This week in ESG news: Most investors planning to increase sustainable investments this year, Morgan Stanley finds; ECB pledges to ramp focus on climate risk; Climate data platform Watershed raises $100 million at $1.8 billion valuation; Pandora moves to 100% recycled gold and silver; Texas bans Barclays from bond market over ESG policies; WTW study finds big increase in environmental sustainability integration in executive pay plans; Microsoft signs nature-based carbon removal deal; Major clean energy deals signed by Google, Amazon; capital raises for sustainable fintech, green steel, nature-based climate solutions; clean energy investment surges to $1.8 trillion, and more.

See below for the highlights of the past week, and get all your ESG news at ESG Today:

Sustainability Goals, Initiatives and Achievements

Google Signs Over 700 MW of Clean Energy Deals Across Europe

Geodis Targets 42% Emissions Reduction from its Fleet and Buildings

TotalEnergies, Air Liquide Create New JV to Launch a Hydrogen Station Network for Heavy Duty Trucks

Pandora Shifts to 100% Recycled Gold and Silver for its Jewelry

Microsoft Signs Carbon Removal Deal with Nature-Based Startup Grassroots Carbon

Amazon Signs Purchase Agreement for 473 MW of Offshore Wind Energy with Engie

Government & Regulators

ECB Announces Increased Focus on Climate Risk, Green Transition

U.S. Invests $254 Million in Industrial Decarbonization Projects, Technologies

Texas Bans Barclays from Bond Market over Bank’s ESG Policies

EU Adopts New Regulation Eliminating 500 Million Tonnes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

ESG Reporting

Guest Post: Why Private Companies Should Embrace ESG Reporting

IESBA Releases Proposed Ethics Standards to Prevent Greenwashing in Sustainability Reporting

Guest Post: How AI is Transforming ESG Reporting

ESG Services and Tools

Corporate Climate Platform Watershed Raises $100 Million

Allianz Launches Dashboard Tracking Net Zero Transition Progress and Requirements

Diligent, Manifest Climate Partner to Offer AI-Driven Climate Risk Management Solutions

Sustainable Finance

Moody’s Forecasts Resilient Sustainable Bond Market, with Cleantech Investment Offset by Soft Macro Environment

Private Equity & Venture Capital

Generate Capital Raises $1.5 Billion for Sustainable Infrastructure Investments

Sustainable Fintech Startup Crux Raises $18 Million for Clean Energy Tax Credit Platform

Green Steel Startup Boston Metal Raises $20 Million

Nature-based Solutions Platform Cultivo Raises $14 Million

Schroders Acquires £700 Million UK Solar Portfolio

ESG Investing

Mirova Raises over $280 Million for Emerging Markets-focused Climate Fund

Majority of Investors Planning to Increase Sustainable Investments this Year: Morgan Stanley Survey

Exec Moves

AXA IM Appoints Thomas Coudert as Head of Sustainability for Core Investment Platform

UBS Appoints Beatriz Martin Jimenez as Group Executive Board Lead for Sustainability and Impact

Reports, Studies & Surveys

Clean Energy Investment Surges to $1.8 Trillion in 2023 – But Still Not on Track for Net Zero: BloombergNEF

More than 80% of Companies Adopting ESG Metrics in Exec Compensation Plans: WTW Study