This week in ESG news: CFA Institute drops “ESG” name from ESG investing course; battery giant hopeful Northvolt files for bankruptcy; Execs report higher revenue, lower cost from sustainability actions; U.S. politicians look to shield companies from EU sustainability laws; LEGO more than doubles use of sustainable materials; UK regulators drop plans for new DEI rules; Google to provide advertisers with carbon footprint data; StanChart issues its first social bond; tech giants pledge to help scale global nuclear energy deployment; EcoVadis launches Scope 3 emissions data collection platform; TotalEnergies signs 15-year green hydrogen deal; capital raises for low-cost carbon removal, green hydrogen tech, solar development, nuclear fusion tech, 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

Amazon, Google, Meta Join Pledge to Help Triple Global Nuclear Energy Capacity

Rio Tinto Signs Solar and Storage Deal to Power Aluminum Operations

TotalEnergies, RWE Sign 15-Year Green Hydrogen Deal to Decarbonize Refineries

Northvolt Files for Bankruptcy

LEGO Group Nearly Triples Renewable Materials in Bricks in 2024

Google to Provide Advertisers with Carbon Footprint Data for Ads

Government & Regulators

Senate Republicans Launch Legislation to Shield U.S. Companies from EU Sustainability Due Diligence Rules

FCA, PRA Drop Plans for New Diversity and Inclusion Rules

UK Plans Levy on Jet Fuel Producers to Fund Sustainable Aviation Fuel “Revenue Certainty Mechanism”

ESG Services and Tools

Clarity AI Launches New Sustainability Research Solution for Investors

EcoVadis Launches Carbon Data Exchange to Enable Scope 3 Emissions Data Collection

Glass Lewis Acquires Investment Stewardship Data Platform Esgaia

SDI AOP Launches Solution Enabling Investors to Assess Sustainability Outcomes of Companies, Portfolios

Sustainable Finance

Standard Chartered Issues $1 Billion Social Bond to Fund Sustainable Development in Emerging Markets

Private Equity & Venture Capital

Aligned Climate Capital Raises $85 Million for Clean Energy Venture Fund

Capture6 Raises $27.5 Million to Advance Water Recovery and Carbon Removal Tech

BNP Paribas AM Establishes €800 Million Venture and Impact Platform

NextEnergy Raises $950 Million for Newbuild Solar Fund

Supercritical Raises $18 Million to Scale Low-Cost Green Hydrogen Solution

Spiritus Raises $30 Million to Slash Cost of DAC Carbon Removal

Renaissance Fusion Raises $33 Million to Advance Low Cost, Low Carbon Fusion Energy

Sustainable Investing

CFA Institute Drops “ESG” Label from ESG Investing Certificate

Reports, Studies & Surveys

Half of Execs Report Higher Sales, Lower Costs from Sustainability Initiatives: Survey