This week's ESG news roundup covers major developments in carbon markets, clean energy finance, and climate policy. The EU moved to ease pressure from its ETS carbon pricing system on industry, while the European Commission launched legal action against all 27 member states for failing to implement a zero emission building law. In the U.S., Google signed a massive clean energy deal tied to the largest solar project in the country, and Microsoft reported a 25% jump in emissions as its AI buildout challenges climate goals. On the sustainable finance side, Masdar secured over $5 billion for a 24/7 clean energy project in the UAE, and CalSTRS invested $2 billion to anchor Nuveen's sustainable infrastructure fund. The roundup also includes acquisitions in carbon accounting (Green Project Technologies buys Optera), DAC carbon removal (Airhive acquires Carbyon), and a surge in climate tech funding driven by data center demand for low-carbon power.
