Today’s ESG Updates
- EU Probes SAP Over Software Support Practices: The European Commission launches an antitrust investigation into SAP’s services
- Google Faces First DMA Fine in Europe: Google is likely to be fined under the EU’s Digital Markets Act for favouring its own vertical search services
- CoreWeave Expands OpenAI Partnership with $6.5B Deal: CoreWeave deepens its relationship with OpenAI, hiking total contract value to $22.4B
- Tesla Urges Trump Administration to Keep Climate Rules: Tesla pushes against proposed rollbacks to protect regulatory credits and public health safeguards
European Commission begins an investigation of SAP
An antitrust probe has been recently launched by the European Commission, specifically targeting German software company, SAP, citing concerns regarding the company’s practices in software support services. The investigation will assess “whether SAP may have distorted competition in the aftermarket for maintenance and support services related to an on-premises type of software, licensed by SAP, used for the management of companies’ business operations.”. This EU probe is relevant to a piece of SAP software called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which is commonly used by large corporations for financial management. SAP serves as one of Europe’s most valuable companies with a market cap of almost €282B ($331B), and the latest probe is notable as it does not involve Big Tech. To ensure accurate adherence to key regulations, companies can rely on ESG tools.
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Further reading: European Commission launches antitrust probe into software giant SAP
Sources reveal that Google is likely to be hit with the first EU antitrust fine under a new law
Sources have disclosed that Google is likely to be hit with its first fine under landmark new EU tech rules in the coming months, and the European Commission is now drafting its decision. Google previously faced a €2.95B ($3.45B) fine earlier this month under older antitrust regulation for favouring its online display technology services and reinforcing its ad exchange AdX’s central role to the downfall of rivals and online publishers. The new upcoming fine relates to charges brought in March regarding Google’s favouritism towards its vertical search engines over rivals. This case was brought under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into force in 2023. Google would be the third American tech giant to be fined under the DMA following penalties handed out to Apple and Meta Platforms. The EU executive has revealed that it has no intentions of backing down from its scrutiny of American Big Tech despite U.S. pressure.
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Further reading: Exclusive: Google likely to be hit with first EU antitrust fine under new EU law, sources say
Klimado – Navigating climate complexity just got easier. Klimado offers a user-friendly platform for tracking local and global environmental shifts, making it an essential tool for climate-aware individuals and organizations.
CoreWeave expands OpenAI pact with new $6.5B deal
AI cloud provider, CoreWeave, has expanded its partnership with OpenAI in a new contract worth up to $6.5B, which brings the total value of their agreements to $22.4B. This marks the third major expansion of their partnership this year, and the announcement follows major updates to OpenAI’s infrastructure project “Stargate”. OpenAI intends to open three new sites with Oracle, its cloud partner with a $300B deal over the next few years, and to build two additional data centers with SoftBank. Stargate aims to secure a total of 10GW of capacity through an investment that could reach $500B. The recent wave of deals have underscored the convergence of interests among major tech companies developing advanced AI, raising questions about “circular” financing across the industry and the flow of capital. To keep up with more industry developments, companies can turn to ESG tools for guidance.
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Further reading: Exclusive: CoreWeave expands OpenAI pact with new $6.5 billion contract, sees “the quarter of diversification”
Tesla urges Trump administration to retain vehicle emissions rules and climate finding
Tesla has urged the Trump administration not to repeal vehicle emissions standards or the long-standing U.S. finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health. The company commented that the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to repeal the standards “would give a pass to engine and vehicle manufacturers for all measurement, control, and reporting of GHG emissions for any highway engine and vehicle.”. As a result of the Trump administration dismantling green vehicle rules, Tesla stands to lose billions of dollars in regulatory credits sold over the coming years. For companies looking to responsibly manage their emissions, ESG solutions can be a relevant tool to rely on.
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Further reading: Tesla urges Trump administration to keep vehicle emissions rules, climate finding
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Software programming page on screen Cover Photo Credit: Juanjo Jaramillo
