Power Plant Software
• Aypa Power Raises $1.5 Billion Green Loan To Expand U.S. Battery Storage
• SAF One Secures Up To $30 Million For Middle East SAF Project
• Garanti BBVA Scales Sustainable Finance to $30 Billion
• Hong Kong Expands Sustainable Finance Taxonomy to Include Transition and Adaptation Categories

ESG INVESTING, FUNDS

• Why Sustainability Platforms Are Partnering on XBRL Instead of Building It
• Morningstar Sustainalytics Updates Climate Transition Toolkit for Investors
• Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Buys Ørsted’s European Onshore Renewables For $1.7 Billion

ENVIRONMENT, NATURE & BIODIVERSITY

• Bobine Raises $14M To Scale Electrified Plastic Recycling Technology
• US EPA Enforcement Hits Record Low Under Trump Second Term
• IFAD Raises $72 Million Through Sustainable Bond to Fund Rural Development
• Tetra Pak Invests $65 Million to Scale Paper Based Barrier for Low Carbon Beverage Cartons
• Ionic Rare Earths Secures $16 Million for Belfast Magnet Recycling Plant

ESG & SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

• FCA Proposes IFRS Aligned Sustainability Reporting Rules For UK Listed Companies From 2027
• IPSASB Sets Global Climate Disclosure Rules for Governments
• GHG Protocol Sets Global Rules For Land Emissions, Carbon Removals From 2027

TOOLS & SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY

• Morningstar Sustainalytics Updates Climate Transition Toolkit for Investors
• Bloomberg Integrates Calyx Global Carbon Credit Ratings Into Terminal To Strengthen Carbon Market Transparency

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