Monday, April 29

Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance

Climate change is driving widespread changes in industries and opening up markets in the future. It’s our goal to define not only the challenges but also the potential solutions by taking action. #climateaction

2023 Hottest Summer On Record
6Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Types of News: Bit

2023 Hottest Summer On Record

September 6, 2023—If you've been feeling especially warm this Summer and not quite able to cool down, there's a reason: It's been a hot one. In fact, the June through August Summer season, otherwise known as the "boreal summer," was the warmest on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union. Copernicus found that the average global temperature in June-July-August was 16.77°C, or 62.18°Fahrenheit. That's 0.66°C above average, the center says. (Note, that is a global average including the Southern Hemisphere, which is in the Winter season.) From January through August 2023 ranks the second warmest year on record, just shy of the hottest first eight-month average that happened in 2016. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reports t...
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U.S. Stock Ownership Rises to 61 Percent
24Jul By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Finance, Investing, Types of News: Bit

U.S. Stock Ownership Rises to 61 Percent

July 24, 2023—Individual stock ownership in the United States fell after the 2008 financial collapse from 62 percent in 2007 to a low of 52 percent in 2013 and 2016. But now Americans' ownership stake in capital markets is rising. According to a Gallup poll taken in April, 61 percent of respondents said they own individual stock, a mutual fund, or a self-directed 401(k) stock fund. Stock ownership is significant not only as an indication of personal savings but also in regard to empowering individuals. For example, proxy votes, like the one that Disney faced in April, give shareholders to have a say in company decisions. It is a key benefit of capitalism that supports sustainable finance.
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Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico
28Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Communism, Dictatorship, Democracy, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico

AMLO Welcomes The Deal, Rails Against U.S. Government And Critics Of Electoral Law Feb. 28, 2023—Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced today that Tesla plans to build a new electric vehicle plant in Monterrey, Mexico, the second largest city in the country. He hailed the investment as something that would bring well-paid jobs to the region. The new Mexico-based factory will join a Tesla fleet of factories: four in the United States, one in China, and one in Germany. Furthermore, it will benefit from $369 billion worth of U.S. subsidies for clean energy that Congress included as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The company is likely to announce more details Wednesday during its planned "Investors Day." The news comes as countries and companies recalibrat...
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ESG And GOP Don’t Mix
11Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Types of News: Brief

ESG And GOP Don’t Mix

State treasurers from GOP-led states say ESG investing harms fossil fuel industries. US Republican Treasurers Withdraw $1 Billion From BlackRock Funds October 11, 2022—State treasurers from Republican-led states of Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah aren't buying into BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's idea of the power of capitalism to make the world a better place. In fact, they are pulling their state's funds from BlackRock funds altogether. The state GOP treasurers say they oppose BlackRock's position on prioritizing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in investment decisions. "Corporate America is now at war with the states that make their living in the fossil fuel business," said John Schroder, Louisiana State Treasurer, during a podcast interview with...
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EU Moves One Step Closer To Forcing Standard Phone Cords
7Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Europe, EU, Eurozone, Types of News: Bit

EU Moves One Step Closer To Forcing Standard Phone Cords

June 7, 2022—The European Union is moving one step closer to forcing tech companies to standardize cords charging cell phones. Today, the European Parliament and EU Member States agreed on a plan to require tech companies to make it easier for consumers to use a uniform charger, USB-C as it's known, for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices. The European Commission developed the plan for a common charger last September. The commissioners have been working on the issue since 2009, to the chagrin of Apple and other firms who prefer to sell consumers multiple cords for multiple devices. Common Charger The 2021 plan is to make the USB-C "the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogame consoles." Supporte...
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International Agency Says Europe Can Cut 1/3 Of Its Russian Gas Imports
7Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Europe, EU, Eurozone, Geopolitics, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

International Agency Says Europe Can Cut 1/3 Of Its Russian Gas Imports

March 7, 2022--Europe is notoriously dependent on Russian oil and gas. That reliance is making strict penalties on Russia's invasion difficult to carry out. But that trade isn't set in stone. In a new report, the International Energy Agency recommends 10 steps for European leaders who want to break that dependency. Under the IEA plan, Europe would be able to reduce its natural gas imports from Russia from 155 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year to 95 bcm--a savings of one third. These figures assume Europe refills is gas storage facilities in 2022. According the the report, the steps are in line with the European Union's goals for climate action and a European Green Deal. However, the agency also recommends additional steps in light of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. 10 S...
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Biden Aims To Secure U.S.-Based Critical Minerals
24Feb By Jacob DavenportNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

Biden Aims To Secure U.S.-Based Critical Minerals

Feb. 24, 2022--U.S. President Joe Biden met with corporate executives, labor leaders, and California Governor Newsom on Tuesday to announce a commitment to reduce America’s dependency from other nations for critical minerals like lithium and graphite. It is part of Biden's review of U.S. supply chains, which started with an executive order in 2021. The goal, according to the White House statement, is to reduce dependency on China. While moving toward self-sufficiency, the White House is focused on creating sustainable jobs within this industry while benefiting communities. The private sector is taking action. Corporate leaders discussed their plans to extract, collect and recycle critical minerals. Industry Advances Along that line, this Spring, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewabl...
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Senators Examine Hydrogen As Potential Source Of Clean Energy
15Feb By Jacob DavenportNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Types of News: Videos

Senators Examine Hydrogen As Potential Source Of Clean Energy

Source: Dept. of Energy February 15, 2022--Sen. Joe Manchin and members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee examined the potential for using hydrogen as a source of clean energy across multiple sectors of the economy, but especially in the transportation sector. "Clean hydrogen is a versatile fuel that has the potential to significantly decarbonize many sectors of our economy, including the power, transportation, and industrial sectors," said Manchin, the committee chairman, on Feb. 10. "We’ve made a lot of progress decarbonizing the power sector but the transportation and industrial sectors are harder, and clean hydrogen could be integral to getting at those parts of our economy." Industries Impacted If developed more, hydrogen could impact the shipping and a...
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A Critical Look At Fossil Fuel Subsidies
17Nov By Guest WriterNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

A Critical Look At Fossil Fuel Subsidies

If We Want To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, We Should Not Pay People To Burn Fossil-Fuels By Max Roser November 17, 2021--Instead of making fossil fuels more expensive, many governments do the opposite: They subsidize them. Having access to reliable and affordable energy is important to people, so it’s understandable that governments support energy access. But if these subsidies support the consumption of fossil fuels it comes with a large downside, air pollution and accelerated climate change. This year, world leaders agreed to reduce fossil fuel subsidies. It is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that they want to reach by 2030. As so often with progress, the world rarely solves a problem through a single event. Repealing subsidies is a process. ...
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Institutional Investors Increasingly Cite Climate Change As Portfolio Risk
15Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Types of News: Brief

Institutional Investors Increasingly Cite Climate Change As Portfolio Risk

Insurance Investors Also Say Low Interest-Rate Regime Drives Them Into Riskier Assets November 15, 2021--More than one in three insurers now consider environmental changes as "a serious threat" to their investment strategies, according to an annual survey by BlackRock. BlackRock released the findings of its annual survey today. The asset management firm surveyed 362 insurance company executives located in 26 markets and representing $27 trillion in assets. Changes in institutional investment impact global markets, which affect the overall global economy as well as individual savings. Climate Change Exposure The firm reported that 95 percent of insurers surveyed said they are taking into account the risk of climate change while making investment decisions. “An overwhelm...
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