Key Takeaways: Renewed Push for Biodiversity Finance Countries are convening in Rome this week to revive efforts to secure $200 billion per year for biodiversity conservation, following the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement. However, divisions over funding sources and governance remain unresolved. The United States, which is not a
Key Takeaways: HSBC Revises Net-Zero Ambition HSBC has officially postponed its goal of reaching net-zero emissions across its own operations, business travel, and supply chain from 2030 to 2050, according to its latest annual report. The U.K.-based banking giant—Europe’s largest by market capitalization, assets, and revenue—said it had “revisited [its]
Key Takeaways: A Global Wake-Up Call UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are spearheading a global initiative to protect Earth’s glaciers, which provide freshwater to over 2 billion people. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo underscored the urgency: “Melting ice and glaciers threaten long-term water security for many millions of people.
Key Takeaways: CEOs Embrace AI and Climate Investments PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey, covering 4,701 executives worldwide, highlights that while some companies are rapidly integrating AI and sustainability efforts, others lag behind, risking long-term viability. “The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed,” author William Gibson once wrote.
Key Takeaways: Data Center Energy Use is Growing Data center energy consumption in the U.S. has surged from 76 TWh in 2018 to 176 TWh in 2023, representing 4.4% of total electricity use. Globally, energy use ranged between 240-340 TWh in 2022, excluding network activity (260-360 TWh) and cryptocurrency (100-150
Key Takeaways: The Urgency of Sustainable Finance The UN Global Compact Network USA’s new report, Driving Progress: Sustainable Finance for the Advancement of the SDGs, highlights the pivotal role of the U.S. private sector in advancing global sustainability. Released at the GreenBiz conference in Phoenix—attended by over 6,000 leaders—the report
Key Takeaways: What to Expect from COP30 COP30, the United Nations Climate Conference, is set to take place from November 10-21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil. This summit will bring together world leaders, scientists, NGOs, and civil society to discuss strategies for tackling climate change. Brazil’s André Corrêa do Lago, Secretary
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: $6 Billion for Clean Energy and Jobs The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the allocation of $6 billion in tax credits under the second round of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) § 48C Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit Program.
Key Impact Points: Bahamas Debt Conversion Project: A Financial Breakthrough for Conservation The Government of The Bahamas, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Standard Chartered, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and other financial stakeholders, has launched the inaugural Bahamas Debt Conversion Project for Marine Conservation. This pioneering initiative is projected
