6·3 대선을 앞두고 본격적으로 선거운동이 시작됐다. 각 후보들은 기후대응, 에너지전환과 관련된 공약들을 제시하고 있으며, TV토론회에서도 신재생에너지 확충, 기후에너지 신설 등 정부조직 개편, 기후재정 마련, 환경·사회·지배구조(ESG) 공시 등 ESG 관련 정책이 꽤 중요한 쟁점으로 다뤄질 것으로 보인다.이재명 더불어민주당 후보의 경우 에너지전환과 기후산업 활성화를 제안하며, 후보 직속 '기후위기대응위원회'를 설치하는 등 ESG 정책에 힘을 실었다. 국회도 지난 3월 여야 합의로 기후위기특별위원회를 구성해 기후 관련 입법을 직접 심사·처리하도록 준비가 된 상태인 만�...

Support for shareholder proposals aimed at tackling environmental and social risks hit a record low last year, figures show, amid a “worrying retreat” by investors, particularly in the US.A report compiled by the responsible investment campaign group ShareAction found that, out of 279 environmental, social and governance (ESG) shareholder resolutions put forward at annual general meetings last year in the UK, Europe and the US, only four – or 1.4% – secured majority support.It marks a sharp decline from recent years, having dropped from 21% in 2021 to 14% in 2022, and 3% in 2023. However, it also reflects a severe drop in support for ESG issues in the US, where rightwing activists and politicians have targeted financial firms for supporting climate and diversity policies.Polic...

“The DeepSeek saga is a fascinating inflection point in AI’s trajectory, raising ESG questions that extend beyond energy and market concentration,” Peter Huang, co-founder of Openware AI, said in an emailed response to questions.DeepSeek put the cat among the pigeons by announcing that it had developed its model for around $6 million, a thousandth of the cost of some other AI models, while also using far fewer chips and much less energy.Camden Woollven, group head of AI product marketing at IT governance and compliance group GRC International, said in an email that “smaller companies and developers who couldn't compete before can now get in the game …. It's like we're seeing a democratisation of AI development. And the efficiency gains are significant as they're achieving similar...

Through the course of 2024, the development of the ESG and sustainability landscape was dynamic. We anticipate that this dynamism will intensify in 2025, given the implementation and potential amendment of ESG-related regulations and significant geopolitical developments around the globe. Companies, investors, and asset holders will need to remain agile and informed to adequately respond to these trends, while navigating the energy transition, greater scrutiny of value chains, and the “greenlash.” Integrating ESG and sustainability into corporate strategies and operations will require ever more sophistication and careful consideration, in particular by the directors and senior managers who are responsible for oversight of such matters.1. US DevelopmentsMany observers are wondering how ...

1. Trash or treasure?  This year, food waste was on the menu, and textiles were woven into the discussion. The European Parliament and Member States advanced on the revision of EU waste management laws, with a special focus on the food and textiles sectors. Both the Parliament and the Council raised the bar for textiles sustainability, adding provisions to hold brands financially accountable for the impact of their products. It is about time: production of textile fibres has doubled since 2000, and too many products end up as waste shortly after hitting the market, making producer responsibility measures as urgent as ever. On the other hand, they fell short of proposing adequate reduction targets to address the scale of Europe’s food waste cri...