ESG News Week In Review: 16 November – 23 November
In this week’s ESG News Week In Review, policy reform, carbon market expansion and industrial decarbonization all accelerated as governments and companies adapt to a more complex transition landscape.
The EU proposed a major overhaul of SFDR aimed at simplifying ESG disclosures and cutting reporting costs, while California’s climate-risk law was halted even as its emissions rule moved forward. Germany committed $1.15B to Brazil’s Global Rainforest Fund, and Singapore deepened Article 6 cooperation with Malawi as countries looked to expand high-integrity international carbon markets.
Carbon activity strengthened, with durable removal prices rising alongside Big Tech’s increased AI energy use, the DRC launching a national carbon credit registry, and new enhanced weathering credits issued across Asia and Brazil. In the energy transition, Google introduced a free industrial efficiency tool, Siemens Energy announced a $2.3B grid manufacturing buildout, and new SAF supply deals advanced in the U.S. and Middle East. Meanwhile, hydrogen, pyrolysis and waste-to-SAF projects showed momentum as companies seek scalable emissions cuts.
Finance and investment trends continued to shift as banks, multinationals and development institutions expanded climate-aligned lending and supply chain programs, while corporate net-zero strategies increasingly integrate tools for traceability, energy efficiency and high-quality carbon removal.
GOVERNMENT, POLICY & REGULATION
- EU Proposes Major Overhaul of SFDR to Simplify ESG Disclosures and Cut Reporting Costs
- Court Halts California’s Climate-Risk Law as Emissions Rule Moves Forward
- Germany Commits $1.15B to Brazil’s Global Rainforest Fund
- Singapore, Malawi Advance Article 6 Carbon Credit Cooperation with New Agreement
CARBON
- Singapore, Malawi Advance Article 6 Carbon Credit Cooperation with New Agreement
- Big Tech’s Rising AI Emissions Push Durable Carbon Removal Prices to New Highs
- Alt Carbon Issues Asia’s Largest Verified Enhanced Weathering Credits to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
- Democratic Republic of Congo Launches the National Carbon Credit Registry Initiative in line with its Commitments at COP30
- Verde AgriTech, UNDO Move to Scale Enhanced Rock Weathering for High-Quality Carbon Removal Credits
CLIMATE & ENERGY TRANSITION
- Google Launches Free Tool to Accelerate Industrial Energy Efficiency
- Siemens Energy Plans $2.3 Billion Grid Manufacturing Buildout
- Masdar, Tadweer Advance Abu Dhabi’s First Commercial Waste-to-SAF Plant
- DHL, Phillips 66 to Deliver Major Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply for U.S. Cargo Routes
- ExxonMobil, BASF Advance Methane Pyrolysis to Scale Low Emission Hydrogen Production
- Climate Fund Managers, Erco Energía Launch EU-Backed Solar Buildout in Colombia
- Marks & Spencer Launches New Supply Chain Program to Accelerate Renewable Electricity Uptake
SUSTAINABLE/CLIMATE FINANCE
- Germany Commits $1.15B to Brazil’s Global Rainforest Fund
- ABN AMRO Appoints Sandra Phlippen as Chief Sustainability Officer
- Siemens Energy Plans $2.3 Billion Grid Manufacturing Buildout
- EIB, Societe Generale Launch $288M Cleantech Financing Plan
- DBS, Nan Fung Secure $190M Sustainability Linked Loan Tied to Social Impact
- Crédit Agricole Sets 90/10 Green to Brown Financing Target as Part of 2028 Transition Strategy
- Sam Altman-Backed Exowatt Raises $50 Million to Scale Dispatchable Solar for AI Demand
- Deutsche Bank Targets $1 Trillion in Sustainable and Transition Finance by 2030
COP RECAP
ENVIRONMENT, NATURE & BIODIVERSITY
- Germany Commits $1.15B to Brazil’s Global Rainforest Fund
- Amazon Launches New Projects Expected to Restore over 2 Billion Liters of Water Annually
- COP30 Confronts Fossil Fuels, Forest Tensions as Indigenous Communities Press for Influence
ESG & SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING
- EU Proposes Major Overhaul of SFDR to Simplify ESG Disclosures and Cut Reporting Costs
- Court Halts California’s Climate-Risk Law as Emissions Rule Moves Forward
- US Supreme Court Asked to Halt California’s Corporate Climate Disclosure Laws
TOOLS & SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY
- Google Launches Free Tool to Accelerate Industrial Energy Efficiency
- Schneider Electric, Bloomberg New Economy Form Global Coalition to Advance Smart Energy Demand
- Google Expands AI Mobility Tools Across Brazil, Cutting Fuel Use and Emissions
- GreenFi Secures $2M to Scale AI-Driven ESG Risk Platform Across Global Financial Markets
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