In this week’s ESG News Week In Review, policy debates intensified as markets doubled down on climate innovation.

The EU Parliament rejected the Omnibus deal to ease sustainability rules and postponed its deforestation regulation rollout, while Tokyo prepared to issue the world’s first certified climate resilience bond. The UK unveiled a clean energy jobs plan expected to create 400,000 roles by 2030, and global investors managing $3 trillion urged stronger deforestation policies ahead of COP30.

In corporate moves, Google announced its first carbon capture power deal, Microsoft expanded its carbon removal partnership with UNDO, and Masdar broke ground on a $6B solar storage project set to deliver continuous clean power. Meanwhile, BlackRock and Temasek backed cooling solutions for AI data centers, and Amazon advanced modular nuclear builds to meet the growing energy demand of cloud computing.

GOVERNMENT, POLICY & REGULATION

• EU Parliament Rejects Omnibus Deal to Ease Sustainability and Due Diligence Rules
• EU Eases Compliance and Delays Rollout of Deforestation Regulation
• UK Clean Energy Jobs Plan to Create 400,000 New Roles by 2030
• Global Investors Controlling $3T Demand Policy Action to Stop Deforestation by 2030
• Tokyo to Issue World’s First Certified Climate Resilience Bond
• UK Emissions Fall Slightly in 2024 as Household Energy Use Rises Ahead of COP30

CARBON

• Global Companies Launch Carbon Measures to Create Standard Framework for Carbon Accounting
• France Reaffirms Support for World Bank Climate Finance Goals Despite U.S. Pressure
• Google Backs First Carbon Capture Power Deal in Illinois to Advance Clean Energy
• Microsoft Expands Carbon Removal Partnership with UNDO, Backed by Inlandsis Fund
• Puro.earth Integrates CCS+ Methodologies to Streamline Carbon Removal Certification

CLIMATE & ENERGY TRANSITION

• Morocco Sets 2040 Deadline to End Coal Power and Accelerate Renewables
• BlackRock, Temasek Joint Venture Backs XNRGY to Scale Sustainable Cooling Systems for AI-Era Data Centers
• Masdar, EWEC Break Ground on $6B Solar Storage Project to Deliver 1 GW of Continuous Clean Power
• Meta Signs Supply Deal with Electra to Cut Data Center Emissions and Accelerate Green Steel Transition
• Inside Toronto Climate Week with Founder Becky Park-Romanovsky and Michelle Li
• GHG Protocol Launches Consultation on New Scope 2 Rules for Corporate Emissions
• Amazon Backs Modular Nuclear Build to Power AI and Cloud with Carbon-Free Energy

EXECS ON THE MOVE

• EY Sustainability Veteran Dr. Matthew Bell Appointed as Anthesis Group CEO
• PRI Appoints Cambria Allen-Ratzlaff Interim CEO
• Anthesis Appoints Michael Salvatico to Lead Climate and Nature Strategy in Asia Pacific

SUSTAINABLE/ CLIMATE FINANCE

• Mirova Energy Transition Fund Reaches $1.3B in Second Close as Investor Demand Grows
• Airbus, Cathay Launch $70M Co-Investment to Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Asia
• Bezos Earth Fund Commits $30M to Scale AI Innovation for Climate and Nature Solutions
• STACK Infrastructure Secures $260M Green Financing for Tokyo Data Center Expansion
• DMAT Secures $4.5 Million to Scale Self-Healing Concrete Technology

And More…

ESG INVESTING & FUNDS

• Global Investors Controlling $3T Demand Policy Action to Stop Deforestation by 2030
• ISS STOXX Launches Climate Analytics Platform for Real Assets to Strengthen Investor Risk Management
• Malaysian Pension Fund KWAP Launches $475M Climate Investment Fund to Accelerate Low-Carbon Transition

ENVIRONMENT, NATURE & BIODIVERSITY

• EU Eases Compliance and Delays Rollout of Deforestation Regulation
• Global Investors Controlling $3T Demand Policy Action to Stop Deforestation by 2030
• Bezos Earth Fund Commits $30M to Scale AI Innovation for Climate and Nature Solutions
• Anthesis Appoints Michael Salvatico to Lead Climate and Nature Strategy in Asia Pacific

ESG & SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

• EU Parliament Rejects Omnibus Deal to Ease Sustainability and Due Diligence Rules
• Deloitte Australia, Credibl Launch AI-Driven Platform to Streamline Climate Disclosure
• Diligent, Persefoni Form Strategic Partnership to Advance AI-Driven Sustainability Reporting
• GRI, CDP Align Climate and Energy Reporting to Strengthen Global Disclosure Consistency
• GHG Protocol Launches Consultation on New Scope 2 Rules for Corporate Emissions

TOOLS & SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY

• Diligent, Persefoni Form Strategic Partnership to Advance AI-Driven Sustainability Reporting
• Puro.earth Integrates CCS+ Methodologies to Streamline Carbon Removal Certification
• Deloitte Australia, Credibl Launch AI-Driven Platform to Streamline Climate Disclosure
• Mars Launches Climate School to Embed Net Zero Literacy Across Global Workforce
• Schneider Electric Launches ‘Boost Pro’ to Accelerate Smart Energy Storage for Europe’s Buildings
• IATA Launches Global Integrated Sustainability Program for Airlines

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