This week in ESG news: Microsoft announces one of the largest-ever carbon removal deals; Amazon signs deal for low-carbon shipping; Bloomberg survey finds nearly all execs plan significant increase in ESG data investment; Nearly $2 billion raised for green steel buildout; Allianz to invest over $20 billion in cleantech, climate solutions; GRI aligns reporting standards with new EU sustainability reporting rules; Biden invests $12 billion to convert auto factories to build EVs; capital raises for transport & grid decarbonization, sustainable packaging, recycled battery solutions; Apple endorses California’s proposed climate reporting rules, and more.

See below for the highlights of the past week, and get all your ESG news at ESG Today:

Sustainability Goals, Initiatives and Achievements

Microsoft Signs One of the Largest-Ever Permanent Carbon Removal Deals

IKEA Parent Ingka Launches its First Battery Storage Project to Support Clean Energy Goals

Amazon Signs Deal for Low Carbon Shipping with Maersk

Google Signs its First Long-Term Renewable Energy Deal in Ireland

Government & Regulators

ECB Stress Test: Banks’ Credit Risk Doubles by 2030 Under Slower Climate Transition

Hong Kong Central Bank Directs Banks to Integrate Net Zero Transition Planning

Biden Launches $12 Billion Finance Package for Automakers to Convert Factories to Produce EVs

ESG Reporting & Disclosure

Apple Backs California’s Proposed Emissions Reporting Rules

Guest Post – Due Diligence: A Core Concept Underpinning the CSRD Framework

EFRAG, GRI Confirm High Interoperability of European Sustainability Reporting Rules and GRI Standards, Avoiding Double Reporting Concerns

ESG Services and Tools

Euronext Launches New Sustainable Investment Tools, Publishes Issuer ESG Profiles on Website

Over 90% of Executives Plan to Increase Spending on ESG Data this Year: Bloomberg

Sustainable Finance

Allianz to Invest Over $20 Billion in Climate & Cleantech Solutions by 2030

Less than 5% of Banks Have Set Net Zero Commitments Across all Financing Categories: TPI Report

ESG Investing

Fidelity International Adds 6 Article 9 Funds to Sustainable Investment Lineup

Morgan Stanley, Crowley, Launch Wind Energy Infrastructure Platform

Private Equity & Venture Capital

KKR Invests $750 Million in Transport and Grid Decarbonization Solutions Company Zenobē

H2 Green Steel Raises Over $1.5 Billion to Build First-Ever Large Scale Green Steel Plant

Green Steel Startup Boston Metal Raises $262 Million

Closed-Loop EV Battery Materials Provider Ascend Elements Raises $460 Million

Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Tech Startup Nuventura Raises €25 Million to Grow GHG Reduction Solutions

Sustainable Packaging Startup Paptic Raises $25 Million

Exec Moves

AXA IM Appoints ESG Investing Veteran Jeroen Bos as Global Head of Equities

Morrow Sodali Appoints Barri Rafferty as CEO, Americas

SAP Appoints Sophia Mendelsohn as Chief Sustainability and Commercial Officer

IFM Investors Appoints Maria Nazarova-Doyle as Head of Sustainable Investment