McDonald’s to Miss 2030 Value Chain Decarbonization Goal, Remains Committed to Net Zero by 2050
McDonald’s announced it will miss its 2030 Scope 3 emissions‑reduction target, but reaffirmed a net‑zero goal for 2050. The chain has cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55% versus 2018, yet only reduced Scope 3 emissions by 3%, despite Scope 3 representing roughly 99% of its carbon footprint. Energy‑demand growth, supply‑chain fragility and broader policy gaps were cited as barriers. McDonald’s highlighted a 95.8% renewable‑packaging rate and pledged at least $1 billion for supply‑chain resilience and regenerative agriculture over the next decade.
Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft Back Initiative to Invest, Test, and Scale Cleantech Solutions in Data Centers
Elemental Impact, backed by Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft, launched the Data Center Innovation Initiative (DCII) to invest $500,000‑$5 million in up to ten clean‑tech startups through 2027. The partners will test solutions in existing data‑center sites, focusing on energy storage,...
Standard Chartered Issues Its First-Ever Green Wonton Bond to Back Clean Energy, Green Building Projects
Standard Chartered has issued its inaugural Green Wonton Bond, raising HKD 2 billion (≈ $255 million) to fund renewable‑energy, green‑building and circular‑economy projects across Asia. The bond, the bank’s first HKD‑denominated sustainable issue and its largest HKD issuance to date, attracted an order book...
Intersect Spinoff IPX Power Secures $4.95 Billion to Build Massive California Solar & Storage Project
IPX Power, a spin‑off of Intersect Power, announced a $4.95 billion financing package to build the Darden solar‑plus‑storage project in California’s Central Valley. The development will generate up to 1.15 GWac of solar power and 4.6 GWh of battery storage, targeting commercial operation...
CIP Launches €1.5 Billion Bioenergy Fund
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has launched Advanced Bioenergy Fund II, targeting €1.5 billion to scale biomethane production across Europe. The fund opens with a €200 million (≈$232 million) anchor commitment from the European Investment Fund, part of the EU’s InvestEU and REPowerEU programmes....
Four States Launch Lawsuits Against Proxy Advisor ISS Over ESG Policies
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) is being sued by the attorneys general of Texas, Nebraska, Iowa and West Virginia, who allege the proxy advisor violated consumer‑protection laws by pushing ESG and DEI policies. The complaints claim ISS marketed its advice as...
La Caisse Invests in Sustainability Reporting Software Provider Novisto
Quebec‑based institutional investor La Caisse has announced a new investment in Montreal sustainability reporting software provider Novisto. The funding is intended to speed Novisto’s growth and broaden deployment of its ESG data management platform as companies grapple with tighter regulations...
Sustainable Bond Issuance Rebounds in Q1 2026, Still Down From Prior Year: Moody’s
Global issuance of labelled sustainable bonds rebounded sharply in Q1 2026, reaching $241 billion, an 18% increase from the previous quarter but still 17% below the same period last year. Green bonds continued to dominate, accounting for roughly 63% of total volumes,...
UL Solutions Launches Product Carbon Footprint Calculation Solution
UL Solutions introduced an AI‑driven software module within its ULTRUS UL 360 ESG platform to calculate product carbon footprints (PCF) and improve supplier data quality for Scope 3 reporting. The tool interprets bills of materials, formulations and process data to produce cradle‑to‑gate...
EcoVadis, Workiva Partner on Scope 3 Data Solutions
EcoVadis and Workiva announced a strategic partnership that links EcoVadis' Carbon Data Network with Workiva's Carbon reporting platform. The integration delivers verified supplier‑level Scope 3 emissions data directly into Workiva's audit‑grade solution, replacing industry averages. Companies can now combine carbon metrics...
EU Commission Proposes Adding €4 Billion in Carbon Allowances to Industry in ETS Update
The European Commission has proposed an update to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) benchmark values for 2026‑2030 that would add roughly €4 billion (about $4.3 billion) in free carbon allowances for industry. The proposal expands free allocation to indirect emissions from...
ECB: Climate, Nature Risks “Very Likely Being Underestimated” By Banks
The European Central Bank released an updated compendium of good practices for climate and nature‑related risk management and stress testing, targeting banks’ gaps in physical, transition and nature risk measurement. ECB Executive Board member Frank Elderson warned that banks still...
Buried Treasure: Private Markets Sustainability Data and The Wealth Opportunity
Private market ESG data, long hampered by limited disclosures, is rapidly improving thanks to AI‑driven scraping and workflow tools that now generate near‑public‑level metrics. At the same time, U.S. wealth investors—especially those with over $100,000 in assets and younger generations—are...
BBVA Sustainable Finance Business Jumps 33% After Record Year
Spanish lender BBVA reported a 33% jump in its sustainable‑finance portfolio in Q1 2026, directing €36 bn (≈$39 bn) into green and social projects. This follows a record €134 bn ($146 bn) of sustainable business in 2025, pushing total cumulative funding to €170 bn ($185 bn)...
KKR, HASI-Backed Sustainable Infrastructure Platform CarbonCount Raises Over $500 Million
KKR and HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital expanded their CarbonCount Holdings 1 platform by issuing $508 million in senior unsecured notes, raising total investment capacity to nearly $5 billion. Launched in 2024 with $1 billion commitments from each partner, the platform previously raised $592 million in...