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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Sweden awards SEK 9.3 billion for projects to capture and store CO₂
Sweden has awarded SEK 9.3 billion in state support to three companies developing bio-CCS projects that aim to capture and permanently store a combined 5.75 million tonnes of biogenic carbon dioxide. Energimyndigheten, the Swedish Energy Agency, said Renova, SYSAV and Öresundskraft had won the country’s second reverse auction for bio-CCS support. The projects are intended to contribute to Sweden’s target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2045 and achieving negative emissions thereafter. “This is a step forward on Sweden’s path towards achieving its climate goals,” commented Caroline Asserup, director general of Energimyndigheten.
Climate change affects wheat protein quality
Higher atmospheric CO₂ concentrations can substantially alter the protein composition of wheat, with the effects varying between different varieties, according to field-trial research led by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich. The researchers note that relatively few field trials have tested these effects under real-world growing conditions, so to fill this knowledge gap, they cultivated ten winter wheat cultivars, before analysing the composition of wheat proteins in the various grain samples.
Global South spends more than $235bn on clean-energy infrastructure
Countries across the Global South have spent more than $235 billion on Chinese-made clean-energy technologies since 2024, according to analysis from Reuters. The region now accounts for more than half of global spending on Chinese-made transformers, switchgear and solar arrays, while electric-vehicle imports increased from $6 billion in 2023 to $73.2 billion in 2026. Battery-storage investment remains lower, at 29% of global spending.
UK home-efficiency programme could save £1bn a year on energy bills
Research by thinktank E3G estimates that the UK government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan could reduce household energy bills by approximately £1 billion annually, generate £1.6 billion in additional economic activity and create about 50,000 jobs, according to reports. E3G estimates the programme could increase UK GDP by 0.08%.
Cabka targets 79.79% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030
Dutch recycled-plastics company Cabka has had its near-term emissions targets validated by the SBTi. The company plans to cut absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 79.79% by 2030 from a 2022 baseline and Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services and end-of-life treatment by 35% by 2036. Cabka says its market-based Scope 1 and 2 emissions fell approximately 66% between 2022 and 2025. “SBTi validation is an important milestone for Cabka,” said Alexander Masharov, CEO of Cabka.
Blue Whale Energy raises $4m to expand Singapore battery network
Singapore-based Blue Whale Energy has raised US$4 million in seed funding from Wavemaker Partners, SG Growth Capital and ADB Ventures, alongside existing investors Analog Ventures, Monk’s Hill Ventures and UntroD Capital. The company is developing a network of distributed batteries to relieve local electricity-grid constraints. Blue Whale says projects already under construction will increase its capacity tenfold within six to eight weeks.
Huhtamäki extends €450m sustainability-linked credit facility
Huhtamäki has extended the maturity of its €450 million sustainability-linked syndicated revolving credit facility by one year, using the extension option in the existing loan agreement. The new termination date is 7 November 2031. The facility remains available for general corporate purposes.
Aduro reports first-quarter FY2027 results and business update
Aduro Clean Technologies has reported its first-quarter fiscal 2027 results alongside an update on its chemical-recycling technology and development programme. The company is developing ‘hydrochemolytic’ technology for converting difficult-to-recycle plastics and other feedstocks into higher-value products. “During the quarter, we further strengthened the company’s capital resources through the completion of a U.S. public offering and a concurrent non-brokered private placement in Canada,” commented Mena Beshay, chief financial officer of Aduro.
Green Sports Alliance publishes Sustainable Apparel Playbook
The Green Sports Alliance has published the Sustainable Apparel Playbook, which sets out approaches for sports organisations to reduce environmental impacts across their apparel lifecycle. The playbook addresses apparel procurement and use while linking environmental measures with revenue, customer satisfaction and the influence of sports organisations. ‘There is tremendous opportunity for sports organisations to reduce environmental impact by requesting sustainable materials and production from vendors, managing outdated apparel responsibly, and influencing the culture of sports apparel’, the alliance said in a statement.


