Key Impact Points: Sweeping Sustainability Reporting Reforms The European Commission has unveiled the Omnibus I proposal to streamline sustainability reporting and ease compliance burdens for businesses, especially SMEs. Key measures include scaling back the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), delaying the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and simplifying the
Key Takeaways: Clean Energy Economics Over Politics Despite political efforts to revive fossil fuels, the clean energy transition remains inevitable. While clean energy stocks have dropped, banks have distanced themselves from net-zero alliances, and BP has refocused on oil and gas, these short-term shifts do not change the fundamental trajectory.
Key Takeaways: A Shift in Terminology The investment world is moving away from the term ESG in favor of “resilience” when referring to climate-related financing. The change reflects both a marketing strategy and a response to political pressure, particularly in the U.S. “In the beginning you had ‘social’ and ‘responsible
Key Takeaways: UN Global Compact’s Endorsement The UN Global Compact has reiterated its backing for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence, reinforcing its commitment to corporate accountability. The initiative emphasizes that sustainability laws must align with international frameworks, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and
Key Takeaways: Understanding the “Flood the Zone” Strategy The Trump administration’s approach to governance is centered on overwhelming federal agencies with disruptions, making it difficult to execute policies and provide essential services. Rather than simply replacing existing policies, the goal is to create instability within government institutions. However, legal and
Key Impact Points: Tax Credits: The Core of IRA’s Climate Spend The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) dedicates over two-thirds of its projected $1.7 trillion in climate spending to tax credits. With these provisions, the IRS takes center stage in driving U.S. decarbonization efforts. This isn’t the first time tax equity
Key Impact Points: Meta Shifts to User-Moderation Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a controversial move to eliminate fact-checkers from its platforms, stating that “fact-checkers have just been too politically biased, and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created, especially in the U.S.” Instead, the company will depend on a “community
Key Impact Points: Global and State Regulations Drive Sustainability Forward While federal policies may shift with the incoming administration, sustainability momentum is expected to endure. Historically, US corporations voluntarily built sustainability programs, driven by stakeholder demands, resource management needs, and opportunities for growth in sustainable products. “The most significant corporate
Key Impact Points: Policy Shifts Under the Trump Administration Executive Orders and Regulatory Changes President-elect Trump has signaled plans to pause pending rules, delay effective dates of new regulations, and work with Congress to repeal recently finalized rules. Key areas of focus include power, mining, oil and gas, water quality,
Key Impact Points: Transparency Challenges in Article 6.2 Despite efforts to strengthen oversight, the agreement on Article 6.2 at COP29 offers only marginal improvements. Countries are now required to publish some information on Internationally Traded Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), but the timing remains problematic. The lack of a robust review process
