CSDDD is a ‘non-tariff barrier’ for US companies: House Financial Services Chair

Rep. French Hill said during a webinar that the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive will create costly barriers for U.S. corporations to do business in and engage with the bloc. 

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 19, 2025

The SEC has requested to delay climate rule arguments. What’s next?

Sustainable investing experts are not surprised by the delay and say it is expected to have minimal immediate impact.

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 13, 2025

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

Acting SEC chair asks court not to schedule climate rule arguments

“The Commission’s briefs previously submitted in the cases consolidated in the Eighth Circuit do not reflect my views,” Acting Chair Mark Uyeda said.

By Lamar Johnson • Feb. 11, 2025

New York reintroduces bills seeking climate risk, emissions disclosures

Senate Bills 3456 and 3697, if approved, would mandate climate-related disclosures from large companies operating in the Empire State as early as 2027.

By Zoya Mirza • Feb. 6, 2025

Banks improving clean energy finance ratios, still well-short of net-zero pace: report

“The ratio isn’t evolving at the pace needed to hit the 4:1 level required this decade under commonly referenced scenarios to limit climate change to 1.5 [degrees Celsius],” according to BloombergNEF.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 31, 2025

Developments driving the ESG, sustainability industry in 2025

The change in U.S. presidential leadership has triggered drawbacks of ESG and DEI commitments, as the private sector braces for a change in political direction.

By Zoya Mirza , Lamar Johnson • Jan. 31, 2025

Rockefeller grant strengthens push for nature-related disclosures

The Rockefeller Foundation announced it will give the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures $500,000 to scale its voluntary adoption efforts, as the organization rolls out additional sector guidelines.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 30, 2025

Companies continue to pursue scope 3 reporting, despite regulatory and data collection challenges

Mejuri and Kontoor Brands are working with supplier networks to improve transparency of scope 3 reporting, while LinkedIn is using an internal carbon fee as an oversight mechanism.

By Suman Bhattacharyya • Jan. 27, 2025

Investor interest in solar, storage cools amid Trump administration uncertainty

Venture capital investment dropped 36% in 2024 for solar companies and 60% in energy storage, according to Mercom Capital Group.

By Emma Penrod • Jan. 23, 2025

BlackRock and Tennessee reach settlement on ESG suit

“We’re pleased to resolve this matter,” a BlackRock spokesperson told ESG Dive. The agreement dismisses the state’s 2023 lawsuit and does not find that the investment firm violated any laws.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 22, 2025

The dual mandate: how CSOs and CFOs are tackling the regulatory and digital evolution in 2025

In the year ahead, chief sustainability officers and chief financial officers must combine digital sustainability leadership with financial discipline to thrive in a new low-carbon economy.

By Mandi McReynolds and Jill Klindt • Jan. 16, 2025

‘Inappropriate’ micromanaging: Apple pushes back on anti-DEI proposal

In a proxy filing ahead of the annual 2025 shareholders meeting, a conservative think tank asked Apple to cut back on DEI.

By Caroline Colvin • Jan. 16, 2025

Federal judge rules against American Airlines in 401(k) ESG lawsuit

A judge ruled the airline violated its fiduciary duty to loyalty through its retirement plan management, though experts say “the bar is being set really low for what's a violation.”

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 15, 2025

NZAM suspends all activities after BlackRock’s exit

The United Nations-backed Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative has pulled its signatories page and won’t assess their commitments while it undergoes a review.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 14, 2025

ESG tops in-house counsel litigation concerns

Organizations bringing lawsuits are finding more ways to tie company actions to impacts, a report finds.

By Robert Freedman • Jan. 13, 2025

BlackRock leaves NZAM as Wall Street runs from climate groups

The nation’s largest investment manager is leaving the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, joining a broader financial institution exodus from high-profile climate alliances.

By Lamar Johnson • Updated Jan. 10, 2025

5 ESG trends sustainability professionals should monitor in 2025

Upcoming leadership changes in the White House and Congress are expected to create a more adversarial stance on ESG and climate issues in 2025.

By Lamar Johnson , Zoya Mirza • Jan. 9, 2025

SBTi appoints EY corporate sustainability partner as next CEO

David Kennedy will take on the chief executive role at the climate target validation organization in Q2 from interim CEO Sue Jenny Ehr, pending an agreement with his current firm.

By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 8, 2025

Sustainability profession at ‘crossroads’ amid regulation, compliance headwinds: Trellis

Compliance is becoming a bigger part of a sustainability executive’s role, coupled with greater oversight from legal and CFO teams, according to the research firm.

By Suman Bhattacharyya • Jan. 2, 2025

Walmart to miss 2025, 2030 emissions reduction targets

The retail giant said it will miss its goals to reduce operational emissions because of challenges with energy policy and infrastructure, as well as technology availability.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 20, 2024

People are as important as technology for reliable ESG data collection

Driven by various regulatory frameworks, companies of all sizes may need to retool their approaches to data collection to meet compliance timelines in the most effective ways possible.

By Matthew Gardner • Dec. 19, 2024

CBRE’s climate transition strategy targets supply chain, efficiency actions

Measures to decarbonize include working with clients and suppliers to reduce emissions, which would help decrease its large share of scope 3 emissions, the real estate firm said.

By Joe Burns • Dec. 13, 2024

What’s driving governance support as E+S approval dips: Diligent Market Intelligence

“Investors are increasingly focused on good governance and are taking basic governance structures quite seriously,” Diligent’s Editor In Chief Joshua Black told ESG Dive.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 6, 2024

Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance calls for mandated scope 3 emissions disclosures

The UN-convened alliance also included a number of actions asset owners can immediately take to overcome current accounting challenges.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 5, 2024

Trump’s SEC pick sparks concern from ESG, climate experts

The president-elect picked Paul Atkins for Securities and Exchange Commission chair, who experts expect to prioritize maximizing corporate returns over ESG considerations.

By Zoya Mirza • Dec. 5, 2024