Today’s ESG Updates
- Trump Pushes Tech to Build Power Plants: President Donald Trump directed major tech companies to supply their own electricity for data centers to ease pressure on the aging U.S. grid and curb rising energy costs.
- South West Water Sewage Lawsuit Expands: A group legal claim over sewage pollution now includes multiple Devon and Cornwall communities after South West Water discharged raw sewage for over 544,000 hours, prompting fines and public outrage.
- Germany Eases Heating Law: The German government scrapped the 65% renewable mandate for new heating systems, allowing oil and gas installations with partial climate-friendly fuel use, raising concerns about long-term climate targets.
- Scotland’s Climate Strategy Faces Challenges: The UK Climate Change Committee finds Scotland’s emissions plan credible for 2030 but too reliant on unproven technologies like carbon capture and heat pumps for 2035–2040 goals.
Trump urges tech giants to build their own power plants amid data center energy concerns
President Donald Trump announced during the State of the Union address that his administration has told major technology companies they must build their own power plants to supply electricity for their data centers. The policy is intended to protect consumers from rising electricity bills blamed on energy-hungry datacenter projects.
Trump said the U.S. electrical grid is old and cannot handle the high electricity demand from data centers. He didn’t name specific companies or provide implementation details, but, according to some sources, the White House plans to host tech companies in early March to formalise the effort.
The move comes amid concerns that the rapid growth of AI-related infrastructure could raise energy costs, making it a political issue ahead of the November midterm elections.
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Further reading: Trump says he has told big tech companies to build their own power plants
South West Water sewage pollution lawsuit expands across Devon and Cornwall
A group legal claim against South West Water over sewage pollution has been expanded beyond Exmouth to other coastal communities across Devon and Cornwall. The action was originally brought by about 1,400 people from Exmouth and now includes businesses and residents in Dawlish, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Newquay, and Penzance.
Campaigners say pollution – sometimes visible in the water, including effluent, sanitary products, and foam – has worsened, damaging beaches and coastal waters. In 2024, South West Water reportedly discharged raw sewage for 544,429 hours into the seas and coastal waters. The regulator Ofwat fined the company £24 million for problems with its operations that led to sewage pollution.
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Further reading: Group expands legal claim over South West Water sewage pollution
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Germany loosens heating law, allowing oil and gas systems with partial green fuel use
Germany’s coalition government has agreed to scrap key parts of its controversial 2023 heating law, reversing a rule that required new heating systems to run on at least 65% renewable energy. Under the revised policy, homeowners will still be allowed to install oil and gas heating systems, but these must use at least 10% climate-friendly fuels (such as biomethane) by 2029, with the required share increasing further through 2040.
Critics warn the changes could undermine Germany’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045, especially given concerns about the limited supply of green fuels needed to meet the new blending requirements.
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Further reading: Germany to scrap key parts of contentious heating law
Scotland’s emissions strategy credible short-term, risky long-term
The UK Climate Change Committee finds Scotland’s new emissions strategy realistic in the short term but too dependent on unproven technologies for future carbon reduction goals. Scotland replaced annual emissions targets with five-year carbon budgets, after repeatedly missing annual goals.
The Committee considers the short-term plans credible for 91% of the emissions cuts needed by 2030. Still, confidence falls for the medium and long term, with only 64% of cuts for the 2035 carbon budget and 58% for the 2040 budget considered credible. The reason for the drop in confidence is Scotland’s heavy reliance on carbon capture technologies and the slow progress in decarbonising home heating, especially the installation of heat pumps. 110,000 heat pumps or other low-carbon systems would need to be installed over the next four years to meet the 2030 budget, which is about three times more than the current plan suggests.
However, Scotland has already cut emissions by 51.3% since 1990, mostly by closing coal plants and building windfarms.
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Further reading: Scotland’s new emissions strategy ‘too reliant on science fiction’, critics say
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
