ESG International Weekly News 9/16 - 9/22

September 24,2024
Green and White Minimalist Earth Day Instagram Post-2
Resource:BloombergESG NEWS,ESG TODAY

1.$29 Trillion Investor Coalition Urges Government Policies Including Mandatory Climate Reporting, Sectoral Transition Strategies
管理資產總額達29兆美元的投資者聯盟敦促政府制定政策,包括強制性氣候報告和行業轉型策略


A group of over 530 financial institutions managing more than $29 trillion in assets released the 2024 Global Investor Statement to Governments on the Climate Crisis, urging governments to implement policies that unlock private capital for the net-zero transition. They called for mandatory climate-related reporting and strategies to decarbonize high-emitting sectors. The statement, coordinated by The Investor Agenda, emphasized the need for supportive legal and regulatory frameworks to accelerate private sector investment. While praising progress like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s Fit-for-55, it highlighted that current investment, though $1.8 trillion in 2023, still falls short of the $4.8 trillion needed annually to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, especially in emerging markets. The statement outlined key government actions, including setting 2030 and 2035 targets, implementing carbon pricing, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and mandating climate-related disclosures. Investors stressed the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors to achieve climate goals while fostering economic growth.

超過530家管理資產總額超過29兆美元的金融機構發布了《2024年全球投資者氣候危機聲明》,呼籲各國政府制定政策,釋放私人資本以推動淨零轉型,並強制實施氣候相關的報告及高排放部門的減碳策略。這份聲明由《投資者議程》的創始夥伴協調發布,強調市場需要適當的法律、政策和監管環境來促進私營部門的投資。儘管美國《降低通脹法》和歐盟《Fit-for-55》法案取得了進展,但目前每年1.8兆美元的全球清潔能源投資仍遠低於實現2050年淨零排放所需的4.8兆美元。聲明要求政府採取關鍵行動,包括設定2030和2035年目標、實施碳定價機制、取消化石燃料補貼、強制企業及金融機構進行氣候相關的披露等。投資者強調,政府和私人資本的共同合作對實現氣候和經濟成長目標至關重要。


2.Apple Reduces Carbon Footprint of New iPhone by 30%
蘋果將新款 iPhone 的碳足跡減少了 30%
 

Apple released its Product Environmental Report for the new iPhone 16 lineup, highlighting sustainability features and progress toward climate and materials goals. The report notes a 30% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for the iPhone 16 Pro models, primarily due to increased use of low-carbon electricity in the supply chain, which cut emissions by over 20%. Apple’s goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030, and it has pushed suppliers to decarbonize, with 95% committing to 100% renewable energy for Apple production. The new iPhone also uses over 25% recycled materials, including 100% recycled cobalt in its batteries, and Apple aims to eliminate plastics in packaging by 2025.

蘋果發布了其新iPhone 16系列的產品環境報告,強調其新產品在可持續發展方面的關鍵屬性,以及該公司在實現氣候和可持續材料目標方面的進展。報告顯示,與不使用清潔能源的情況相比,iPhone 16 Pro 128GB和iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB的生命周期溫室氣體排放減少了30%。主要原因是蘋果供應鏈中低碳電力的使用,這使得iPhone 16 Pro Max的排放量從基準值的105公斤下降至74公斤。報告指出,超過20%的減排來自供應商採取的低碳解決方案,並且包含了可再生能源基礎設施的製造和維護所產生的排放。蘋果目標在2030年實現全業務碳中和,並敦促供應鏈去碳化。2022年,蘋果宣布其95%的供應商承諾到2030年使用100%可再生能源。此外,iPhone 16的25%以上由回收材料製成,並包含100%回收鈷和95%以上的回收鋰。蘋果還強調了使用100%纖維包裝材料,並計劃在2025年前完全淘汰塑料。

3.ING Stops Financing for Companies Developing New Oil and Gas Projects
荷蘭ING集團 停止為開發新油氣項目的公司提供融資
 

Amsterdam-based global bank ING announced updates to its energy financing policy, including an immediate halt to new general financing for upstream oil and gas companies that continue opening new fields. ING also revealed plans to stop financing LNG export terminals after 2025. These moves are part of ING’s Terra approach, which aims to guide carbon-intensive sectors toward net zero by 2050. ING is also assessing clients’ climate progress using its new ESG.X tool and will apply stricter financing conditions to clients not progressing by 2026. The bank has expanded its climate strategy to cover the aluminum and dairy sectors, with several sectors making progress toward climate goals.


ING 阿姆斯特丹的全球銀行ING週四宣布更新其能源融資政策,包括立即停止為繼續開發新油氣田的純上游油氣公司提供一般融資,包含企業融資和債券融資。這項新政策是在ING的《2024氣候進展報告》發布時揭曉的,該報告更新了該行在協助客戶過渡到低碳經濟方面的進展,以及其Terra策略,旨在引導其投資組合中碳排放密集的部分實現2050年淨零排放目標。

作為新政策的一部分,ING還宣布將在2025年後停止為新的液化天然氣出口終端提供融資。這是ING過去幾年實施的更嚴格化石燃料融資條件和政策中的最新一步。2022年3月,ING宣布不再為油氣田提供新的專項上游融資,一年後,ING引入了針對油氣基礎設施的新融資限制,並計劃減少其貿易和商品融資業務中的油氣交易量。2023年12月,ING承諾將在2040年前終止油氣勘探和生產的貸款,並設定了一個新目標,即到2025年將可再生能源發電的融資增加三倍。

除了新的化石燃料融資限制外,ING還宣布已經開始使用其新開發的ESG.X工具來評估客戶的氣候轉型進展,該工具檢查公司公開披露的氣候數據,包括公司當前的排放量和目標,以及是否有行動計劃、治理和策略。該行表示,到2026年,經過兩年的披露評估和合作,將對客戶的進展有更深入的了解,並對那些“不願或無法進展”的客戶施加更嚴格的業務條件,包括可能完全停止對其提供融資。

ING還表示,已將其Terra策略擴展到鋁和乳製品行業,現在該策略涵蓋了12個行業。ING指出,涵蓋的行業中有八個幾乎達到氣候目標,兩個落後於進度,另外兩個由於使用新方法,尚未進行評估。

ING首席執行官Steven van Rijswijk表示:“氣候變化的緊迫性日益顯現,ING希望在加速全球向低碳經濟的轉型中發揮領導作用。如果我們共同努力朝著同樣的目標邁進,我們每個人都可以為當前和未來世代帶來改變。

4.SEC Abandons ESG Enforcement Group Amid Broader Backlash 
美國證券交易委員會(SEC)在更廣泛的反對聲浪中放棄了ESG執法小組

 

The SEC has recently disbanded its Climate and ESG Task Force, which was established in 2021 with nearly two dozen staffers to handle cases involving misleading environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures. The task force played a significant role in multiple high-profile cases, including those against major corporations like Bank of New York Mellon, Goldman Sachs, and Vale S.A.

The SEC has faced growing political pressure, particularly from conservative groups, leading to a retreat from its ESG initiatives. Last year, ESG was removed from the SEC's list of examination priorities for investment firm compliance, signaling a shift away from its earlier emphasis on ESG-related enforcement. The agency’s distancing from ESG reflects a broader trend, as companies are also increasingly avoiding the use of the term "ESG" amid political backlash.

With only a few months remaining in SEC Chair Gary Gensler's term, it is unlikely that pending major ESG regulations, such as those requiring companies to disclose workforce management and board diversity details, will be finalized. This creates uncertainty about the future of ESG regulatory enforcement.

The SEC’s last notable ESG-related case linked to the task force occurred in September 2023, involving a $25 million settlement with Deutsche Bank over misleading ESG claims and anti-money laundering compliance failures. Despite the task force’s dissolution, the SEC’s Enforcement Division Director Gurbir Grewal stated that the agency remains committed to monitoring ESG-related fraud.

Interestingly, the SEC had previously promoted the task force’s activities on a dedicated webpage that listed 16 ESG enforcement actions from 2008 to 2022. However, the page was removed in June 2023, just before the SEC announced a redesign of its official website in July. The task force’s expertise is now said to be distributed across the SEC’s divisions, with the agency maintaining that it will continue to handle ESG-related issues as needed.


美國證券交易委員會(SEC)近期解散了其氣候與ESG專案小組。該小組成立於2021年,擁有近二十名員工,主要負責處理與環境、社會和公司治理(ESG)相關的誤導性披露案件。該小組在多起高調案件中發揮了關鍵作用,包括對紐約梅隆銀行、高盛和巴西礦業公司Vale S.A.的起訴。

隨著來自保守派團體的政治壓力增大,SEC逐漸遠離其ESG議程。去年,ESG已從SEC的投資公司合規審查重點中移除,表明SEC對ESG執法的強調有所減弱。這一趨勢也反映了企業對於使用“ESG”這一術語的避諱,尤其是在面對政治反對的情況下。

隨著SEC主席Gary Gensler任期即將結束,許多尚未完成的ESG法規(如要求公司披露勞動力管理和董事會多樣性等細節)可能無法在他卸任前完成,這給未來的ESG監管帶來了不確定性。

SEC最後一次與該小組相關的ESG案件發生在2023年9月,當時與德意志銀行達成了一項2500萬美元的和解協議,該銀行被指控誤導投資者並未能建立反洗錢計劃。儘管該小組已解散,但SEC執法部門主管Gurbir Grewal表示,該機構仍將繼續監控與ESG相關的欺詐行為。

值得注意的是,SEC曾經在其網站上專門宣傳該小組的工作,列出了2008年至2022年的16起ESG執法行動,但該頁面在2023年6月消失,隨後SEC於7月宣布其網站進行了重新設計。該小組的專業知識現已分散到SEC的各個部門,該機構表示將在必要時繼續處理ESG相關問題。

5.Kenya Partners with S&P Global to Build Africa’s First Deforestation-Reduction Carbon Credit Registry
肯亞與標普全球合作建立非洲首個減少森林砍伐的碳信用註冊系統
 

Kenya has made a significant advancement by launching Africa’s first national REDD+ registry to track carbon credits and combat deforestation, aiming for operational status by the second quarter of 2025. In collaboration with S&P Global Commodity Insights and Conservation International, the registry enhances Kenya's efforts to meet its climate goals, particularly in the forestry sector, and aligns with the country's Climate Change Act. The registry will provide lifecycle tracking of carbon credits generated from forest conservation initiatives, with S&P Global’s platform ensuring transparency and credibility. Kenya’s leadership in carbon credit issuance through REDD+ projects further solidifies its role in Africa’s carbon markets, generating potential new revenue for local communities.


肯亞成為非洲首個推出國家級REDD+註冊系統的國家,旨在追蹤碳信用額並減少森林砍伐,預計將於2025年第二季度開始運行。該項目是肯亞政府、國際保育組織和標普全球商品洞察的合作成果,旨在加強肯亞氣候目標的實現,尤其是在森林部門。該註冊系統符合《肯亞氣候變化法》,將全面追蹤減少森林砍伐和保護森林所產生的碳信用額。標普全球的環境註冊平台將確保透明性和效率,並提升肯亞在碳市場的領導地位,為當地社區創造新的收入來源。

 

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