Author: Stuart Mitchell

Chemical giants claim hazardous substances are “not material” to sustainability reporting

Stuart Mitchell

In a surprising development, several of Europe’s largest chemical companies claim that hazardous substances are not relevant enough to include in their mandatory sustainability reporting under the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The finding comes from a new analysis published today by pollution watchdog ChemSec, which has compiled and compared the CSRD reports from the companies ranked in this year’s ChemScore. This marks the first third-party evaluation of how the chemical sector is handling the EU’s most ambitious sustainability reporting framework to date. “We wanted to understand what the chemical industry actually reports under CSRD,…

Read More

Demand for ESG ratings remains strong but companies seek more alignment with reporting standards, according to ERM research

Stuart Mitchell

ERM’s latest assessment of the ESG rating landscape finds that corporate sustainability professionals continue to value and engage with ratings agencies but are taking a more selective approach based on stakeholder needs. Rate the Raters, developed by ERM’s Sustainability Institute, finds that most (84 percent) companies plan to continue engagement with ESG ratings and see them as an important part of their sustainability strategy. However, more than three-quarters (77 percent) also emphasize the need for closer ratings methodology alignment with leading mandatory and voluntary sustainability standards. Investor demand drives engagement…

Read More

BMW Group sets new climate target for 2035: At least 60 million tons of CO2e savings compared to 2019 – another milestone on the road to net zero

Stuart Mitchell

The BMW Group has defined a new 2035 milestone for cutting CO2e emissions on the road to net zero. The company aims to reduce its CO2e emissions by at least 60 million metric tons compared to 2019 levels, an additional reduction of approximately 20 million tons of CO2e beyond the existing 2030 target. In doing so, the BMW Group is pursuing a comprehensive decarbonization strategy along the entire life cycle, with the goal of achieving net zero by 2050 at the latest. This represents a firm commitment to the goals…

Read More

Virgin Media O2 and The Multibank join forces to help people in poverty stay connected this winter

Stuart Mitchell

Virgin Media O2 is helping hundreds of people experiencing financial hardship stay connected this winter and beyond by providing free smartphones and O2 mobile data to The Multibank.   Through this new partnership, the company has donated refurbished phones and O2 data via its Community Calling programme with charity, Hubbub, which are being rehomed to people who need them through Multibanks in Fife, Swansea, and Tees Valley.   It’s part of the operator’s pledge to donate up to 12,000 devices to people who can’t afford data or devices during 2025, and comes…

Read More

Unity Trust Bank sets the standard with its first impact verification

Stuart Mitchell

Unity Trust Bank has become one of a small number of banks around the globe to be independently assessed as meeting the ‘Operating Principles for Impact Management’ standard. This latest milestone underscores Unity’s commitment to drive positive social change and creates a benchmark for responsible banking in the UK. The ‘Principles’ are globally recognised guidelines for investors to ensure that their money is being used for good and reported in the correct way. Unity’s impact management system was reviewed and verified by The Good Economy, one of the UK’s leading…

Read More