Sustainability News Brief

Your weekly go-to resource for sustainability news and guidance to inform your business strategy


Latest stories

The European Commission’s omnibus proposals: What you need to know

March 12, 2025

The European Commission published the first of the omnibus packages intended to simplify the region’s sustainability reporting requirements.

The EU proposed two updates to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive referred to as the “stop the clock” and the “content” proposals. The “stop the clock” proposal seeks to postpone some reporting deadlines by two years. This delay is intended to provide time for the adoption of the “content” proposal, which includes four primary areas of proposed changes, including the scope of the CSRD, value chain requirements, assurance requirements and updates to the ESRS standards.

Need CSRD reporting insights, omnibus proposal updates or the latest info on sustainability reporting in the US? How about help in assessing scope, timing and how proposed changes will impact your sustainability reporting strategy?

Read more

Sustainability watch

Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on:

  • PwC’s 2nd Annual State of Decarbonization Report
  • New SEC guidance on a range of sustainability topics
  • Potential limited access to NOAA and FEMA climate risk data.

Don’t let carbon pricing dull your competitive advantage

March 14, 2025

Carbon emissions, and their price, are rising. Yet many companies don’t realize the carbon costs buried in their supply chain, quietly reshaping cost profiles. Get ahead by mapping your emissions, planning for price shifts and engaging investors.

The leadership agenda

Grow through resilience: Turning climate risks into business wins

March 3, 2025

The choice is clear: adapt or be left behind. Companies that embrace climate adaptation aren’t just safeguarding assets; they’re building resilience and unlocking untapped growth. Start integrating climate strategies now and turn risk into competitive advantage.

Prepare and grow

How data centers are balancing AI growth and sustainability

February 27, 2025

The data center industry is racing to scale while grappling with power constraints.

Operators should balance speed, efficiency and resilience to stay ahead.

Want a deep dive on how data centers are prioritizing long-term energy stability?

More on data centers

Smart ways to invest? Survey says ... climate action!

March 6, 2025

About two-thirds of US investors plan to invest more in companies addressing climate risks and opportunities, per PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2024. The winners? Firms innovating on renewables, building sustainable supply chains and boosting climate resilience.

The full survey says

The road ahead: How executive orders are impacting energy and the environment and driving a new policy landscape

February 24, 2025

Several of President Trump’s executive orders target the rollback of Biden-era environmental initiatives, including restrictions on public land drilling, stricter vehicle emissions standards and renewable energy expansion, while prioritizing domestic energy production. The result? Regulatory shifts that challenge companies to adapt. As these changes unfold, remember that organizations that integrate sustainability into strategy and access a broad array of US energy resources may potentially achieve meaningful growth, address energy demand and fortify their competitive edge.

What’s next? Read our latest insights on the new administration’s plans as executive orders, tariffs and other regulatory changes are announced.

Read more

10 questions to define a winning climate transition strategy

March 3, 2025

Climate success starts with a plan — one that’s sharp actionable and future-proof.

CFOs and sustainability leaders: Are you aligning behaviors to accelerate action? Managing time like a finite resource? Leveraging emotions to inspire change?

Dig in


Sustainability pays off — CEOs say ROI is real

February 24, 2025

PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey shows climate-friendly investments are six times more likely to boost revenue than decrease it. Two-thirds of CEOs report these initiatives have reduced or maintained costs.

Capture the financial benefits of sustainability today.

See the results

Margins up: Why sustainable product design can be a path to higher revenue — and profits

February 12, 2025

PwC’s Voice of the Consumer Survey showed shoppers are willing to pay an average 9.7% premium for sustainable goods. Tap into this with holistic design, sustainable materials, efficient manufacturing and life cycle assessment to cut costs, reduce impacts and drive demand.

Level up here

CFO playbook: 7 sustainability strategies for managing risk, resilience and costs

February 17, 2025

Learn how an effective sustainability strategy can potentially boost revenue, leverage tax incentives and streamline data with advanced tech. Lead with trust, innovation and smarter decisions.

Ready to drive growth and mitigate risks?

Explore the playbook

Cut carbon, capture growth: The opportunity in sustainable capital projects

February 11, 2025

Sustainable capital projects can slash emissions and drive progress, but many companies miss the mark. Poor planning, misaligned goals and siloed teams derail efforts. Success demands clear strategies, agile execution and sustainability-focused decision-making.

Don’t let complexity stall your impact. Get the insights you need to turn ambition into action.

Explore more here

Add to cart: ESG controller, the position you didn’t know you needed

February 3, 2025

ESG controllers help generate thorough and reliable reporting, align sustainability with strategy and build trust. They’re watchdogs for transparency and defenders against reputational risks. Learn why ESG controllers are critical to your sustainability strategy.

More about this key role

From trade-offs to payoffs: CEOs on creating value with climate action

February 5, 2025

Action on sustainability has real upside. PwC’s survey of 4,700 CEOs shows that climate-related innovation has a positive effect on profit margins and revenues — as do half a dozen other climate-related business moves. What’s more, CEOs who report taking more climate action are also more likely to express confidence about the future of their business.

Learn more

Designing for tomorrow: How life cycle assessments can drive product innovation

February 4, 2025

LCAs can uncover supply chain and product design inefficiencies and help you respond to increasing asks from customers and regulators. With growing demand for sustainable products, use LCAs to help align financial goals with sustainability wins. Start small: Set goals, collect data and assess key products.

More insights here

The 10 common pitfalls of CSRD-aligned double materiality assessments

February 14, 2025

The EU’s CSRD significantly expands sustainability reporting, mandating companies to consider financial impacts and societal effects. To comply with the CSRD, your company will need to identify its material sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities. The required approach is a “double materiality” assessment. Avoid these common pitfalls and meet the new standard for regulatory disclosures. Ready to avoid surprises?

Dive in here

“Today’s CEOs are charged with an urgent priority: embedding sustainability into their core strategies to unlock pathways to new investment, drive innovation and fuel growth. In a rapidly changing environment, where exceeding the 1.5°C threshold becomes increasingly likely, companies need to both mitigate risks and adapt their business models to withstand climate impacts.”

Ron Kinghorn,Sustainability Advisory Services Leader, PwC US

Read more in ESG Today about the CEO’s Guide to Sustainable Transformation.

Chief sustainability officers: Leading the charge in 2025

February 14, 2025

In 2025, sustainability leaders are stepping into the spotlight, transforming sustainability from a buzzword to a business imperative. What’s in their playbook:

  • Mastering ESG compliance
  • Driving strategic sustainability initiatives
  • Leveraging technology for growth.

Read our insights

Emissions reduction: The financial sector’s high-stakes hurdles

January 20, 2025

Cutting carbon footprints is crucial but challenging — complex accounting, data gaps and shifting targets persist. Financial institutions can succeed with advanced analytics, stakeholder alignment and scalable technology. Strategic, long-term action is essential.

Dive deeper

Independent ESG assurance: The edge CFOs can’t ignore

January 24, 2025

Build trust with verified data, enhance transparency with clear audits, stay compliant with evolving ESG rules and gain a competitive edge. Assured ESG data isn’t just compliance — it’s smart business.

ESG assurance insights

Investors speak: Climate action is a business imperative

January 22, 2025

PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2024 shows climate action is vital for investor confidence. More than 70% of respondents say companies should embed sustainability into strategy and 50% say businesses must rethink how they create, deliver and capture value to address climate change.

Explore the survey

Falling behind on net zero? Here’s why — and what to do about it

January 13, 2025

PwC research reveals a harsh truth: many companies are lagging on decarbonization. In this study, PwC found that climate ambitions were higher than expected, but progress against those ambitions was also worse than expected. The analysis revealed the key areas that differentiated between those companies who were on track from those that were off track.

What was missing? Vague emissions reduction plans, suboptimal capital allocation and poor execution, especially on Scope 3 emissions. Companies must put detail behind their plans to achieve net zero. The business should have a clear line of sight of the specific projects within the plan, how much carbon each will abate, what resourcing will be needed and where and how various credits and incentives will be leveraged to help fund the effort.

A decarbonization plan at the right level of detail enables effective capital and resource allocation and can set the organization up for better execution.

Dive into PwC’s insights and get back on track today.

Read the research

What you really need to know (and do) about Scope 3 emissions

January 15, 2025

Scope 3 emissions — mainly indirect emissions from supply chains and product use — can account for more than 90% of a company’s carbon footprint. The catch? They’re the hardest to track and reduce. The upside? They can be a source of cost savings and competitive advantage.

To cut them, companies must:

  • Understand the potential levers available to reduce emissions in each of the relevant 15 categories of Scope 3 emissions.
  • Align with the right cross-functional stakeholders and outside partners on a detailed plan to reduce these emissions.
  • Segment your suppliers and engage in smart collaboration to drive maximum impact.
  • Invest in tech to track and manage data.

Ignoring Scope 3 isn’t just risky — it’s a missed opportunity for a competitive edge.

Get more on Scope 3

The CEO’s checklist for finding an edge with sustainability

January 15, 2025

Managing energy demand, uncovering hidden risks, investing in sustainability innovation and upgrading your data infrastructure. Four mission-critical actions to help your company respond to sustainability-driven opportunities. Ready to transform?

Start here

How tech can turn sustainability into a strategic advantage

January 8, 2025

Tech companies are under pressure to meet stricter sustainability reporting rules like California’s mandates and the EU’s CSRD. The challenge? Accurate data across complex supply chains isn’t easy. Smart tools, technology upgrades and adaptive strategies can simplify compliance and turn hurdles into opportunities.

Want a full breakdown?

Read PwC’s insights

The climate transition: a rising health concern

January 8, 2025

Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a health crisis. PwC’s 2024 US Healthcare Climate Survey shows 87% of health execs believe climate change will drive acute and chronic illnesses. The takeaway? Healthcare systems must adapt, building resilience to meet rising climate-induced health challenges. Learn how leaders can prepare for what’s next.

Delve into the report

Biodiversity and business: Why nature risk should be on your company’s radar

December 20, 2024

Ignoring nature’s decline isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a looming financial risk. With over half of global GDP reliant on healthy ecosystems, biodiversity loss directly threatens business operations and profitability. CFOs and finance leaders should assess and mitigate these risks to safeguard their companies’ future. Industries dependent on nature (think: agriculture, forestry and fashion) can’t thrive with dwindling resources and ecosystem disruptions.

Why it matters:

  • Revenue risk: Nature-dependent industries risk massive revenue decreases partly from biodiversity loss.
  • Regulatory pressure: Governments are stepping in, with new policies demanding accountability for nature-related risks.
  • Investor expectations: ESG-focused investors are asking companies to disclose their nature impacts and plans.

What to do about it:

  • Start tracking your nature footprint and embed biodiversity into your sustainability strategy.
  • Look for opportunities to innovate with nature-positive solutions, such as regenerative agriculture or sustainable sourcing.
  • Stay ahead of regulations with clear biodiversity risk disclosures.

The bottom line: Biodiversity challenges can be business opportunities.

Read more

Why US companies are betting big on climate tech

December 3, 2024

US companies invested $24.8 billion in climate tech start-ups during the year ending September 30, 2024. PwC’s State of Climate Tech 2024 report highlights where businesses see opportunities for technology to address climate challenges.

At a glance:

  • AI can power breakthrough applications in both emissions reduction and climate resilience.
  • Technologies to support adaptation and resilience stood out as a theme.
  • Big companies focused investments in energy and mobility solutions.

Read the report

“Sustainability can drive savings if you “embed [it] throughout the business, not just in pockets, and make sure each function has accountability.”

Kevin O’Connell,Sustainability Assurance Services Leader, PwC US

Read more in Forbes about the two executives who can turn your company into a sustainability leader.

Is your climate tech up to the job? Ask these five questions

December 16, 2024

Selecting the right tech for sustainability is imperative. Company leaders should ask:

  1. Does our climate tech integrate with our existing systems?
  2. Can it scale with our evolving ESG goals and emerging technologies like AI and GenAI?
  3. Does it enable reliable data and compliance with regulations?
  4. Will it provide insights for decision-making?
  5. Is it user-friendly for all stakeholders?

Choosing wisely can change your ESG reporting from a compliance task to a strategic advantage.

Learn more

Case study: Here’s how GE Vernova rose to the carbon challenge

December 11, 2024

GE Vernova is a global energy leader whose technology helps to generate about 30% of the world’s electricity. Recognizing its responsibility to help drive the world’s energy transition, the company did three things to rise to the carbon challenge:

  • Assessed the role of carbon pricing and market mechanisms in decarbonization
  • Developed a strategic outlook of the digital value chain in carbon reduction
  • Charted a path to meet shifting demands and unpredictable conditions while fortifying climate efforts.

Learn more here

The articles posted on this site may link to previously published content.

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