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ESG in 5 Sustainability News - 14-07-2026

  • Jul 14
  • 3 min read

This week’s ESG in 5 highlights major investment and innovation across the energy transition. Masdar has secured $5 billion for round-the-clock renewable power in Abu Dhabi, while Quinbrook has raised £587 million for UK and Irish clean-energy infrastructure. Elsewhere, Airbus and MTU are advancing hydrogen-powered aviation, Fleek is using AI to scale second-hand fashion, and Walmart has signed its first nuclear energy agreement.



Masdar secures $5bn for 24/7 UAE clean power.


Masdar has secured more than $5 billion in financing for its large-scale solar and battery storage project in Abu Dhabi.


Developed with Emirates Water and Electricity Company, the facility will combine 5.2 GW of solar capacity with a 19 GWh battery energy storage system. Once operational, it is expected to supply up to 1 GW of continuous renewable power, 24 hours a day.


The project represents an investment of around $6 billion and is expected to begin operating in 2027, demonstrating how large-scale storage can help overcome the intermittency of solar energy.



Quinbrook raises £587m for UK renewables.


Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has raised £587 million for its second UK-focused renewable energy fund, exceeding its original £500 million target.


The Quinbrook Renewables Impact Fund II will invest in renewable generation, battery storage, grid infrastructure and transport energy projects across the UK and Ireland. Its existing portfolio includes the Mallard Pass solar farm in the East Midlands, where construction is expected to begin later this year.


The fund is designed to support the UK’s Clean Power 2030 ambitions and Ireland’s target of meeting 80% of electricity demand through renewable sources by 2030.



Airbus and MTU power ahead with hydrogen engine.


Airbus and MTU Aero Engines are planning to establish a joint venture to develop and commercialise a fully electric hydrogen fuel-cell engine for commercial aircraft.


The companies will combine their engineering and manufacturing expertise to accelerate the design, testing and certification of the new propulsion system. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction, allowing an electric motor to be powered without producing carbon emissions during flight.


Subject to regulatory approval, the new business is expected to begin operating in 2027 and will cover the full development process through to commercialisation.



Fleek bags $25m to reinvent second-hand fashion.


London-based Fleek has raised $25 million in Series B funding to expand its AI-powered marketplace for second-hand clothing.


Founded in 2021, the platform connects vintage and second-hand clothing suppliers with retailers around the world. The funding will support technology designed to automate areas including inventory processing, product sorting, merchandising and buyer discovery.


The round was led by Burda Principal Investments and included participation from eBay. Fleek said the investment will help modernise the fragmented wholesale second-hand clothing market and enable more used garments to be resold at scale.


Walmart signs first nuclear energy deal.


Equinix and Italian utility A2A are developing a major heat recovery project that will use waste heat from data centres to support Milan’s district heating network.


The project will capture heat from Equinix’s Milan data centre campus and transfer it to a new A2A Energy Centre, where four large heat pumps with a combined 72 MW capacity will raise the temperature before distribution across the city.


The system is expected to recover up to 225 GWh of thermal energy each year, increasing heat supplied through Milan’s district heating network by around 20% and providing enough energy to heat more than 21,000 homes.



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