The Week in Sustainability

This final episode of  The Week in Sustainability  reflects on two impactful years of insights, from groundbreaking regulations like the EU’s CSRD and ISSB standards to climate science milestones and natural disasters reshaping the corporate sustainability landscape. We explore key moments, including advancements in climate disclosure, state-level policies, and global energy transitions, while emp...

The Week in Sustainability November 18–22, 2024 This week: We dive into the highlights, controversies, and challenges of COP29 in Azerbaijan. While ambitious climate commitments were announced, such as the UN's 81% emissions reduction target by 2035 and Indonesia’s plans for net zero by 2060, skepticism remains about how these goals will be achieved. The conference also saw significant milestones,...

The Week in Sustainability November 11–15, 2024 This week: After the 2024 U.S. election, several states took significant climate action despite federal uncertainties. Washington voters upheld the Climate Commitment Act, ensuring funding for carbon reduction projects, while California approved a $10 billion resilience fund targeting wildfire prevention, water conservation, and clean energy. Hawaii...

This week: Covers two major climate-related developments in California. The University of California, San Diego has introduced a mandatory climate-focused course for all students, signaling the growing importance of climate education across all fields of study. The episode also explores California’s leadership in climate policy, particularly as it faces political challenges, including potential ro...

This week: Dives into two major reports spotlighting the urgency of climate action as COP29 approaches. Despite national pledges, current trajectories fall significantly short of the 43% emissions reduction scientists say is needed by 2030—an alarming gap with drastic implications. Additionally, COP29, known as the “finance COP,” will see countries renegotiate climate finance goals, aiming to repl...

This week: Covers the potential impacts of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on climate policy, with anticipated rollbacks under a second Trump administration, including possible withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and increased fossil fuel production. However, strong state-level policies, investor demands, and market dynamics are likely to sustain sustainability progress. In addition, we recap...

The Week in Sustainability October 14–18, 2024 This week: We focused on the Climate Commitment Act in Washington State and the push to repeal it during this upcoming election. Launched in 2023 this legislation targets major business emitters, aiming to significantly reduce emissions and align with IPCC and SBTI targets. It has already generated $2 billion for various mitigation projects, including...

The Week in Sustainability October 7–11, 2024 This week: This episode explores the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes, focusing on recent storms Helene and Milton– examining how climate change is fueling stronger storms through warmer ocean temperatures and rising sea levels, leading to widespread damage and displacement. There is an urgent need for improved disaster preparedness, st...

The Week in Sustainability September 30 – October 4, 2024 This week: Our team covers three important climate updates. We begin with the introduction of the Task Force on Inequality and Socially Related Financial Disclosures (TISFD), aimed at helping companies disclose socially related financial risks. Next, we examine California’s Senate Bill 219, which consolidates climate legislation and revises...

In this week’s episode of The Week in Sustainability, we explore groundbreaking research that reconstructs Earth's surface temperatures over the past 500 million years. The study reveals that the Phanerozoic eon, dating back to the Cambrian explosion, was much hotter than previously thought, providing a striking contrast to the current climate crisis. Asofsky highlights two key insights: the unpre...

The Week in Sustainability x ESG Talk September 16–20, 2024 This week: In the fourth and final episode of the ESG Talk Climate Week series, Nancy Mahon, chief sustainability officer of the Estée Lauder Companies, joins host Alyssa Zucker to discuss the company’s approach to Scope 3 measurement and reporting. They cover the impact of consumer sustainability preferences and the unique challenges of...

In the third installment of ESG Talk’s Climate Week series, Frank Koch, CEO of Swiss Steel Group, and Alberto Carrillo Pineda, CTO of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), join Mandi McReynolds to discuss long-term decarbonization strategies, the steel industry's commitment to sustainable production, and the importance of full emissions transparency.

In the second episode of the ESG Talk Climate Week series, Amelia DeLuca, Delta Air Lines’ chief sustainability officer, speaks with Andie Wood about Delta Air Lines’ strategies for reducing its direct carbon emissions and efforts to increase sustainable aviation fuel production within the airline industry.

In this special Climate Week episode, ESG Talk and The Week in Sustainability team up to demystify greenhouse gas emissions. Join us as hosts Steve Soter, Andie Wood, and Alyssa Zucker kick off a four-part series focused on practical solutions for carbon accounting, management, and achieving net-zero goals.

This week: – Recent extreme weather events in North America underscore the growing need for cities to adopt robust climate resilience strategies, including infrastructure upgrades and comprehensive climate risk assessments. –Attribution science is increasingly vital in understanding how climate change amplifies the severity of weather events, guiding policymakers to implement more effective mitiga...

This week: – Shift in power dynamics: The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Chevron Doctrine significantly alters the balance of power between federal agencies and the judiciary, granting courts more authority to interpret laws and potentially limiting the ability of agencies like the EPA and SEC to enact and enforce climate-related regulations without explicit congressional authorization....

– Biden’s climate legacy: President Biden’s administration has invested $4.3 billion in EPA grants to combat climate change, reduce pollution, and promote environmental justice, alongside significant climate legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. However, his policies, including the approval of the Willow oil drilling project, reflect a complex balance between advancing clean energy and mak...

Significant impact: Scope 3 emissions in supply chains are 26 times higher than direct operational emissions, highlighting the need for companies to address upstream emissions alongside Scopes 1 and 2. – Challenges and gaps: Only 15% of companies have set targets for upstream Scope 3 emissions due to complexities in data collection, lack of supply chain transparency, and prioritization of direct e...

This week: –Kern County wildfires: Recent wildfires in Kern County caused major evacuations and extensive damage, highlighting the urgent need for climate action as extreme heat and dry conditions fuel more frequent and severe fires. –Climate regulation landscape: The SEC’s new climate-risk disclosure rule aims to standardize ESG reporting despite legal challenges. Companies must proactively addre...

– Federal rule to protect workers from extreme heat: President Biden announced a rule to protect 36 million outdoor and partially indoor workers. The rule requires employers to implement Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plans with measures like water provision, rest breaks, and shaded areas. Implementation faces delays and legal challenges, especially in Texas and Florida. –Impact of Hurricane B...

This week, our team breaks down the Supreme Court’s decision that redefined how federal agencies interpret environmental laws, emphasizing Chevron’s deference.  This legal principle, which requires courts to defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, has sparked debates over regulatory stability and clarity, particularly in light of challenges like Ohio v EPA. The decision underscores...

–We’re thrilled to announce that Sustain. Life has been acquired by Workiva, the leading cloud platform for assured integrated reporting! –The acquisition paves the way for the launch of Workiva Carbon, a groundbreaking platform designed to streamline the measurement, management, and reporting of carbon emissions. Sustain. Life, which is now part of Workiva Carbon, is poised to revolutionize how c...

Green hydrogen in Europe: TotalEnergies and Air Products have formed a 15-year partnership to supply green hydrogen to TotalEnergies' European refineries, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 5 million tonnes annually by 2030, highlighting a significant step in Europe's clean energy transition. Rise of solar power in the U.S.: Solar energy is rapidly expanding, with installations increa...

We have a special episode for you this week. With the release of the 2024 CDP questionnaire, we thought it would be helpful to share an abbreviated version of a recent webinar to help you prepare for your 2024 submission. The 2024 CDP questionnaire has arrived, and reporting season is underway. This year's updates include integrating climate, water, and forest disclosures into a single document, s...

Last year, the global average person experienced 26 more days of abnormally high heat due to climate change, significantly impacting vulnerable populations and prompting cities to adopt heat action plans despite the unreliable relief from natural climate patterns like La Niña. Additionally, increased flight turbulence incidents, rising 15% this year, are linked to climate change-altering jet strea...