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Clever.

ESG in 5 Sustainability News - 29-09-2026

Sep 29
3 min read

This week’s ESG in 5 covers a major electric truck order backed by Microsoft and PepsiCo, a new global sustainability standard and overwhelming demand for England’s green farming fund. We also look at the WTO’s review of EU carbon border measures and Hong Kong’s plans for a record digital green bond sale.



Microsoft and PepsiCo back major electric truck order.


An alliance backed by Microsoft and PepsiCo has placed an initial order for 2,500 battery-electric heavy-duty trucks in the United States, selecting Tesla as its main manufacturer.


The ZET SCALE initiative brings together demand from freight customers and transport operators to help reduce costs and accelerate adoption. Kenworth, RIDE and Volvo will provide additional options for operators with different requirements. A leasing programme aims to reduce the financial risks of switching to electric vehicles, including uncertainty over resale values. The trucks will operate across ten major US freight hubs, with the alliance aiming to expand the programme to at least 10,000 vehicles.



New global standard brings sustainability into business decisions.


The International Organization for Standardisation and the United Nations Development Programme have launched a new standard to help organisations incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their strategy and everyday operations.


ISO/UNDP 53001 provides a framework for assessing positive and negative impacts, setting meaningful objectives and measuring progress. It also encourages organisations to consult those affected by their activities and consider the trade-offs between different sustainability goals. The aim is to make sustainability part of how businesses are managed, with clearer responsibilities and better information supporting decisions across areas such as environmental protection, poverty reduction and education.



England’s £233m green farming fund closes within hours.


Applications for England’s latest Sustainable Farming Incentive funding round closed in less than six hours after demand exhausted the £233 million available, leaving thousands of farmers without support.


The scheme pays farmers for environmental work, including planting hedges, creating wildflower margins and protecting soils. Farming and environmental groups criticised the short application window, warning that uncertainty over funding makes it harder to plan conservation work and improve resilience to extreme weather. The government said it had increased the funding available and prioritised smaller farms and new applicants in an earlier round. Further information on funding opportunities for 2027 is expected to follow.



WTO to review EU carbon border measures.


The World Trade Organisation has agreed to establish a panel to examine the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and aspects of its emissions trading scheme, following a complaint from Russia.


Russia argues that the carbon border measures create trade barriers and that allowances allocated to certain EU companies amount to an export subsidy. The EU maintains that both schemes comply with WTO rules and has confirmed it will participate in the proceedings. Countries including China, India, the UK and the United States have reserved rights to take part as third parties. The panel’s establishment begins the review process; it does not constitute a ruling against the EU.



Hong Kong plans record digital green bond sale.


Hong Kong is preparing to issue up to US$2.6 billion in digital green bonds, potentially making it the world’s largest digital bond sale.


The proposed offering would span US dollars, Hong Kong dollars, euros and offshore yuan, combining green finance with blockchain technology used to manage bond issuance and settlement. It forms part of wider plans to make government digital bond issuance a regular feature of Hong Kong’s financial markets. Authorities are also developing infrastructure for digital currency settlement and blockchain-based interest payments and redemptions. The transaction remains planned, with its final size and pricing still to be confirmed.



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