News in the spotlight: Microsoft has secured 4.8 million tonnes of nature-based carbon removal credits from improved forest management to support its 2030 carbon negative goal and removal of historical emissions by 2050.
Microsoft will purchase 4.8 million tonnes of carbon removal credits from improved forest management projects. This deal supports its goal to become carbon negative by 2030 and remove historical emissions by 2050.
Products and services
Microsoft accelerates carbon removal with 4.8 million ton forest management deal
Microsoft has signed a landmark agreement to purchase 4.8 million tonnes of carbon removal credits generated through improved forest management projects in the US, supporting its ambition to become carbon negative by 2030 and remove historical emissions by 2050.
The credits, supplied by Finite Carbon, enhance forest carbon stocks via biodiversity protection and extended harvest cycles, ensuring verified, nature-based removals. This purchase reinforces Microsoft’s leadership in voluntary carbon markets and signals growing corporate demand for solutions that deliver measurable climate impact.
The deal also supports sustainable forestry communities and highlights the role of carbon markets in achieving net-zero goals. By embedding carbon removals into its broader decarbonisation strategy, Microsoft integrates operational emissions reductions with credible offsets, strengthening its ESG performance across operations, supply chains, and products globally. This approach demonstrates real climate action beyond targets (source: microsoft.com).
Wolters Kluwer integrates ESG and financial data with new CBAM compliance tools
Wolters Kluwer has launched new solutions to connect ESG and financial data, enabling companies to comply with the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). These tools help businesses calculate embedded carbon in imported goods and ensure accurate reporting under upcoming CBAM rules affecting sectors like steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and electricity.
Integrated into financial and operational workflows, the solutions provide transparency and audit-ready outputs for compliance teams, while supporting strategic decarbonisation planning and carbon cost management. CBAM aims to prevent carbon leakage by imposing a carbon price on certain imports into the EU, incentivising cleaner production globally.
Wolters Kluwer’s launch reflects increasing corporate demand for ESG-tech solutions that streamline reporting, compliance, and operational integration. By connecting sustainability data to financial systems, companies can manage climate risks and align with evolving global regulations (source: wolterskluwers.com).
Bytedance buys 100,000 high-integrity carbon credits from Rubicon Carbon
Bytedance has purchased 100,000 high-integrity carbon credits from Rubicon Carbon, marking a significant move in corporate decarbonisation among global tech companies. The credits include nature-based removals verified to rigorous environmental standards, ensuring credibility in ESG reporting. Rubicon Carbon aggregates and certifies carbon projects with institutional-grade validation, scaling carbon markets transparently. This transaction reflects growing corporate demand for high-quality voluntary carbon credits to achieve net-zero goals responsibly.
Bytedance’s purchase aligns with its strategy to offset unavoidable emissions while investing in operational energy efficiency, demonstrating proactive climate action beyond compliance. The deal enhances its ESG credentials amid rising stakeholder and regulatory expectations globally. Integrating carbon removals into sustainability strategies positions tech firms as leaders in climate accountability, driving market confidence in their net-zero pathways (source: rubiconcarbon.com).
Regulations, Law and Frameworks
Singapore requests delay in mandatory climate reporting for smaller businesses
Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) have proposed delaying mandatory climate reporting for smaller listed companies from FY2027 to FY2030, allowing SMEs more time to build capabilities aligned with ISSB standards. Larger listed companies and financial institutions remain scheduled to report from FY2025. This proposal follows industry feedback highlighting resource and data limitations among SMEs.
Singapore’s approach balances global alignment with practical implementation, ensuring ecosystem readiness while upholding investor expectations for consistent, comparable climate data. Finalised rules are expected later this year after public consultation. This move reflects a broader trend in Asia where regulators tailor ESG policies to market maturity and corporate capacity, supporting effective disclosure adoption without undermining quality or increasing compliance burdens for smaller firms seeking sustainable growth (source: sgx.com).
GRI launches new climate and energy reporting standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has released updated Climate Change and Energy standards to strengthen corporate disclosures on decarbonisation strategies. The new standards align with the Paris Agreement and ISSB requirements, mandating disclosures on 1.5°C-aligned transition plans, annual progress updates, and scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data.
Additional disclosures cover energy mix, efficiency, and decarbonisation investments. GRI said these updates respond to stakeholders demanding greater transparency and accountability on climate action. They complement ISSB by offering detailed sector guidance, supporting companies in effectively communicating climate risks, opportunities, and transition pathways to investors and regulators.
The standards encourage companies to move beyond compliance towards strategic climate leadership and operational resilience, reinforcing ESG reporting frameworks globally as stakeholders require robust data to track real decarbonisation progress in a net-zero economy (source: globalreporting.com).
UK publishes draft IFRS -aligned sustainability reporting standards
The UK Government has released draft Sustainability Disclosure Standards (UK SDS) aligned with the IFRS ISSB framework, marking a milestone in corporate ESG reporting. The proposed standards cover climate and general sustainability disclosures, requiring listed and large private companies to report their sustainability impacts, risks, and opportunities transparently. UK SDS aims to strengthen investor confidence and comparability while reinforcing the UK’s status as a global sustainable finance hub. Consultations will run until mid-2025, with final standards expected by year-end.
Companies must prepare for phased adoption by integrating sustainability into governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics. This development reflects global regulatory convergence towards mandatory ESG disclosures to direct capital towards a sustainable economy. The UK approach will influence ESG reporting policies across Europe, supporting markets in delivering finance for net-zero and sustainability goals effectively (source: gov.com).
ESG Data & Analytics
Climatiq raises €10 million to scale carbon data solutions for business decisions
Climatiq, a Berlin-based carbon data intelligence platform, has raised €10 million to expand its solutions integrating emissions data into business workflows. The funding round, led by HV Capital with Norrsken VC and existing investors, will accelerate product development, engineering team growth, and global expansion.
Climatiq’s APIs embed real-time emissions factors into software, enabling companies to calculate, reduce, and report emissions accurately for decarbonisation decisions. The platform addresses a major bottleneck in corporate climate action: embedding reliable emissions data into daily operations to drive measurable reductions.
As regulatory and investor pressure for emissions transparency rises, Climatiq positions itself as a key ESG data infrastructure provider supporting compliance and operational strategy. Its growth reflects broader market demand for integrating carbon insights into procurement, finance, and operations to meet net-zero targets efficiently and build resilience in a decarbonising global economy (source: climatiq.com).
Singaporean banks publish first report on nature-related financial risks
DBS, OCBC, and UOB, in collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), have released the country’s first banking sector report on nature-related financial risks. The report assesses exposure to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation across lending portfolios and recommends integrating nature considerations into risk management frameworks.
Key findings highlight material risks for sectors such as palm oil, agriculture, and construction, with potential impacts on loan performance and credit risk. The report advises banks to strengthen data collection, scenario analysis, and client engagement to manage these risks effectively.
This initiative prepares Singapore’s financial sector for upcoming TNFD disclosure recommendations and positions the country as a regional leader in nature-related ESG integration. It also demonstrates how financial institutions can align capital flows with biodiversity and ecosystem goals, supporting global sustainability and climate resilience efforts alongside traditional climate risk reporting (source: dbs.com).
Net Zero Commitments
Meta secures nearly 800 MW of renewable energy to power US data centers
Meta has signed agreements for nearly 800 MW of new renewable energy capacity from Invenergy to power its expanding US data centres, advancing its goal to achieve net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2030. The contracts include wind and solar projects in multiple states, adding clean energy to local grids while creating jobs and economic benefits in surrounding communities.
This deal builds on Meta’s existing partnerships with Invenergy and reflects how major technology companies are driving large-scale renewable energy deployment to decarbonise operations.
It aligns with investor expectations for climate leadership among digital economy firms and demonstrates Meta’s commitment to integrating sustainability across its business model, infrastructure, and supply chain. By securing renewable capacity at scale, Meta strengthens its ESG performance and operational resilience, supporting the global energy transition while delivering stakeholder value and measurable climate impact (source: about.com).
AIIB and Keppel to mobilise $1.5 billion for sustainable infrastructure in Asia-Pacific
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Keppel have announced a strategic partnership to mobilise up to $1.5 billion for sustainable infrastructure projects across Asia-Pacific. The initiative will focus on sectors including renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, and urban development, advancing climate resilience and green transition goals in emerging markets.
It combines AIIB’s capital with Keppel’s infrastructure expertise to attract private investments into bankable projects, addressing a significant financing gap for low-carbon infrastructure in Asia.
This aligns with AIIB’s target to allocate at least 50% of its financing to climate projects by 2025 and reflects the growing role of blended finance in accelerating decarbonisation while supporting economic development. The collaboration highlights how public-private partnerships can unlock scalable climate solutions and enable sustainable growth pathways in developing economies, strengthening regional energy security and net-zero commitments (source: aiib.org).
Ambienta raises €500 million to scale Europe’s small-cap sustainability champions
Ambienta, a leading European private equity firm focused on environmental sustainability, has raised €500 million for its Ambienta X Alpha fund to invest in small-cap companies driving environmental transformation. The fund targets businesses with scalable solutions in energy efficiency, pollution control, and resource optimisation across Europe. Ambienta integrates ESG factors into value creation strategies, supporting portfolio companies in accelerating growth through sustainable innovation and operational excellence.
With over €2 billion in assets under management, Ambienta aims to catalyse Europe’s shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy by scaling proven technologies and business models. This fundraising reflects strong investor appetite for sustainable private equity strategies that deliver measurable environmental impact alongside competitive financial returns. It also highlights the role of specialised funds in supporting EU Green Deal goals by backing SMEs with impactful solutions for industrial decarbonisation and circular economy transitions (source: ambientasgr.com).
ESG and Green Bond Issuances
Poland updates green bond framework ahead of first issuance in six years
Poland has updated its green bond framework in preparation for its first issuance since 2018. The revised framework aligns with the EU Taxonomy and expands eligible categories to include renewable energy, clean transport, and sustainable water management. Proceeds will fund projects supporting Poland’s energy transition and climate goals.
As the world’s first sovereign green bond issuer in 2016, Poland’s return to the market is expected to attract strong investor demand for robust sovereign ESG instruments.
The update underscores Poland’s commitment to sustainable finance and reinforces its position as a pioneer in sovereign ESG issuance. It also aligns with broader European efforts to accelerate sustainable finance strategies that mobilise capital for net-zero commitments and enhance national energy security. This issuance will support Poland’s decarbonisation agenda amid growing climate policy and geopolitical pressures in the region (source: gov.com).
Leadership Announcements
ING replaces DZ Bank on ICMA Principles Executive Committee
ING has joined the Executive Committee of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Principles, replacing DZ Bank. The ICMA Principles set global guidelines for green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bond issuance, promoting market integrity and growth. ING’s appointment reflects its leadership in sustainable finance and active role in structuring landmark ESG transactions, including green and sustainability-linked bonds across diverse sectors.
Joining the committee enables ING to help shape best practices and standards guiding sustainable capital markets worldwide. This leadership change comes as ESG debt markets expand rapidly, requiring continuous evolution of principles to maintain credibility and investor confidence. ING’s expertise in developing innovative sustainable finance solutions will support ICMA’s mission to enhance transparency and effectiveness in ESG bond frameworks, strengthening global financial markets’ alignment with climate and sustainability goals (source: icmagroup.com).
Leave feedback about this