This week in ESG news: EU pledges to simplify sustainability reporting laws; 10-state coalition warns major Wall Street firms over ESG policies; Moody’s predicts $1 trillion sustainable bond market despite political headwinds; Microsoft signs nature-based carbon removal megadeal; Switzerland targets 65% GHG emissions reduction by 2035; first-ever green bond issued under new EuGB ‘gold standard’; BlackRock launches first-ever “Sustainability Improvers” fund; IFRS publishes guide for “climate-first” sustainability reporting; Meta sources renewable energy for Texas data center; Energizer rolls out plastic-free packaging; capital raises for sustainable food chain startups, clean energy metals tech, sustainable lending, 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

Microsoft Inks 7 Million Ton Nature-Based Carbon Removal Megadeal

Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro to Invest $45 Million in Carbon Capture Tech for Aluminum Production

Meta Signs 595 MW Renewable Energy Deals in Texas

Zurich Signs 17,500 Ton Carbon Removal Deal with Climate Solutions Provider Nellie Technologies

STMicroelectronics Signs 15-Year, 1.5 TWh Renewable Energy Purchase Deal with TotalEnergies

Energizer Launches Plastic-Free Packaging for Batteries

Stockholm Exergi Awarded $1.8 Billion by Sweden for Bio-energy Carbon Removal and Storage Project

ESG Reporting

IFRS Publishes Guidance for Companies Taking a Climate-First Approach to Sustainability Reporting

Government & Regulators

Switzerland Sets Target to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 65% by 2035

EU Pledges “Far-Reaching Simplification” in Sustainability Reporting in New Competitiveness Roadmap

Texas-Led Multi-State Coalition Threatens BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Others with Legal Action Over ESG Commitments

ESG Services and Tools

Amex GBT Launches Solution Enabling Businesses to Apply Carbon Price for Travel and Fund Decarbonization Solutions

Sustainable Finance

A2A Issues the First Green Bond Under New EUGB “Gold Standard”

Sustainable Lending Startup Colesco Raises Over $800 Million

esVolta Raises $243 Million for Texas Battery Energy Storage Projects

Private Equity & Venture Capital

Earth AI Raises $20 Million to Use AI to Explore for Clean Energy Metals

Sightline Raises $5.5 Million for AI-Powered Market Intelligence Climate Platform

Chipotle Invests in Startups Reducing Emissions from Cows, Advancing Plant-Based Protein

Sustainable Investing

Euronext Adds Paris-Aligned Climate Index to CAC Benchmark Suite

Manulife Raises $480 Million for Carbon Credit-Generating Forest Climate Fund

Schroders to Adopt All Four of the FCA’s SDR Sustainability Labels for Funds

BlackRock Launches First Fund Using FCA’s “Sustainability Improvers” Label Targeting Brown-to-Green Materials Opportunities

Exec Moves

BDO Appoints Hannah Routh as Head of its Sustainability and ESG Practice

Reports, Studies & Surveys

Moody’s Predicts $1 Trillion Sustainable Bond Market in 2025 Despite Political Headwinds

Sustainable Fund Flows Rebound in Q4 2024, as Both European Inflows and U.S. Outflows Accelerate: Morningstar