Labor Department digging into what action to take with ESG

(Pensions & Investments) The Department of Labor under the Biden administration has made environmental, social and governance investing a key focus during its first year-plus in office and is now seeking public input on a wide array of questions around climate change and retirement savings that could lead to further guidance or requirements, industry sources…

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DOL has a new vision for ESG: Which stakeholders need to take notice?

(Reuters) Big changes may lie ahead for retirement investment stakeholders as the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) continues to focus on the role that climate change, and other social and governance factors, may have in impacting retirement security under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). In addition to proposing a…

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The FTC’s new enforcement weapon spells death for algorithms

(Protocol) The Federal Trade Commission has struggled over the years to find ways to combat deceptive digital data practices using its limited set of enforcement options. Now, it’s landed on one that could have a big impact on tech companies: algorithmic destruction. And as the agency gets more aggressive on tech by slowly introducing this…

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EU to Review Regulatory Framework for Crypto

(Bloomberg) A European parliamentary committee will vote Monday on a new regulatory framework for crypto assets, which could accelerate passage of a measure that industry executives say could practically ban key digital currencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum in Europe. Crypto-assets issued and/or traded in the EU “shall be subject to minimum environmental sustainability standards and…

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Sustainable Investing and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

(Morningstar) Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has provoked a lot of discussion about sustainable investing, highlighting the growing influence of sustainability concepts on investing in general. But clarity about the terms of the discussion is sorely needed. For the most part, the discussion has centered around values-based exclusions. But there is much more to sustainable investing…

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Microsoft’s Pursuit of Climate Goals Runs Into Headwinds

(The New York Times) Microsoft has an ambitious plan to cut its carbon emissions. But on Thursday, the company reported a big increase in the greenhouse gases emanating from its operations and its products, a reminder of the challenges that companies face as they try to clean up their businesses. Microsoft’s carbon emissions were up…

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How Climate Change Is Disrupting the Global Supply Chain

(Yale Environment) The Covid pandemic has rightly received most of the blame for global supply chain upheavals in the last two years. But the less publicized threat to supply chains from climate change poses a far more serious threat and is already being felt, scholars and experts say. The pandemic is “a temporary problem,” while…

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Carbon Capture Takes Center Stage, But Is Its Promise an Illusion?

(Inside Climate News) With his climate agenda stalled in Congress, President Joe Biden has managed to win billions in federal spending for one pillar of his platform that is gaining increased attention globally: carbon capture. In a major win for oil, coal, utilities and other industries, the federal government is poised to make its largest…

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