Sustainability Weekly 17 – 21 February

Last week, the United Nations Environment Programme published a study comparing the leading frameworks for nature-related disclosures. The European Commission announced its new “vision for agriculture and food.” The agreement to revise the Waste Framework Directive will boost textile circularity and reduce food waste. A coalition of shareholders has called on BP not to backtrack on its climate ambitions. HSBC announced it would delay its net-zero commitment on its own operations from 2030 to 2050. “Relief measures” advocated by carmakers could significantly weaken the EU’s 2025 CO2 target, according to a new report by NGO T&E. The IEA predicts a surge in global electricity demand in the next few years, fueled by energy-intensive sectors. Negotiations over Michelin’s Vannes and Cholet plant closures “at a standstill,” according to unions. Glass Lewis revises DEI policies, Reuters reports. Shareholder support for ESG proposals hit record low in 2024. Membership in Climate Action 100+ makes a difference in voting behavior, ShareAction report finds. The French National Assembly passed legislation banning PFAS in certain products and introducing a fee to penalize industrial facilities that release PFAS into water, based on the “polluter pays” principle.