Sustainability Weekly 23-27 March 2026

Last week, we published three flash notes: one following the presentation of Veolia's non-financial results, another on TotalEnergies following its ESG CMD, and a final one on the new EU taxonomy rules that come into effect in 2026. In other news, Assa Abloy presented its new 2025-2030 sustainability program. A note from the BHRC highlighted the exposure of pension funds to the high risks associated with generative AI, which has potential military applications. In environmental news, the German Federal Court of Justice rejected the action brought by the NGO DUH seeking to impose a ban on the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030 for BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The two scientific committees of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published their opinions on the proposed EU-wide restrictions on PFAS. The World Meteorological Organization published its annual report on the state of the climate, describing it as "increasingly out of balance." The Ellen MacArthur Foundation published key policy recommendations for the upcoming European law on the circular economy. The European Commission launched a consultation on the Water Framework Directive with a view to strengthening access to critical raw materials. On the social front, INSEE's March economic outlook measures a negative impact of AI on youth employment in France and the United States. In governance, we comment on the new proposed bill in France, "Securing the French Economy and Defending Our Sovereign Industries," which aims to strengthen the State's involvement in the governance of companies in critical sectors.