Today’s ESG Updates
- Trump EPA Skips Data Center Standards: Lee Zeldin says states should set their own rules since data centers vary too much for one national standard.
- EU Reaches ETS2 Carbon Market Deal: The European Parliament and Council strengthened safeguards for the 2028 emissions trading system covering buildings and transport.
- EIB Commits €7.9B to Sustainable Projects: The bank is funding clean energy, innovation, tech leadership, and partnerships with Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Alt Carbon Signs Carbon Removal Deal with Microsoft: The Indian startup will remove 36,920 tons of CO₂ using Enhanced Rock Weathering.
Trump administration will not set standards for data centers, Zeldin says
As the AI boom continues its upward trend in the United States, communities are growing increasingly concerned about pollution and water use. According to a POLITICO poll, only 37% of Americans support building a data center in their towns. Yet as data centers continue to pop up across the country, the Trump administration does not plan to set national standards for these centers.
The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, said that individual states and communities are aware of what’s best for them and will make independent decisions. “You can’t just across the board act as if every data center project is equal, like they’re all following the same exact model in how they power their project in various ways, or how they cool their data center, so it really depends on how the deal gets done,” he added.
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Further reading: EPA won’t set nationwide standards for data centers
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EC reaches agreement for new emissions trading system for buildings and road transport
On Thursday, the European Parliament and Council came to a provisional agreement on the new emissions trading system covering buildings, road transport, and additional sectors (ETS2). The agreement supports Europe’s 2040 climate targets, ensuring an efficient start for the ETS2 system and strengthening the Market Stability Reserve (MSR). Due to launch in 2028, the agreement will strengthen safeguards for the system, increasing price stability and “more gradual releases of allowances from the reserve onto the market.”
The Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra said, “Climate action must not only be effective, but also fair and predictable. Today’s agreement strengthens the safeguards around the new emissions trading system for buildings and road transport, further enhancing stability and affordability for citizens and businesses, while setting us on a more predictable path toward a low-carbon future.”
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Further reading: Commission welcomes agreement on key safeguards for the new emissions trading system for buildings and road transport
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EIB allocates €7.9 billion to sustainable and innovative investments
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced €7.9 billion in funding for clean energy, transportation infrastructure, and innovation. These funds include €3 billion allocated to TechEU, which aims to increase Europe’s technological leadership and competitiveness. Other projects include pharmaceutical research, biotech, and energy-efficient lighting.
The EIB will also invest in global partnerships, specifically with Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Côte d’Ivoire. The financial institution will not only support the reconstruction of Ukraine, but also the development of new businesses, clean and renewable energy, and digital and transportation infrastructure. It will also rehabilitate the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor in Kazakhstan. In Côte d’Ivoire, the EIB will aid in improving cocoa value chains.
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Further reading: EIB Group approves €7.9 billion in financing to boost innovation, sustainability and global partnerships
Alt Carbon signs 36,920-ton carbon removal deal with Microsoft
Alt Carbon, a carbon removal startup in India, signed a deal with Microsoft that aims to remove 36,920 metric tons of CO₂ in West Bengal. The multi-year deal will be the first of its kind for Microsoft in Asia, with the company receiving Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits from the Darjeeling Revival Project (DRP). The DRP aims to revive the country’s tea and rice production in the Darjeeling region. Partnering with over 35,000 farmers, the startup has created more than 250 green jobs across 80,000 acres of agricultural land.
Alt Carbon is a deeptech startup that uses Enhanced Rock Weathering to generate carbon credits. Through the process, basalt rocks trap carbon dioxide from rainwater and are spread throughout agricultural land. Eventually, these carbon-saturated basalt rocks make their way into rivers and then into the ocean, where they help form coral and seashells.
Speaking about the deal, Shrey Agarwal, the CEO and Co-founder of Alt Carbon, said, “Our deal with Microsoft is built upon years of work building high-integrity carbon removal infrastructure in India. From laboratory capabilities to field operations and farmer networks, we have focused on advancing the science of rock weathering globally. Over the past few years, we have measured and indexed thousands of soil and water samples across land parcels covering an area roughly twice the size of Manhattan.”
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Further reading: Alt Carbon Announces Multi-Year deal with Microsoft to remove 36,920 tons of Carbon Dioxide from India
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Lee Zeldin speaking with attendees at The People’s Convention at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, in 2024. Cover Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
