Amazon Defeats Environmental Challenge to Chile Data Center

Amazon pushes ahead with Santiago data center despite opposition

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is moving ahead with plans for a major data center on the northern outskirts of Santiago after Chilean residents lost a legal challenge over environmental concerns. 

Opponents argued the project’s permit failed to consider a high-voltage power line which they said would be needed to supply the site. Environmental authorities ruled in April that the data center could proceed and that any future power line proposal would require a separate assessment

AWS said the facility had met environmental requirements and would use technologies designed to minimize energy and water consumption. The project forms part of AWS’s wider expansion in Chile, where the company has pledged to invest more than $4 billion over 15 years to build and operate infrastructure. Chilean President José Antonio Kast has backed faster approvals for data centers, promising to reduce red tape. 

The dispute reflects wider tensions over the rapid global expansion of data centers, driven by rising demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure. 

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Further reading: Amazon’s Chile data center moves ahead after residents lose environmental challenge

China-linked U.S. solar factories face industry pullback

Major solar companies, banks, and insurers have suspended business with at least six recently built U.S. solar panel factories amid uncertainty over whether ties to China could disqualify them from federal clean-energy subsidies.

The disruption stems from provisions in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”, passed in 2025, which cut Biden-era renewable incentives and barred certain China-linked companies from accessing those that remain. The Treasury Department has yet to issue detailed enforcement guidance, deepening uncertainty across the sector. The measures form part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to curb Chinese involvement in U.S. markets and reduce support for green energy.

The crackdown risks clashing with Trump’s push to expand electricity supply for AI-driven data centers, as solar is among the fastest sources of new generation. Industry groups warn it could slow manufacturing growth and constrain new power capacity amid rising demand and higher utility costs.

U.S. solar manufacturers remain heavily dependent on Chinese equipment and technology, with China-linked firms responsible for around 25 GW of the country’s 66 GW of solar module capacity.

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Further reading: Trump’s crackdown on China-linked solar firms stalls U.S. factory boom

ICE and Climate Bonds Initiative form data partnership targeting sustainable bond transparency 

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and the Climate Bonds Initiative have formed a strategic data partnership designed to improve transparency in the global sustainable bond market.

The agreement brings together two major players in climate finance. ICE provides market infrastructure, technology, and data services across global capital markets, while the Climate Bonds Initiative develops certification standards for sustainable bonds and promotes policies to expand climate-aligned investment.

Under the collaboration, ICE’s sustainable bond classification data will support the Climate Bonds Initiative’s research and bond universe assessments. ICE will also incorporate the group’s alignment indicators into its own sustainable bond solutions.

The partnership comes as the sustainable debt market grows rapidly but faces increasing scrutiny over consistency, comparability, and credibility. By combining ICE’s market data capabilities with the Climate Bonds Initiative’s alignment frameworks, the collaboration aims to strengthen confidence in sustainable bond assessments and reduce concerns over inconsistent labeling and greenwashing.

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Further reading: ICE, Climate Bonds Initiative Partner to Strengthen Sustainable Bond Data Transparency 

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$65bn Unilever–McCormick merger triggers ESG concerns among investors

​​Some investors in Unilever are seeking assurances that the sustainability standards long associated with the group will be preserved after its planned $65 billion merger with McCormick & Company.

Announced in March, the deal would create one of the world’s largest food companies, bringing together brands including Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Cholula hot sauce. McCormick would inherit a far larger global supply chain with greater exposure to agriculture, commodities, and small-scale farming, raising ESG risks.

Given Unilever’s longstanding reputation for sustainability, investors want assurances that core policies on deforestation-free sourcing, commodity traceability, and supply-chain transparency will be maintained across the combined group. Concerns have also focused on disclosure standards, as U.S.-based McCormick is not subject to the same sustainability reporting requirements that Unilever faces in Europe.

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Further reading: Some Unilever investors seek ESG reassurances in McCormick food deal

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: An aerial view of Santiago, the planned site of Amazon’s newest data center. Cover Photo Credit: Francisco Kemeny