Masdar Pours $1.7B Into Clean Energy Push

Today’s ESG Updates

• Masdar Commits $1.7B from Green Bonds to Renewables: The UAE clean energy giant is funding solar, wind, and storage projects in nine countries.
• Qantas Fined $59M for Covid Layoffs: Approximately 1,800 ground workers were illegally fired during the 2020 pandemic, raising concerns over union rights.
• Goodwin Sands at Risk as Campaigners Seek King Charles’s Support:  Campaigners warn dredging could destroy thousands of shipwrecks and war graves, pressing the Crown Estate to protect this unique site.
• Prefer Raises $4.2M to Reinvent Coffee and Cocoa: The Singapore startup is turning food waste into rich flavors with 85% fewer emissions and half the cost of Arabica—and it’s already partnering with global brands.

Masdar invests $1.7B green bond funds to power clean energy worldwide

Masdar, a state-owned renewable energy company in the UAE, has invested $1.7 billion from its green bonds into new solar, wind, and energy storage projects in nine countries, including the UAE, U.S., UK, Germany, Uzbekistan, and Serbia. The company says every $1 million invested helps avoid about 3,700 tonnes of CO₂ each year, adding up to over 6.2 million tonnes saved annually. Its updated Green Finance Framework now also supports green hydrogen and battery storage, strengthening investor confidence. Masdar’s May 2025 $1B bond was oversubscribed 6.6 times, with most buyers coming from outside the UAE. CFO Mazin Khan said the company is focused on financing clean energy responsibly while keeping investors informed. These steps make Masdar one of the region’s leaders in sustainable finance.

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Further reading: Masdar Commits $1.7B in Green Bond Proceedings to Clean Energy Projects

Australian airline Qantas fined $59M for pandemic layoffs

An Australian court fined Qantas A$90 million ($59 million), the largest penalty under Australia’s Fair Work Act. The airline company was fined for illegally firing 1,820 ground workers during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The court ruled the 2020 layoffs were a breach of workers’ rights aimed at weakening unions. Qantas acknowledged the harm caused and apologized. A portion of the fine, A$50 million (approximately $32 million), will go directly to the Transport Workers’ Union, which led the legal battle. The judge for the case, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee, criticized Qantas and the company’s corporate culture. He hoped that the decision for maximum fines in this case would discourage other companies from making similar firing decisions. Companies can ensure proper governance through ESG solutions.

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Further reading: Qantas hit with record fine for illegal layoffs during pandemic

Campaigners urge King Charles to save Goodwin Sands

For centuries, the Goodwin Sands off Kent have swallowed over 2,000 shipwrecks and dozens of WWII aircraft, making the shifting sandbank both a graveyard and a sea defense. Now, campaigners warn this unique marine and cultural heritage is under threat from potential dredging for building materials. The Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust has appealed directly to King Charles, calling on him to use his influence as a conservationist and Crown Estate beneficiary to block further extraction. Despite its designation as a marine protected area in 2019, the Crown Estate has refused to rule out future dredging. Critics say this risks destroying wrecks, aircraft sites, and even human remains, comparing it to “running riot through graves.” While the Crown Estate insists no licenses are currently planned, campaigners argue for a clear policy that recognizes the sands as a uniquely sensitive archaeological site.

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Further reading: ‘Running riot through graves’: King Charles urged to protect Goodwin Sands from dredging

FoodTech startup raises $4.2M to brew low-carbon coffee and cocoa for the future

Singapore-based FoodTech startup Prefer has raised $4.2 million in pre-series A funding and launched its first low-carbon soluble coffee and cocoa powders. Founded in 2022, the company uses fermentation and upcycled ingredients such as rice and soy to replicate coffee and cocoa flavors with up to 85% fewer emissions and at half the cost of Arabica. Prefer’s products are already reaching FMCG brands, food manufacturers, and flavor houses, offering sustainable sourcing and supply chain resilience. The startup also announced its first global partnerships: with Ajinomoto in Thailand to create sustainable coffee beverages and with The Coffee Ferm in Australia and New Zealand to scale local production. The funding round, co-led by At One Ventures and Chancery Hill Capital, brings total equity raised to $6.2M. CEO Jake Berber said the company is uniquely positioned to make coffee and cocoa “accessible to the masses while respecting our planet.”

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Further reading: FoodTech Startup Prefer Raises $4.2 Million to Scale Low Carbon Coffee, Cocoa Alternatives

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Earth at night viewed from space— Cover Photo Credit: NASA