Today’s ESG Updates
- Zimbabwe bans lithium exports: Starting 2027 to boost local processing and battery-grade production.
- Ingka Group buys Dutch solar farms: Adds 76.3 MW, powering 24,000+ homes
- India extends transmission waiver: 100% for energy storage projects until June 2028, backing 500 GW clean energy goal
- White House aide backs fossil funding: Pushes loan office support for oil, gas, nuclear amid climate concerns.
Zimbabwe set to ban lithium concentrate exports from January 2027
Zimbabwe’s ban on lithium concentrate exports will take effect from January 2027 onwards to encourage local processing and generate more revenue from the value-added mineral. One of Africa’s largest lithium producers, Zimbabwe plans to build capacity to produce battery-grade lithium through two major Chinese-invested companies, Bikita Minerals and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe. The companies are facilitating the country’s transition from lithium production to lithium sulfate by establishing more lithium sulfate plants. This move is followed by the surge in global investments and demand for the mineral which is crucial in the new energy drive. The minister has urged lithium producers who are not investing in value-added facilities to sign tolling agreements with companies that do have the processing capacity. To keep up with further industry developments, companies can rely on ESG tools.
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Further reading: Zimbabwe to ban lithium concentrate exports to boost value-added production
Ingka Group buys Dutch Solar Farms
Ingka Group, which owns most IKEA stores globally, has recently purchased solar parks in the Netherlands from Susi Partners, a Swiss-based infrastructure investment manager. The company’s investment arm, Ingka Investment, made the acquisition, adding three solar parks with a capacity of 76.3 MW to its existing renewable assets. Altogether, solar parks generate enough energy for more than 24,000 Dutch households. Ingka aims to invest £7.5B ($8.57B) in renewable energy production assets and technologies to support its energy transition by 2030. This acquisition supports the company’s sustainability goals of emission reduction and encourages green energy solutions. Furthermore, solar parks’ generation of green electricity contributes significantly to the global transition towards renewable energy.
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Further reading: IKEA Store Owner Ingka Group Buys Dutch Solar Farms
India’s transmission charge waiver extended until June 2028
India has extended its complete waiver of inter-state transmission charges for electricity storage projects until June 2028. The extension takes into consideration the country’s ambitious efforts to hit its clean energy targets and boost energy storage, specifically, installing 500 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030, which is close to triple its current capacity. The government announced the 100% waiver of inter-state transmission system (ISTS) charges for pumped storage hydropower projects which use excess electricity to move water from a lower reservoir to a higher one. It also covers battery storage systems that are co-located with renewable energy projects and are commissioned before the same date of June 30, 2028. Despite renewing waivers from energy storage projects, the government has yet to provide similar exemptions for solar and wind projects commissioned after June 30 this year, when the policy lapses. Companies can utilise ESG tools to stay informed about the latest updates on such policies.
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Further Reading: India extends transmission charge waiver for energy storage projects until June 2028
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White House aide claims that the U.S. energy loan office should fund oil and gas
A White House aide has recently said that the U.S. Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) should fund oil and gas infrastructure. Trump’s administration is moving towards prioritising oil and gas-related, nuclear-related projects. This shift increases already record-high oil and gas output while cutting climate and pollution regulations on fossil fuels, exacerbating the current climate crisis. The U.S. Energy Secretary has stated that LPO financing is being considered for the Alaska LNG, a project to ship liquefied natural gas from north of Alaska to consumers in Asia, and he even wants to offer it for nuclear projects, critical minerals, and “potentially even geothermal” projects. The White House’s fiscal year 2026 budget requests a $750M credit for the cost of loan guarantees for small modular reactors. To stay informed on the latest developments amid political and economic tensions, companies can use ESG tools.
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Further reading: US energy loan office should fund oil, gas, White House aide says
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Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: John Cameron
