News in the spotlight: LSEG enhances ESG scores and sustainability analytics offering
LSEG has launched a new suite of ESG scores and sustainability analytics through its Sustainability Ratings and Data division, announced on March 9, 2026. The framework features 220 standardized indicators aligned with global standards like ISSB, GRI, SASB, and ESRS, plus a redesigned materiality matrix using double materiality at the business segment level.
Products and Services
PGGM leads series B funding round for RIFT
Eindhoven-based scale-up RIFT has secured EUR 113.8 million to bridge the “valley of death” between industrial pilot projects and commercial deployment. The funding, which includes an EUR 83.1 million Series B round led by Dutch pension investor PGGM and a EUR 30.7 million grant from the EU Innovation Fund, targets the decarbonization of energy-intensive industrial heat. Industries such as chemical production and building materials require continuous, high-temperature heat—demands often unmet by current electrification due to grid constraints and temperature requirements. RIFT’s technology utilizes iron powder as a circular energy carrier: burning iron creates heat without direct CO2 emissions, leaving behind iron oxide (rust) that can be reduced back to iron powder using hydrogen or carbon-capture-equipped systems. The capital will fund RIFT’s first commercial production facility, aiming for operations by 2029. The project is expected to deliver 340 GWh of industrial heat annually. By signing its first commercial contract with Kingspan Unidek, RIFT has demonstrated the bankability of iron fuel for sectors where fossil fuel dependence was previously unavoidable.
Rabobank launches a new foundation dedicated to cooperative impact
Rabobank has officially launched the Rabo Impact Foundation, a new strategic vehicle designed to address systemic societal issues that traditional market mechanisms and standard philanthropic models often fail to solve. The foundation represents a shift from traditional corporate social responsibility toward “catalytic philanthropy.” By deploying its own capital and expertise, Rabobank aims to bridge the gap between initial innovation and commercial viability. The foundation focuses on two primary pillars: the food transition and financial well-being. A key differentiator of this model is its “risk-tolerant” approach. The foundation provides grants, subordinated loans, and technical assistance to social enterprises and NGOs that are considered too high-risk for commercial banking but have high potential for scalable impact. This “first-loss” or “early-stage” support is intended to de-risk projects, eventually making them attractive to private investors and mainstream finance. Current initiatives include supporting sustainable agricultural practices in emerging markets and developing digital tools to improve financial literacy among vulnerable groups.
Ecuador launches first biodiversity bond to mobilize private capital for conservation
IDB Invest and Banco Bolivariano launched Ecuador’s first biodiversity bond on March 6, 2026, raising up to USD 120 million with a five-year tenor. IDB Invest subscribed USD 50 million, matched by IFC’s USD 50 million and FMO’s USD 20 million, diversifying funding for the bank’s Biodiversity Financing Framework aligned with ICMA principles. Proceeds target projects across five pillars: productive land use and agriculture; sustainable freshwater and marine production; waste and plastics management; forestry and plantations; and tourism/ecotourism services. Eligible initiatives must verify impacts like reduced water/chemical use, sustainability certifications, habitat protection, and resource management. The bond mobilizes private capital for job-creating ventures while measuring biodiversity gains, conservation, and restoration in Ecuador—a global megadiversity hotspot. It marks Latin America’s largest biodiversity bond, opening doors for thematic instruments in local markets. Furthermore, IDB Invest adds technical assistance for credit monitoring systems, bolstering sustainable finance markets and natural capital use as growth drivers.
ESG Data and Analytics
AIRMO raises EUR 5M to scale space-based greenhouse-gas monitoring
AIRMO, a space tech startup developing advanced greenhouse gas monitoring, raised EUR 5M in seed funding led by Ananda Impact Ventures, with Unconventional Ventures, kopa ventures, Desai Ventures, and others including Pi Labs and Antler. The capital funds its first satellite launch in 2027, scales airborne monitoring in Europe, MENA, and Central Asia, and establishes a MENA hub. AIRMO’s SWIR imager and micro-LiDAR on small satellites offer superior accuracy and cost-efficiency for detecting methane leaks, which cause 30% of global warming and USD30BN annual losses to energy firms. Deployed on drones and aircraft for clients like Uniper, OSCE, and TotalEnergies-backed R&D, it targets 12 million global energy assets. CEO Daria Stepanova, with 12 satellite launches, leads experts including ex-ESA optics head Errico Armandillo. Investors praise its precision amid regulations and capital needs for emissions tracking. Ananda’s Alina Bassi calls it a transparency game-changer for methane abatement.