Sustainable Views

What happened at New York Climate Week? Following last month’s Climate Week event, we look at the key themes that emerged and what they reveal about the state of climate policy and finance

Today we bring you a new episode of the podcast

Deputy editor Elizabeth Meager shared her impressions from New York Climate week with editor Philippa Nuttall

Watch on the Sustainable Views website: www.sustainableviews.com/what-happene...

Canada’s opening to lead on climate just got bigger Yrjo Koskinen is the BMO professor of sustainable and transition finance at the Haskayne School of Business and research director at the Institute for Sustainable Finance at the Smith School of Busine...

Canada’s opening to lead on climate just got bigger

Op ed by Yrjo Koskinen professor at the Haskayne School of Business and research director at the Institute for Sustainable Finance at the Smith School of Business, Queen’s University

www.sustainableviews.com/canadas-open...

Litigation risks mount for companies across plastics supply chain Legal experts say risks to the plastics industry are not lessened by the collapse of the global plastics treaty negotiations The legal risks faced by businesses in the global plastics supply chain are...

Companies across the plastics supply chain face mounting legal risks, from litigation and regulation

Legal experts say the collapse of the global plastics treaty talks will not impact the litigation risks associated with plastics

www.sustainableviews.com/litigation-r...

Exxon is the most active lobbyist against CSDDD, claims non-profit report The oil major has secured major wins in Brussels after years of lobbying, both publicly and privately Texas-headquartered ExxonMobil has been the most active company in lobbying against the EU’s incom...

Exxon is the most active lobbyist against the CSDDD, racking up more meetings with policymakers focused on the directive than any other company or trade association.

Research by @somoamsterdam.bsky.social

www.sustainableviews.com/exxon-is-the...

New episode of the Sustainable Views podcast out today!

How has corporate sustainability changed in the past 12 months?

Listen here- podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...

Tragedy of the horizons a decade on: climate change threatens financial stability Julia Symon is head of research and advocacy and Max Kretschmer is a press officer at Finance Watch How regulators can move beyond disclosure and adopt binding measures to force systemic reform of the...

Tragedy of the horizons a decade on: climate change threatens financial stability

By Julia Symon and Max Kretschmer at @financewatch.bsky.social

www.sustainableviews.com/tragedy-of-t...

Parametric insurance on the rise as climate impacts hit Asia Last year in the region, only 5% of losses linked to natural disasters were insured, compared with 52% in the US The Asia-Pacific insurance market has long been under-developed compared to the US or ...

The Asia-Pacific insurance market has long been under-developed compared to the US or Europe — which has left governments, companies and farmers paying the bill when catastrophe strikes.

More on Sustainable Views

www.sustainableviews.com/parametric-i...

Economic risks spiral as planetary health declines Worsening ocean acidification is the latest sign nature is under stress Humanity is pushing beyond the “limits of a stable and resilient planet”, with seven of the nine planetary boundaries already br...

Humanity is pushing beyond the “limits of a stable and resilient planet”, with seven of the nine planetary boundaries already breached and further deterioration and destabilisation likely, says the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

www.sustainableviews.com/economic-ris...

Government over-reach could stifle private investment and deepen supply shortages Think-tank Bruegel calls on policymakers to encourage private sector action on climate resilience Concerns over scarcity and political demands to protect global supply chains from climate shocks can r...

Climate events such as wildfires, flooding, heatwaves and droughts can have “cascading effects” on the global economy, disrupting production lines and affecting critical infrastructure and trade routes, @bruegel.org says.

www.sustainableviews.com/government-o...

Half of US energy projects scrapped since January Businesses insist that renewable energy remains the cheapest and quickest option Businesses across the US are highly focused on energy affordability, availability and speed of deployment, speakers ins...

Energy affordability was a key focus on day one of New York Climate Week, with businesses warning of rising bills, lost jobs and project cancellations.

www.sustainableviews.com/half-of-us-e...

Out with ESG, in with risk: sustainability’s new rhetoric Jargon is giving way to plainer, more business-oriented language If the late 2010s and early 2020s were characterised by the “say-do” gap — companies talking the talk on sustainability, but not necess...

Our latest piece on the changing language of sustainability

www.sustainableviews.com/out-with-esg...

Simpler sustainability rules risk leaving investors in the dark Jane Thostrup Jagd is director of net zero finance at the We Mean Business Coalition The purpose of reporting is to help capital move towards more sustainable business models, not tick boxes

In its eagerness to satisfy the loudest calls for relief, Efrag risks overlooking the very people this reporting is primarily meant to serve: investors and other capital providers writes Jane Thostrup Jagd at @wemeanbusiness.bsky.social

www.sustainableviews.com/simpler-sust...

Lack of a plastics treaty leaves businesses open to financial and reputational risks Sarah Perreard is co-chief executive of Earth Action Governments failed to agree to reduce plastic pollution. The burden of action is now on corporate boardrooms

The absence of a global plastics treaty does not mean the absence of risk for companies, argues Sarah Perreard co-chief executive of Earth Action.

www.sustainableviews.com/lack-of-a-pl...

SEC curbs shareholder rights in favour of companies Investor powers are eroded as the regulator backs corporations on voting, litigation and climate reporting A pattern is emerging at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In a series of moves anno...

A pattern is emerging at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In a series of moves announced in recent months, it appears to be abandoning its long-standing tradition of protecting investors, tipping the power balance back towards companies.

Read more:
www.sustainableviews.com/sec-curbs-sh...

Money starts flowing back into nuclear power after long exile From US policy shifts to Microsoft power deals, a sector long seen as overly risky is edging back into the mainstream After decades on the sidelines, nuclear power is enjoying an unexpected revival in...

Nuclear, which only a couple of years ago seemed to be in decline, appears to be having a resurgence, shows World Nuclear Association data.

But how far can government support (notably from the US administration) or big tech agreements boost the sector.

www.sustainableviews.com/money-starts...

US businesses must defend the EPA’s endangerment finding Deborah McNamara is executive director of ClimateVoice Corporate silence on climate policy puts profits and people at risk

By seeking to overturn the endangerment finding the US Environmental Protection Agency is breaking "the legal bedrock for addressing global warming", writes Deborah McNamara executive director of ClimateVoice in Sustainable Views.

www.sustainableviews.com/us-businesse...

How ‘avoided emissions’ let companies look green while polluting François-Régis Puyou is a professor at Emlyon Business School Businesses are sidestepping the hard truth that growth often means higher absolute emissions

Companies are using hypothetical 'avoided' emissions to report environmental gains, writes François-Régis Puyou a professor at Emlyon Business School in Sustainable Views.

www.sustainableviews.com/how-avoided-...

Sustainability roles evolve as regulators retreat In-house teams are being reshaped as companies cut costs and shift focus from compliance to business value Regulation has historically been a key driver of corporate sustainability, shaping how compan...

Today we bring you the first in a four-part series on what sustainability experts are thinking and feeling in these troubled and confusing times.

The piece examines how sustainability roles are evolving as regulators retreat, notably in the US and the EU.

www.sustainableviews.com/sustainabili...

SBTi challenges finance to prove its climate commitments are credible Jessye Waxman is a campaign adviser for the Sierra Club’s sustainable finance campaign The choices made by financial institutions will determine whether the energy transition succeeds or stalls

New op-ed: SBTi’s new Financial Institution Net-Zero Standard challenges finance on its climate pledges: credible net-zero means reallocating capital. Will global finance rise to the occasion?

👉 www.sustainableviews.com/sbti-challen...

@financialtimes.com & @sustainableviews.bsky.social

Weekly News and Views: Trade, energy talks and Trump-friendly regulation The latest sustainability policy and regulatory news The week that was

In this week's news round up we cover the biggest sustainability news of the week, including UK division over the future of oil and gas in the North Sea and the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.

www.sustainableviews.com/weekly-news-...

‘The Germans hope to sell more cars, the Brazilians more beef’ Why the EU-Mercosur trade deal is unlikely to be as sustainable as its signatories would have us believe

The European Commission will publish its Mercosur trade deal, set out in December, later today. Sustainable Views will bring you a full analysis.

In the meantime, catch up on our previous coverage:

www.sustainableviews.com/the-germans-...

Housebuilding and nature restoration are not opposed. Biodiversity net gain can deliver on both Catherine Spitzer is chief executive of the Environment Bank and Archie Struthers is CEO of Nattergal BNG must be maintained to ensure investors see the market as stable and investible, and guarantee ...

"The government’s recent proposal to remove Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for smaller housing developers carries myriad risks for developers, for nature and for the government," writes Catherine Spitzer chief executive of Environment Bank.

www.sustainableviews.com/housebuildin...

Climate risk is financial risk, regardless of politics Andrea Ranger is director of shareholder advocacy at Trillium Asset Management Even as policymakers in Washington and Brussels backtrack on climate rules, investors are demanding more — not less — cla...

Inaction in the face of climate change is proving costly, and investors should take note, writes Andrea Ranger director of shareholder advocacy at Trillium Asset Management in Sustainable Views.

www.sustainableviews.com/climate-risk...

Risk has a price: why the ECB’s new climate factor changes everything Scott Kelly is senior vice-president of environmental analytics at Risilience The move by the European Central Bank forces financial institutions to adapt or face higher funding costs

The ECB has ended the era of “climate neutrality” in central banking.

www.sustainableviews.com/risk-has-a-p...

Why we left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance Hans Stegeman is chief economist at Triodos Bank The NZBA’s ambition was being intentionally lowered to appease the world’s biggest banks — and many still left anyway

Why we left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance

Hans Stegeman chief economist at @triodosuk.bsky.social argues that the NZBA’s ambition was being intentionally lowered to appease the world’s biggest banks — and many still left anyway.

www.sustainableviews.com/why-we-left-...

Survey finds UK businesses going cold on net zero Economic worries are directing SME thinking around decarbonisation A survey conducted by the British Standards Institution suggests British businesses are losing confidence in their ability to meet ne...

Economic worries mean UK businesses are doing less on net zero.

www.sustainableviews.com/survey-finds...

Climate reporting for a competitive UK economy Matt Fisher is head of policy at Watershed As the Brussels debate rolls on over whether sustainability reporting is a bureaucratic burden, the UK government is making its case as a catalyst for econom...

"As the debate rolls on in Brussels over whether the CSRD is a bureaucratic burden, the UK government is making a clear case that corporate sustainability reporting is a catalyst for economic growth," writes Matthew Fisher head of policy at Watershed.

www.sustainableviews.com/climate-repo...

India has a climate finance rule book. Now comes the hard part Chaitanya Gupta is a research fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School of Government, where he focuses on financing for climate and emerging technologies. Kartikeya Bh...

Opinion: India’s new draft climate finance taxonomy framework could reduce the cost of capital for green projects

www.sustainableviews.com/india-has-a-...

Global plastics treaty talks collapse without a deal Negotiations end in a whisper, killed by divisions and poor leadership The writing was on the wall all week — finding any form of agreement on how to deal with plastics was going to be even harder tha...

The UN talks to find an agreement on a global plastics treaty collapsed on Friday morning, killed by division.

www.sustainableviews.com/global-plast...

US net zero rejection could derail decarbonisation of shipping Trump administration urges other IMO member states to oppose net zero framework The US administration’s decision to reject the International Maritime Organization’s net zero framework could complicate...

The US administration has rejected the International Maritime Organization’s net zero framework.

Experts fear that the decision, and retaliatory threats, could undermine enforcement of the climate deal and prompt other countries to backtrack.

www.sustainableviews.com/us-net-zero-...