Five tech companies often cited as exemplars for emissions reductions ambition face a strategy crisis exacerbated by growth plans for artificial intelligence and outdated greenhouse gas accounting practices, finds an analysis by two European think tanks. The companies — Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft — are closely evaluated in a chapter of the 2025 […]
Apparel brands should champion the most powerful strategies to lessen their emissions — or at least slow their rate of increase. For starters, switching to renewables across electrified supply chains would go a long way. So would abandoning wasteful fast fashion business models. And yet major companies are mostly ignoring these proven paths, according to […]
With the wildfire season rapidly approaching, California policymakers and businesses are attempting to make homeowner’s insurance accessible again in the state. The outcome could send ripple effects across the economy as weather disasters become more frequent and severe. California has adopted new regulations aimed at enabling people to insure their properties and insurers to remain […]
Emissions target setting among America’s largest companies shows limited signs of improvement — and one key metric has declined. That’s according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, who reviewed sustainability reports, climate transition plans and other material from 2023 for S&P 500 companies, which together make up around 80 percent of the value […]
For the last few months, Trellis has been developing Chasing Net Zero, a new reporting initiative designed to answer a simple question: How are companies faring on their paths to net zero? Starting the week of July 7, we’ll publish deep looks at the records of individual companies. For each case study, we’ll assess whether […]
There’s been a noticeable increase in the number of people offering their services as fractional chief sustainability officers or independent sustainability consultants recently. Some of them are increasing their earnings, some are healing from burnout and some are reclaiming control over various dimensions of their lives. I can relate to these motivations; I started my […]
Gap, Target and Houdini Sportswear have pledged to purchase circular polyester from recycling startup Syre — even before it has a product to sell. The mall giant, the big box tastemaker and the Scandinavian outdoor brand are each betting on a “hyperscale” future for polyester recycled from clothes and scraps otherwise destined for the trash. The […]
Insurance is the world’s canary in a coal mine: When the professional risk mitigators identify a looming problem, everyone else takes note. And the U.S. insurance industry has deemed climate change a clear and present financial danger, according to a recent report released by Ceres, a non-profit sustainability advocacy group. Of the 526 insurance groups […]
A project by the Norfolk Southern railroad to restore 1,500 feet of degraded Virginia shoreline has generated what the company says is the largest release of nutrient credits in the state’s history — and possibly in the entire U.S. Sale of the credits is expected to generate a four- to five-fold return on the amount […]
As the Senate continues to debate the fate of the clean energy tax credits established within the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the clean energy marketplace continues to take a financial hit. The latest report from E2 and the Clean Economy Tracker found that $1.4 billion of clean energy projects and factories were canceled in May. […]