The 2026 World Cup on track for a CO2 record

The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is set to become the highest CO₂-emitting edition in history, with an estimated 7.8 million tons of carbon dioxide—more than double the emissions of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar—according to the platform Greenly. This figure is equivalent to the annual emissions of 1.7 million cars or an entire country like Sierra Leone. Transportation, responsible for 87% of emissions, is under scrutiny due to the massive travel required between the 16 host cities, spread across 4500 kilometers from Vancouver to Miami. Madeleine Orr, an ecologist specializing in sports, highlights the paradox between the appeal of the event and its disastrous climate impact.

Unlike the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the compact geography limited travel despite the construction of seven stadiums, the 2026 edition relies on existing infrastructure. However, the carbon footprint is soaring due to the dispersed locations. For example, the England team will travel 2,770 kilometers for its three group-stage matches. Geographer David Gogishvili notes that FIFA, despite its commitment at COP26 to halve its emissions by 2030, has set no specific targets for this tournament. The proposed measures, such as promoting public transport and recycling, remain insufficient given the scale of the challenges.

Another major and often overlooked issue is the digital footprint. With 48 teams and a record global audience, streaming, social media, and datacenters consume massive amounts of energy. Madeleine Orr emphasizes this "hidden cost," such as the 600-megawatt increase in electricity consumption in the UK during matches, equivalent to the demand of cities like Glasgow and Leeds. Fans using multiple screens simultaneously amplify this phenomenon. Yet, these digital emissions are rarely included in official reports, revealing a systemic underestimation of the overall environmental impact.

Sources: Reuters, La Tribune

Hope fades on 2050 net-zero goal as sustainable aviation fuel supplies remain ‘teeny, tiny and embryonic’

The aviation industry’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, set in 2021 by global airlines and supported by governments like the UK, is now unlikely to be met, according to industry leaders. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) and former CEO of British Airways owner IAG, blamed fuel suppliers, governments, and aircraft manufacturers for the shortfall. He emphasized that over 50% of the decarbonization plan relied on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), but current production remains critically low, with only 2.4 million tonnes—just 0.8% of airline fuel needs—expected this year. The target for 2050 is 500 million tonnes, a gap Walsh described as "wide and not closing fast enough."

Walsh highlighted the failure of governments and the UN’s Corsia emissions trading program to deliver on commitments, calling the 5% emission reduction target by 2030 through SAF "unachievable." He urged an "urgent dialogue" to set a more realistic timeline, balancing the global energy transition with climate urgency. Airlines, he noted, are fulfilling their promises but cannot reach net zero alone due to delays in efficient aircraft deliveries, stagnant air traffic management reforms, and unmet fuel supplier pledges. Environmental campaigners, long skeptical of the industry’s green commitments, may see this admission as validation of their claims that such pledges were merely greenwashing to justify expansion.

The UK government, which ties Heathrow Airport’s expansion to climate conditions, faces added scrutiny after Walsh’s remarks. While the UK met its 2% SAF mandate for 2025 using recycled cooking oil imports, future targets depend on next-generation fuels like e-SAF, which are not yet produced at scale. Marie Owens Thomsen, Iata’s sustainability vice-president, called the UK and EU’s 2030 e-SAF targets "utterly detached from reality," warning that mandates without production capacity would only inflate costs. The industry’s struggle underscores the tension between ambitious climate goals and the practical challenges of energy transition.

Sources: FlightGlobal, The Guardian

Coal-dependent Indonesia shows strongest public support for phasing out the fossil fuel

A survey commissioned by advocacy group Market Forces and conducted by YouGov reveals that Indonesians, despite their country’s heavy reliance on coal for electricity, exports, and industrial growth, show the strongest public support in Southeast Asia for phasing out coal. According to the findings, 65% of Indonesians believe rapidly ending coal power is one of the best ways to combat climate change, surpassing support levels in Singapore (61%) and Malaysia (58%). This stance is particularly striking given Indonesia’s economic ties to coal, including its role in powering energy-intensive industries like nickel processing for the electric vehicle supply chain. The survey, which included 4,000 respondents across the three countries, also highlighted that 96% of Indonesians expressed moderate to extreme concern about climate change, compared to 84% in Malaysia and 81% in Singapore.

The survey underscores a gap between public expectations and the actions of financial institutions, particularly regarding captive coal plants used in industrial facilities like nickel and aluminium smelters. Bernadette Maheandiran, Asia energy finance director at Market Forces, emphasized that the overwhelming concern about climate change in the region signals a need for banks to accelerate their transition away from coal. She warned that continued coal financing risks alienating up to a third of customers. Additionally, 61% of Indonesians rejected the notion that nickel produced using coal power could be considered "green," challenging the country’s push to position itself as a global hub for electric vehicle supply chains while relying on coal-dependent smelters.

Source: Eco-Business

Spain unveils climate social plan with €9 billion for energy transition

Spain’s government announced its Social Climate Plan in May, allocating nearly 9 billion euros in public aid to address climate change through housing and mobility initiatives. The plan, set to be submitted to Brussels by year-end, focuses on two pillars: ensuring access to “decent, efficient” housing and promoting “sustainable, affordable” mobility. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized the urgency of a fair ecological transition, warning that the energy revolution must not exclude those who cannot afford upgrades like solar panels or home renovations without public support. He framed the plan as a way to ensure no one must choose between financial survival and environmental responsibility, calling out climate denialism as a threat to progress.

The plan dedicates 4.7 billion euros to housing policies, aiming to help vulnerable households participate in the transition by improving living conditions, reducing energy bills, and cutting emissions. Another 4.3 billion euros will fund transport decarbonization, including subsidies for vehicle upgrades and measures to make public transport nearly free, particularly in rural areas. Sánchez argued that climate action aligns with economic growth, citing a 19% drop in emissions since 2018 and a rise in renewable energy’s share of electricity generation from 39% to 56%, alongside job creation and economic expansion.

Third Deputy Prime Minister Sara Aagesen described the plan as a “fundamental tool” amid the climate emergency, urging continued support for the green agenda. Transport Minister Óscar Puente framed mobility as a “fundamental right,” while Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez tied the initiative to recent housing protests, stressing its role in protecting vulnerable groups. The government positions the plan as both a climate solution and an opportunity for societal transformation.

Source: Euronews

Brazil's Vale plans to invest $2.6 billion in decarbonization initiatives

• Company: Vale SA
• Sector: Materials
• Clover rating: 1/5

Brazilian miner Vale plans to invest up to 13 billion reais ($2.56 billion) in ​decarbonization initiatives to meet its voluntary emissions reduction ‌targets and mitigate climate-related risks. The company did not specify the timeframe for the ​investment. The amount includes up to 4 billion ​reais for decarbonizing operations, with 24% invested in ⁠the medium term and 76% in the long ​term. Another 8 billion reais is linked to building industrial ​complexes focused on low-carbon technologies, which includes steelmaking transition technologies and iron ore briquette development. The remaining 1 billion reais would go ​for research and development, the firm said.

Through these ‌initiatives, ⁠Vale sees potential for financial and environmental returns for its business, Grazielle Parenti, executive vice president of sustainability, said in an interview with Reuters. "Within Vale's governance ​framework, all ​projects and ⁠decisions of this caliber are evaluated using an environmental, social, and governance matrix that ​identifies potential risks and opportunities for each ​one," ⁠she said.

The company also warned it could face carbon costs of up to 22 billion reais ⁠at ​present value from carbon pricing ​mechanisms, with substantial impacts expected from 2030 onwards.

Source: Reuters

Coffee firms have not met EU rules on farmers' living wage, report finds

• Companies: Nestle SA, Starbucks
• Sector: Food & Beverages
• Clover ratings: 4/5, 4/5

A new Coffee Barometer report reveals that none of the world’s top 15 coffee roasters and traders have committed to paying farmers a living income, despite the EU’s upcoming mandatory requirements under the CSDDD set for full compliance by 2029. Companies could therefore face fines for non‑compliance. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), effective from July 2029 for most companies, will legally require large coffee companies to ensure living incomes for farmers as part of human rights due diligence, under threat of fines up to 3% of global turnover.

The 2023 Coffee Barometer, compiled by NGOs, finds that none of the top 15 global coffee roasters and traders—such as Nestlé, Starbucks, JDE Peet’s, Olam, Louis Dreyfus, Ecom, and Volcafe—have yet disclosed living income commitments or aligned pricing structures accordingly. Coffee is produced predominantly by smallholder farmers—about 12.5 million households cultivating less than two hectares—who remain mired in poverty despite higher prices, and sustainability commitments by firms have yet to substantively address these structural income gaps.

Sources: Reuters, Global Banking & Finance Review

BP removes new chair over governance and conduct concerns

• Company: BP PLC
• Sector: Energy
• Clover rating: 1/5

UK-based energy giant bp announced that it has removed recently-appointed Chair Albert Manifold, following “serious concerns raised to the Board related to important governance standards, oversight and conduct.” The announcement comes only months after Manifold’s appointment as Chair in October 2025, and adds to a series of changes in the top ranks at the company, following the departure of CEO Murray Auchincloss in December. Auchincloss took over the position from Bernard Looney, who held the CEO role from 2020 to 2023, and resigned after failing to disclose relationships with colleagues. Bp’s new CEO, Meg O’Neill, formally took over the role last month.

Manifold was appointed by the board following a significant shift in strategy by the company in early 2025, reversing earlier plans to reduce oil and gas production over time while increasing investments in low carbon energy sources. The new strategy includes reallocating capital to increase oil and gas investment and reducing low carbon energy to less than 5% of the company’s capex allocation.

Source: ESG Today

Losing pollinator insects puts human health at risk

A new study published in Nature reveals for the first time how the decline of insect pollinators undermines essential ecosystem services that support human nutrition and livelihoods. It’s been long known that insect pollinators are vital for producing many of the fruits, vegetables, and legumes that supply essential vitamins and minerals in our diets, yet clear evidence of how their decline affects people has been limited. Working in 10 smallholder farming villages and their surrounding landscapes in Nepal, researchers traced the full chain of connections between wild pollinators, crop yields, and the nutrients families rely on. By tracking diets, crop nutrients, and the insects visiting those crops over a year, the research team showed how pollinators directly support both nutrition and livelihoods.

The study found insect pollinators were responsible for 44% of people’s farming income and contributed more than 20% of their intake of vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E. When pollinators decline, families risk poorer nutrition leading to higher vulnerability to illness and infections, and deeper cycles of poverty and poor health. One quarter of the global population currently suffer from this “hidden hunger.” The research shows there is real potential for positive change—nutrition and income can improve when communities support pollinators. Simple steps like planting wildflowers, using fewer pesticides, or keeping native bees can help boost pollinator numbers, strengthening both nature and people’s wellbeing.

“Our study shows that biodiversity is not a luxury—it is fundamental to our health, nutrition, and livelihoods,” says lead author Thomas Timberlake. The research shows that human health is deeply tied to the health of nature. By tracking how pollinators support food production and diets, the study reveals that biodiversity loss isn’t just an environmental problem, it threatens public health and economic stability—as highlighted in the recent UK government national security assessment on global biodiversity loss.

Sources: Futurity, UW News