(Protocol) Enterprise tech companies often post customer logos on their websites as signals of their sales prowess, like service medals on a military uniform. But when AI tech vendors spotlight their work with defense industry customers, it’s not always considered a badge of honor. As talk of war and national security intensifies in the wake…
(The New York Times) Urban neighborhoods that were redlined by federal officials in the 1930s tended to have higher levels of harmful air pollution eight decades later, a new study has found, adding to a body of evidence that reveals how racist policies in the past have contributed to inequalities across the United States today.…
(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…
(Venture Capital Journal) “We need attributable greenhouse gas data. That’s my big ask to GPs in the room.” So said an executive at an influential US-based investor at PEI Media’s Responsible Investment Forum in New York. The event was conducted under Chatham House rules, which means comments cannot be attributed to the speakers. The same…
(Fast Company) There may be no better signal that a corporate initiative has potential than when customers reach out and beg: “Take my money.” After Stripe, the online payments company, committed to spending at least $1 million on carbon-removal technologies a few years ago, two things happened. One, “we got a surprisingly positive reaction from…
(GreenBiz) Last year saw a record number of ESG and climate-focused shareholder proposals winning majority support in 2021. Therefore, we can only expect the same for 2022 as shareholders’ and stakeholders’ expectations continue to rise. The success of hedge fund Engine No. 1 in securing board seats at Exxon Mobil in 2021 was a major…
(Protocol) On a Veterans Affairs job board, between advertisements for public loan forgiveness and a Red Cross blood drive, is an attractive small-business opportunity for returning soldiers. Want to finally be the boss of your own future? Amazon will offer you the chance to start your own delivery company, no experience required. This advertisement attracted…
(The Guardian) People who do not spend their days reading climate reports or scouring the archives of oil companies are often surprised to hear that the fossil-fuel industry has been part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since its inception. And it’s not just the IPCC. Oil companies have been involved in the…
(Bloomberg) An investing movement that promotes itself as a protector of people and the planet has somehow found itself providing capital to the autocratic regime behind Europe’s worst military conflict since World War II. Funds labeled ESG — an acronym that denotes a commitment to environmental, social and governance interests — own shares of Russia’s state-backed…
(Grist) This is how Amazon washes its hands of the climate impact of most of the things it sells: It simply decides to play by different rules than its peers. For example, for all the packs of Pampers parents grab off the shelf at Target, the big-box retailer tallies the emissions that go into making…