In this week’s ESG News Week In Review, governments moved to strengthen climate frameworks while tightening market stability and disclosure alignment. The EU advanced reforms to reinforce its carbon market, issued new packaging rules, and deepened its climate alliance with Japan, while China introduced a new environmental code to strengthen governance. The UK reported a 2% emissions decline in 2025, and Australia pushed forward taxonomy guidance to unlock its growing sustainable debt market.

Carbon and energy markets continued to scale, with Microsoft signing a 1 million-ton carbon removal deal, Google and Meta backing new U.S. reforestation projects, and the launch of structured carbon removal portfolios to streamline corporate procurement. Clean energy investment accelerated through major renewable tenders, multi-billion-dollar joint ventures, and new geothermal, solar, and SAF projects, while AI-driven infrastructure and data center demand increasingly shaped power markets. Across finance, development banks and institutional investors expanded green lending and climate funding, signaling continued capital deployment into transition infrastructure.

GOVERNMENT, POLICY & REGULATION

• UK Emissions Drop 2% to 367 Million Tons in 2025
• The European Commission Issues New Packaging Rules Guidance To Cut Waste, Align EU Market
• China Adopts Ecological, Environmental Code To Strengthen Global Green Governance Frameworks
• U.S. DOE, Amazon Launch AI-Driven Critical Materials Hub to Secure Domestic Supply Chains
• EU, Japan Deepen Climate Alliance To Accelerate Net Zero, Strengthen Energy Security
• Australia Advances Taxonomy Adoption With New Guidance To Unlock $53.8B Sustainable Debt Market
• EU Moves to Reinforce Carbon Market Stability With ETS Reform Proposal

CARBON

• Woodside Resets Browse Carbon Capture Plan To Meet New Australian Rules
• EU Moves to Reinforce Carbon Market Stability With ETS Reform Proposal
• Google, McKinsey, Meta Back 131,240 Tonne U.S. Reforestation Carbon Deal In Appalachia
• Microsoft Signs 1 Million Ton Carbon Removal Deal With Liferaft To Scale U.S. Biochar Market
• CUR8, Isometric Launch 2030 Carbon Removal Portfolio To Streamline Corporate Net Zero Procurement
• ClimeFi Launches First EU Certified Carbon Removal Deal With Adyen And Nasdaq

CLIMATE & ENERGY TRANSITION

• France Launches 12 GW Renewable Tenders to Boost Energy Security, Domestic Industry
• ORPC Targets Great Lakes Expansion As Rising Power Demand Drives New Hydropower Investment
• TotalEnergies, Masdar Launch $2.2 Billion Joint Venture To Scale 9 GW Renewables Across Asia
• Zelestra Secures $600 Million Financing for 440 MW Texas Solar Portfolio Backed by Meta PPAs
• Greenpeace Africa Pushes African Court To Class Climate Harm As Human Rights Violation
• Baker Hughes, XGS Partner To Deliver 150 MW Geothermal Power For Meta’s New Mexico Data Centers
• Metafuels Secures $2.1 Million Dutch Grant to Advance Rotterdam e-SAF Project
• Anew, Avenir Deliver First Bio LNG Fuel For Ships In Europe
• Air Liquide Beats Emissions Targets With 13% CO2 Reduction Under ADVANCE Plan

AI

• U.S. DOE, Amazon Launch AI-Driven Critical Materials Hub to Secure Domestic Supply Chains
• SLB, Nvidia Expand AI Partnership To Build Energy Data Infrastructure And Lower Emissions
• Arbor, GridMarket Secure 5 GW Baseload Power Deal To Meet Surging AI And Industrial Demand
• Emerald AI Raises $25 Million To Turn Data Centers Into Grid Assets
• Germany Moves To Double Data Centres, Quadruple AI Capacity By 2030

SUSTAINABLE/CLIMATE FINANCE

• Australia Advances Taxonomy Adoption With New Guidance To Unlock $53.8B Sustainable Debt Market
• JPMorganChase Commits $600,000 to Scale Atlanta’s Clean Tech Workforce, Startup Infrastructure
• GCF Approves $960 Million In New Climate Finance As Portfolio Surpasses $20 Billion
• Climate Investment Raises $450 Million To Scale Decarbonization Technologies Across Heavy Industry
• Brookfield Asset Management, La Caisse To Acquire Boralex In $6.5 Billion Deal
• African Development Bank Backs $11.3 Million Facility To Finance Off-Grid Energy In Fragile African States
• EIB Group, Santander Unlock $215M for Green Lending in Poland

ESG INVESTING, FUNDS

• Bureau Veritas Expands Climate Bonds Certification Role Across Asia And Europe
• Climate Fund Managers Joins Climate Bonds Network To Scale Emerging Market Climate Finance
• Green Banking Partnerships Webinar: Unlocking Clean Energy Finance Through Collaboration

ENVIRONMENT, NATURE & BIODIVERSITY

• In Golf. Through Golf. LIV’s New Framework Puts Impact at the Centre of Professional Sport
• Beyond the Fairway: How LIV Golf Is Rewriting the Playbook on Sustainability and Community Impact
• Canada Commits $2.7B To Expand Protected Lands And Oceans To 30% By 2030
• The European Commission Issues New Packaging Rules Guidance To Cut Waste, Align EU Market
• Saudi Arabia Restores 1 Million Hectares, Scaling Land Resilience In Water Stressed Regions
• Peru Amazon Low Carbon Research Center Targets Biodiversity Protection, Climate Resilience
• Brazil Awards First Amazon Reforestation Concession To Re.green In Carbon Finance Push

ESG/SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

• GRI Opens Global Consultation To Strengthen Corporate Pollution Reporting Standards
• Novisto Expands ESG Platform With Minimum Acquisition To Meet Rising Global Reporting Demands
• TotalEnergies Cuts Methane Emissions 65%, Exceeds 2025 Climate Targets In New Progress Report
• ACCA Urges FCA To Phase In Tougher Sustainability Reporting As UK Aligns With Global Standards

TOOLS & SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY

• Amazon Web Services Launches Sustainability Console To Expand Carbon Data Access For Enterprises
• Novisto Expands ESG Platform With Minimum Acquisition To Meet Rising Global Reporting Demands
• UNEP FI Launches Climate Pathways Navigator to Guide Financial Sector Decarbonization Decisions
• Zevero Secures $7 Million To Scale Carbon Data Platform As Disclosure Rules Tighten

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