Today’s ESG Updates
- China Offers $10 B Yuan Loans, Visa-Free Entry: Strengthens Belt-and-Road ties with Latin America.
- Microsoft Buys 2.3 M Carbon Credits: U.S. forestry deal advances 2030 carbon-negative pledge.
- Google Funds 600 MW Advanced Nuclear, Super-Pollutant Cuts: Drives 24/7 clean power and net-zero.
- India Plans Tariff Hike on U.S. Goods: Retaliatory move over metal duties threatens $7.6 B exports.
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China pledges $10B in credit lines and visa-free access to strengthen Latin America ties
At the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing, President Xi Jinping announced yuan-denominated credit lines totaling nearly US$10 billion for Latin American and Caribbean development projects, further promoting RMB internationalisation. China will also grant visa-free access to five unspecified LAC nations, promising expansion later. Trade between China and the region topped US$500 billion in 2024, up from US$450 billion in 2023 and just US$12 billion in 2000. Xi emphasized strengthening strategic, economic and infrastructural cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative framework, ESG solutions are crucial for keeping your company on track.
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Further reading: China commits about $10 billion in credit lines to Latin America
Microsoft’s first U.S. forestry investment locks In 2.3 M carbon credits toward 2030 carbon-negative target
Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund made its U.S. forestry debut by backing EFM’s forest-management fund, earning 2.3 million carbon-removal credits. The deal advances Microsoft’s pledge to be carbon-negative by 2030 and erase all past and future emissions by 2050. Senior director Brian Marrs said nature-based removals are critical to that goal. The agreement follows Meta’s 10-year contract announced last month, under which EFM will supply 676,000 credits by 2035 while converting thousands of acres to climate-smart management.
Photo Credit: wikimediacommons
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Further reading: Microsoft, EFM ink forestry-based carbon removal deal
Google backs advanced nuclear projects and super-pollutant abatement to accelerate 2030 net-zero push
Google advanced its 2030 net-zero goal with two new deals. It will fund Elemental Power to prepare three U.S. sites, each targeting 600 MW of advanced nuclear capacity, securing 24/7 carbon-free electricity for AI-driven data centers. Separately, partnerships with Recoolit and Cool Effect will finance removal of 25,000 t of potent super-pollutants, equivalent to avoiding 3 Mt CO₂ over 20 years. Google plans rigorous verification, scaling Recoolit’s refrigerant destruction ten-fold and backing methane capture at a Brazilian landfill.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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Further Reading: Google announces deals for nuclear projects, cutting superpollutants
India plans tariff hike on US goods in WTO retaliation
India notified the WTO that it plans to raise import duties on selected U.S. goods in retaliation for Washington’s steel and aluminium tariffs. The ‘suspension of concessions’ targets products originating in the United States, India said in the notice dated Monday. New Delhi argues U.S. safeguard measures jeopardise $7.6 billion worth of Indian exports. The move coincides with negotiations toward a bilateral trade pact, under which India has offered to trim its tariff differential by two-thirds. Businesses can use ESG tools to uplift their strategies.
Photo Credit: wikimediacommons
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Further reading: India proposes counter duties against US, notice to WTO shows
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: wikimediacommons
