News & Views

Global climate action gained momentum this week as Microsoft signed a major carbon-removal deal, Heineken unveiled a renewable heat project in Portugal, and Google expanded its clean-energy investments. Meta boosted its solar portfolio in Texas, while Brazil cut Amazon deforestation to an 11-year low — a strong signal of progress ahead of COP30.

lobal decarbonisation efforts gained pace this week as Microsoft and Amazon advanced major renewable energy deals, Barclays backed innovative carbon removal, and Germany launched a €7 billion industrial emissions plan. ESG data firm Diginex also expanded its sustainability intelligence through the acquisition of Matter, highlighting growing demand for transparent climate reporting.

Netflix turns to forests, Microsoft bets on nuclear, and a Dutch pension fund pulls $34B in mandates over weak ESG integration. With new sustainability tech deals and fresh certification standards for coffee, ESG momentum is driving change across finance, energy, and agriculture.

This week in ESG: Microsoft doubles down on sustainability with new investments in regenerative agriculture and green cement, while OMV greenlights one of Europe’s largest hydrogen plants. Meanwhile, TotalEnergies powers up its biggest solar project yet in Spain—delivering clean energy to over 150,000 households.

This week’s ESG highlights include Converge’s $22 million push to decarbonise concrete using AI, Microsoft’s landmark biochar carbon removal agreement and sustainability tools for Azure users, and FedEx’s first large-scale U.S. investment in sustainable aviation fuel.