Major companies celebrate clean buildings agreement between states

Major businesses, employers, and trade groups applaud a new agreement between nine states to collectively work to reduce climate pollution from buildings in the coming years.  California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island today signed a memorandum of understanding outlining their collective efforts to accelerate the deployment of clean technologies such as heat pumps in new and existing homes. The agreement comes amid a surge in corporate support for collaboration among state governments to tackle planet-warming pollution from homes, offices, factories, and other buildings, which…

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New EPA rules will remove harmful air pollution, with public health and economic benefits

Ceres applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s newly released standards for pollution from fine particulate matter, otherwise known as PM2.5 or soot, a harmful and deadly pollutant produced by fossil fuel power plants, vehicle emissions, and other industrial sources that harm public health in exposed communities.  “The EPA’s new particulate matter standard is a lifesaver and will help build a cleaner, healthier, and more just economy for all,” said Anne Kelly, vice president of government relations, Ceres. “Ceres commends the Biden administration for tackling this important public health challenge with…

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New report finds investors view the quality of available climate data as “insufficient”, recommends broader use of high quality, independent assurance

With the growing climate crisis creating significant risks and opportunities in capital markets, the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets released a new report today sharing investor insights on the quality of climate data, where the most critical credibility gaps lie, and how high quality, independent assurance can help close those gaps.  The report, Closing the Gap: Investor Insights into Decision-Useful Climate Data Assurance, outlines the role of third-party assurance in promoting efficient capital markets and gives recommendations on how data preparers can incorporate assurance over climate. The message from…

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New Benchmark Analysis of U.S. Utilities Sector Reveals Inconsistent Climate Policy Advocacy

A new benchmark analysis of 12 of the largest U.S. electric utility companies finds significant inconsistencies between utilities’ public climate commitments and their direct and indirect climate lobbying practices.   The assessment, Toward Consistency: Assessing the Power Sector’s Climate Policy Advocacy, shows that utility companies are heavily involved in climate policy engagement and are taking steps to reach their climate commitments by advocating in support of certain climate policies. However, this progress is undermined by simultaneous advocacy against other climate policies. This analysis is a follow-up to the second Responsible Policy…

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Dozens of major companies lack comprehensive deforestation policies, new Ceres analysis finds

With escalating risks from the world’s climate and nature crises and enhanced European regulatory risks, Ceres released a new scorecard today that reveals few of the largest global companies are taking ambitious action to tackle commodity-driven deforestation and drive progress toward a net zero economy.   The Ceres’ Deforestation Scorecard: Assessing Corporate Action on Deforestation Amid Growing Regulatory Risk assesses 53 major companies across 15 industries, including adidas AG, Cargill, Restaurant Brands International, and Procter & Gamble Co. These companies face the greatest risks from sourcing deforestation-linked commodities like soy, timber,…

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