Wells Fargo’s latest innovation cohort to focus on building decarbonization

Three startups were each awarded $250,000 to help tackle energy management and emissions reduction in buildings.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 21, 2024

Audit committees expand oversight to ESG, cybersecurity, AI: EY

Nearly four out of five investors said boards should demonstrate expertise in climate, cybersecurity and other risks by detailing their work to limit such hazards, EY said.

By Jim Tyson • Nov. 21, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from ESG Dive

This year has shaped up to be a formative one for ESG, both on the regulatory and financial front, with the SEC’s climate disclosure rule and the battle over shareholder rights and proposal approvals.

By ESG Dive staff

Oil quartet including BP, Shell invest $500M in energy access, clean cooking

Equinor and Total Energies will join the companies to invest in energy and cooking solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia to help meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 20, 2024

IRS finalizes direct pay rules, increasing access to IRA’s clean energy tax credits

Direct-pay-eligible entities like local governments, public school districts, churches and hospitals will more easily be able to jointly invest in clean energy projects under rules released Tuesday.

By Diana DiGangi • Nov. 20, 2024

Vanguard’s updated investor proxy choice program includes anti-ESG voting option

Three new funds have been added to the program, and the firm also included an option for investors who want a “wealth-focused,” anti-ESG voting policy option.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 19, 2024

JPMorgan unveils green financing ratio following shareholder proposal

The bank said it spent $1.29 on green solutions for every dollar spent on high-carbon activities in the disclosure prompted by a proposal submitted by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander.

By Lamar Johnson • Updated Nov. 18, 2024

New York City Employees’ Retirement System joins NZAOA

NYCERS joins the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance’s other 88 members that collectively represent $9.5 trillion in assets under management.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 15, 2024

SEC charges Invesco $17.5M for misleading ESG statements

“Companies should be straightforward with their clients and investors rather than seeking to capitalize on investing trends and buzzwords,” the acting head of SEC enforcement said.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 11, 2024

Analysts see ‘a real fear in the market’ as renewable energy stocks plummet on election results

Tariffs and other policy actions favored by Trump could drive renewable energy prices higher over the next four years, industry analysts say.

By Emma Penrod • Nov. 8, 2024

Clean energy, sustainable investors brace for second Trump presidency

Experts expect private sector work on ESG issues and the clean energy transition to continue, albeit at a slower pace, under a reelected Donald Trump.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 7, 2024

SEC says funds mischaracterizing use of ESG factors

The assessment is part of a broader risk alert by the agency regarding the discrepancy between funds’ investment strategies and marketing literature.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 6, 2024

Climate experts launch insurance nonprofit to curb natural disaster-associated risks

Insurance for Good aims to “harness risk transfer in support of social and environmental goals” and focus on improving disaster recovery within the United States.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 5, 2024

Marsh to insure carbon credits against counterfeits, fraud

The insurance broker said the new insurance facility will help de-risk carbon credit investments and protect companies from potential “fraudsters.”

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 5, 2024

SEC says Vanguard can nix human rights shareholder proposals from 2025 proxy materials

The agency agreed that two sets of the firms’ funds can exclude a proposal to provide greater transparency to ensure their investments don’t “substantially contribute to genocide.”

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 4, 2024

New Jersey AG accuses Republic First of redlining

The failed lender originated 6% of its home loans to residents of majority-nonwhite neighborhoods between 2018 and 2022, the state found. The state filed a claim with the FDIC seeking remediation.

By Dan Ennis • Nov. 1, 2024

ENGIE strikes deal with Meta to supply 260 MW of solar

The project is located in Milam County, Texas, and will supply power to a Meta data center 10 miles away in Temple. 

By Diana DiGangi • Nov. 1, 2024

HSBC drops CSO from exec board, insists it’s not gearing up to split

The bank confirmed Tuesday that Chief Sustainability Officer Celine Herweijer will not be a part of its re-organized executive operating committee.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 31, 2024

Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance members invested $175B in climate solutions in 2023: report

The UN-backed group said its 88 members have committed a total of $555 billion towards climate-focused investments from its inception through last year.

By Zoya Mirza • Oct. 30, 2024

SEC panel urged to back shareholder rights, proposal process

Shareholders’ rights advocates urged the agency's Investor Advisory Committee to defend the current proposal process as a “vital right of shareholders” against attempts to dilute them.

By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 29, 2024

Microsoft clinches ocean-based carbon removal deal with Ebb Carbon

The tech giant will contract an initial 1,333 tons of carbon dioxide removal with options to purchase up to 350,000 tonnes of removal over 10 years.

By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 28, 2024

Morgan Stanley inks carbon removal deal with Climeworks

The deal is the financial institution’s first foray into direct air capture credit purchasing and expands Climeworks’ U.S. footprint.

By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 25, 2024

SEC slaps $4M fine on WisdomTree over greenwashing

The Securities and Exchange Commission is fining the New York-based asset manager for falsely advertising the investment strategy of three funds to have considered ESG factors.

By Zoya Mirza • Oct. 24, 2024

BlackRock targeted for greenwashing in ClientEarth complaint

The environmental nonprofit sent a complaint to French regulators alleging the firm is mislabeling funds as “sustainable,” despite holding $1 billion in fossil fuel investments.

By Lamar Johnson • Updated Oct. 25, 2024

Most finance leaders believe sustainability targets out of reach: EY

CFOs leading companies active in the U.S. and Europe face a “fluid picture” when attempting to meet regulations for sustainability reporting, EY said.

By Jim Tyson • Oct. 24, 2024

NYC comptroller proposes stopping pensions’ private market investments in fossil fuels

The funds would be the first U.S. public pension plans to have exclusions on investing in fossil fuel infrastructure like pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals.

By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 23, 2024