By Nikos Avlonas, President of the Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) The prospect of Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency in 2025 has sparked discussions about how his policies might impact sustainable development and climate action in the US and globally. During his previous term, Trump pulled the
Key Impact Points: Progress on Net Zero Policies The Taskforce on Net Zero Policy, an initiative rooted in the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities, has released its first report: Net Zero Policy Matters: Assessing Progress and Taking Stock of Corporate
Key Impact Points: Powering Change Through Business Advocacy “Governments are competing for business investment and intention,” says Thomas Lingard, Unilever’s Global Head of Sustainability, Environment. At COP28, over 100 countries committed to tripling renewable capacity by 2030. Lingard emphasizes that business action can set the pace for policy, encouraging national
Key Impact Points: Navigating EU Taxonomy Standards KPMG’s latest report, Navigating EU Taxonomy: Progress and Pathways to Compliance, provides a detailed analysis of EU Taxonomy disclosures from 291 European entities, offering critical insights for U.S. companies preparing to comply with evolving global sustainability standards. The EU Taxonomy mandates companies to
3 Key Impact Points: The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is considering revising its forthcoming rules on the naming of sustainable investment funds following concerns from industry players. Set to take effect on November 21, the new regulations aim to clamp down on greenwashing by banning funds with names
Key Impact Points: In 2024, the sustainability profession has reached a pivotal point, driven by the rapid increase in regulatory requirements. The eighth biennial State of the Sustainability Profession report, published by Trellis, highlights how the role of sustainability leaders is evolving to meet these new challenges. What began as
Key Impact Points: Canada’s Commitment to Net-Zero The Canadian federal government is advancing a bold climate strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, requiring annual investments of $125 billion to $140 billion. A key component of this plan is a $93 billion suite of economic tax credits designed to attract
EU Delays Deforestation Law Amid Global Pressure and Internal Challenges The European Union has postponed the enforcement of its ambitious deforestation law until the end of 2025, succumbing to extensive global and internal pressures. Originally set to enforce stringent measures to curb global deforestation effectively by the end of the
Key Takeaways The Rising Energy Demand of AI and Crypto Crypto mining and data centers now account for 2% of global electricity use and nearly 1% of global emissions, with their footprint expected to grow. “What do AI and Crypto Assets have in common? Both are power hungry.” Because of
Guest Post By: Tim Mohin The SEC’s beleaguered ESG agenda took another hit this week as their Enforcement Division’s Climate & ESG Task Force, set up three years ago, was quietly disbanded. The group was created in March 2021 to “develop initiatives to proactively identify ESG-related misconduct.” Since then, the
