With so much happening in the world of corporate sustainability, SustainabilityOnline has introduced The Sustainability Brief – a regular round-up of some of the top stories making headlines around the world.
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TNFD adoption passes $26 trillion in assets under management
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures has said that 836 organisations, representing more than $26 trillion in assets under management among financial institutions, have committed to reporting aligned with TNFD recommendations. TNFD has also released updates to its recommendations and LEAP assessment approach, the first major updates since their publication in 2023. The taskforce says its future work will focus increasingly on supporting ISSB, ISO and GRI standard-setting activities.
EU sets out biodiversity priorities ahead of COP17
The European Commission has outlined its priorities for the UN biodiversity conference COP17, which opens in Yerevan on 19 October. The EU says it remains committed to mobilising at least $200 billion a year from public and private sources for biodiversity by 2030 and is on track to double international biodiversity funding from €3.5 billion to €7 billion. The Commission will also promote nature-credit financing and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Hormel Foods reports packaging and regenerative agriculture progress
Hormel Foods has said in its 20th annual Global Impact Report that its Applegate Farms subsidiary sourced 100% of beef for its beef hot-dog portfolio from certified regenerative farms during fiscal year 2025. The company also achieved 100% traceability of purchased palm oil to plantation level, with all purchased palm oil RSPO-certified, while removing more than 2.5 million pounds of virgin plastic from packaging compared with its 2021 baseline and saving approximately 1.1 million pounds of packaging material.
US sustainable seafood reaches a consumer tipping point
A Marine Stewardship Council study tracking 15,000 US seafood consumers over a decade finds that sustainability has become increasingly mainstream in seafood purchasing attitudes. The research, covering changes since 2016, examines consumer views of sustainable seafood, ocean health, eco-labelling and certification, with independent verification becoming increasingly important to consumers assessing sustainability claims. “I am optimistic about US consumer attitudes to our planet, the food they consume, and the concept of sustainability and preserving our planet for future generations,” commented Laura McDearis, US program director, Marine Stewardship Council.
€330m first close for European clean power and electrification fund
L&G and NTR have secured €330 million in commitments for the first close of the L&G NTR Clean Power Transition IV Fund. The fund will invest in European clean power and electrification infrastructure, including renewable energy, energy storage and infrastructure supporting the electrification of heat, transport and industry. It follows the previous joint fund, which raised more than €640 million and reached final close in March 2025. “Decarbonising transport, heat and industry will require continued investment in clean power generation alongside the storage, grid and connection infrastructure that enables it, creating a substantial opportunity for institutional capital,” commented Rosheen McGuckian, CEO, NTR.
Tanzanian innovator wins UN Climate AI award
Upendo Ernest Lyimo of Tanzania has won the 2026 UNFCCC AI for Climate Action Award for CLIMAID, an AI-based climate information solution designed to provide timely, reliable climate information to vulnerable communities. The award focuses on AI solutions developed in or for least developed countries and small island developing states, with CLIMAID designed to be adaptable beyond Tanzania. “Winning this award is an extraordinary honour, and a powerful recognition of the potential of innovation to address global climate challenges,” Lyimo commented.
$850m financing closes for 1,200MWh Boston battery project
Flatiron Energy has closed approximately $850 million of construction and term financing commitments for the Energizar battery storage project in Chelsea, Massachusetts, according to reports. The project will have 1,200MWh of storage capacity and is scheduled to enter commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2027. Flatiron says the facility will become the largest battery energy-storage system on the US East Coast when operational, providing capacity and peaking energy to the Boston-area grid.
EU opens new policy discussion on forest investment and carbon removals
The European Commission has brought together forest owners and pulp and paper companies to discuss investment in Europe’s forest-based value chains and their contribution to climate neutrality. Discussions covered the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Certification Framework, potential integration of permanent removals into the EU ETS, and the post-2030 LULUCF framework. The Commission said the forthcoming LULUCF Regulation evaluation, due at the end of 2026, will incorporate lessons from implementation to date.
PIDG and World Bank renew water infrastructure investment partnership
The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and the World Bank’s Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership have renewed their partnership to mobilise private capital for water infrastructure in emerging markets. The collaboration will support sector reforms, utility strengthening and project preparation and will advance the Water Forward initiative, which seeks to address barriers to commercially sustainable water infrastructure investment. ‘Through our new commitment, PIDG will continue supporting the mobilisation of private capital for water infrastructure, sector reforms, utility strengthening, and project preparation,’ PIDG said in a statement.
Australia approves Bonaparte carbon-storage formation
Australia has formally declared West Peron, beneath the seabed in the Bonaparte Basin, an identified greenhouse-gas storage formation for the proposed Bonaparte CCS project. INPEX proposes to permanently store up to 443 million tonnes of CO₂ over as many as 35 years, initially capturing emissions from the Ichthys LNG project. The declaration is a regulatory step towards developing the proposed offshore carbon-storage hub.
