ESG International Weekly News 11/3- 11/10

1.🌍 Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Unilever Back Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda

Global consumer giants including Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, and TOMRA have endorsed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business, a five-year roadmap to fast-track the shift toward a circular plastics economy. Representing roughly 20% of the global packaging market, the plan focuses on three levers—policy advocacy, shared innovation, and company transformation—to mainstream circularity through collective action and regulation.

• 🌐 Policy Alignment: Calls for harmonized frameworks supporting waste prevention, reuse/refill models, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS).

• 📊 Measured Progress: Since 2018, signatories have reduced virgin plastic use by 14 million tonnes (≈1.8 trillion bags) and tripled recycled content usage.

• ⚠️ Persistent Gaps: 80% of the global market remains outside these commitments; scaling reuse and recycling infrastructure needs joint investment.

• 💼 Market & ESG Relevance: Sets expectations for design-for-circularity, data transparency, and recycled material procurement; offers investors a structured governance framework for ESG-aligned transition.

• 💬 Antonia Wanner, Nestlé CSO: “We will continue to contribute toward a circular economy for packaging through collaboration and innovation.”

“The companies that act now can help shape effective policies and make circular solutions the new normal.”
— Rob Opsomer, Executive Lead for Plastics & Finance, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Outlook:
With UN treaty negotiations on plastic pollution advancing, EMF’s 2030 Agenda could shift global plastics from fragmented recycling to systemic change—embedding circularity into both corporate governance and trade policy. It marks a decisive step from voluntary pledges toward regulated global standards for plastic reduction.
 

2.🇪🇺 EU Climate Ministers Approve 2040 Target of 90% Emissions Cut

After all-night negotiations, EU environment ministers have agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels. The deal permits up to 5% of reductions via foreign carbon credits, with the possibility of expanding that later—preserving unity before COP30 but slightly easing domestic decarbonization efforts.

• 🎯 Ambition Anchor: The 2040 goal bridges the EU’s 2030 (-55%) and 2050 (net-zero) targets.

• 🌍 Built-in Flexibility: Up to 5% compliance via foreign credits, possibly 10% after review—effectively lowering domestic reduction to 85%.

• ⚖️ Political Balance: Eastern and Central European states resisted strict targets; rollout of the new EU carbon market delayed to 2028.

• 💬 Danish Minister Lars Aagaard: “Setting a climate target is not just about picking a number—it’s a political decision shaping Europe’s economy and security.”

• 🏭 Market & Policy Impact: The target will reshape post-2030 climate frameworks—ETS reforms, carbon removals, and clean energy financing—while linking EU goals more tightly to global offset markets.

• 💰 Investor Implications: Provides long-term policy visibility but increases exposure to offset integrity and transparency risks.

“Setting a climate target is not just about picking a number. It is a political decision with far-reaching consequences for Europe’s economy and security.”
— Lars Aagaard, Danish Climate Minister

The deal ensures EU unity heading into COP30 in Brazil but underscores tensions between ambition and economic realism. The coming decade will test whether flexibility enhances the EU’s credibility as a climate leader—or signals a gradual retreat from the European Green Deal’s transformative vision.
 

3.🌱 Global Industry Leaders Urge GHG Protocol to Recognize Renewable Gas Certificates Ahead of COP30

Over 30 major industrial and utility companies—including Nestlé, Volvo Trucks, Tata Steel Nederland, Pernod Ricard, Electrolux Group, and Carrefour—have signed a joint letter urging the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol to formally recognize renewable gas certificates such as Guarantees of Origin and Proof of Sustainability in its upcoming revision. The initiative, led by the Let Green Gas Count coalition, calls for interim guidance to support the scaling of biomethane and renewable gases globally.

• 🌍 Call to Action: Coalition requests interim approval for renewable gas certificates to count toward corporate decarbonization goals.

• ⚙️ Organizers: Coordinated by Eurogas, the European Biogas Association, and the American Biogas Council.

• 🔥 Focus Sectors: Hard-to-abate industries—steel, transport, energy, and manufacturing—where electrification is not feasible.

• 💬 Quotes:

  “European industry needs accounting standards that reflect reality and recognize renewable gases’ pivotal role.” — Andreas Guth, Eurogas
  “Biogas is the Swiss Army knife of renewable fuels—often carbon negative, always community positive.” — Patrick Serfass, American Biogas Council

• 📈 Market Context: IEA’s 2025 Outlook notes over 50 new biogas policies since 2020, yet only 5% of sustainable potential is utilized.

• 🏗️ Corporate Voices:

  • Tata Steel Nederland sees biomethane as critical for steel decarbonization.

  • Pernod Ricard highlights circular use of by-products.

  • Volvo Trucks stresses market-based recognition to accelerate industrial transitions.

• ⏳ Requested Actions:

  1. Issue interim recognition for renewable gas certificates.

  2. Include guarantees of origin and sustainability proofs in the 2028 revision.

  3. Fast-track the standards review to provide clarity and investor confidence.

As the world heads toward COP30 in Brazil, the call underscores a pivotal gap in global carbon accounting. Recognition by the GHG Protocol could unlock investment, expand renewable gas markets, and empower industries to decarbonize sectors that remain beyond the reach of electrification—marking a major step toward credible, inclusive Net Zero strategies.
 

4.🌳 Inter IKEA Group Invests $108M in Brazilian Forest Restoration to Accelerate Carbon Removal

Inter IKEA Group has invested US$108 million (€100 million) in global forest-based carbon removal, launching its first project in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest biome with BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (TIG). The project will restore and sustainably manage 4,000 hectares of degraded land, generating verified carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic benefits for local communities.

• 🌱 Investment Scope: €100M commitment to global carbon removal; Brazil project serves as the pilot model.

• 🌳 Implementation Partner: BTG Pactual TIG to manage reforestation, conservation, and FSC-certified commercial forestry.

• 🌏 Climate Impact: Carbon stored in both biomass and soil, combining ecological restoration with economic productivity.

• 🏞️ Ecosystem Significance: The Atlantic Forest has been reduced to 13% of its original size; the project aims to restore degraded pastureland while sustaining local employment.

• 🧩 Governance: Independent advisory board (including NGO Apremavi) will oversee biodiversity metrics, carbon verification, and social outcomes.

• 🌍 Corporate Targets: IKEA aims to halve value-chain emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 through a blend of reduction and nature-based investments.

““Our goal is to show that productive forestry, conservation, and restoration can thrive together.”
— Ulf Johansson, IKEA Head of Raw Materials

The initiative exemplifies how private capital can merge carbon finance, ecological restoration, and rural development within a single framework. As voluntary carbon markets mature, IKEA’s Brazil project positions the company as a model for credible, verifiable, and community-integrated carbon removal, aligning business operations with the world’s long-term sustainability and climate goals.
 

5.💧 AWS Expands Recycled Water Use to Over 120 Data Centers Across the U.S.
 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) will now use recycled water in more than 120 U.S. data centers, up from 24 previously—saving over 530 million gallons of drinking water per year, equivalent to 800 Olympic swimming pools. The initiative advances Amazon’s 2030 water-positive goal, with AWS already 53% of the way there by the end of 2024.

• 💧 Scale-Up: Recycled water adoption expands to 120+ data centers, conserving 530 million gallons annually.

• 🔁 Circular Collaboration: AWS partners with municipal utilities to reuse treated wastewater for data center cooling—reducing potable water demand.

• ⚙️ Technical Context: Air-based cooling dominates year-round; during hotter months, recycled water supports evaporative cooling.

• 🏜️ Regulatory Readiness: Addresses growing scrutiny over water use in drought-prone states and enhances AWS’s operational resilience and compliance.

• 🌿 2030 Target: Amazon aims to be water positive—returning more water to communities than it consumes—aligned with TNFD and EU CSRD frameworks.

• 💬 Broader Impact:

  • For Investors: Demonstrates material ESG progress in managing tech-sector water risk.

  • For Policymakers: Offers a blueprint for public-private partnerships in recycled water infrastructure.

“AWS’s approach demonstrates how digital infrastructure can move from minimizing impact to actively replenishing shared resources.”
— ESG News

As global water scarcity escalates, AWS’s expansion showcases a systemic sustainability shift—from efficiency to regeneration. It highlights how corporate governance, community partnerships, and technology innovation can align to ensure that digital growth contributes to ecological balance and long-term water security.