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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Google backs Brazilian silvopasture project to remove 270,000 tonnes of CO₂
Google, through the Symbiosis Coalition, has agreed a long-term arrangement with Working Trees to remove 270,000 tonnes of CO₂ through a silvopasture project in Brazil. Working Trees will plant trees on active pastureland across the Amazon and Cerrado, allowing cattle production to continue while generating timber and carbon revenues for ranchers. The project also uses digital tracking to record individual trees and monitor outcomes.
Lenovo named leader in digital sustainability across Europe and US
Lenovo has been named a Leader in the IT Solutions quadrant of the 2026 ISG Provider Lens Digital Sustainability reports for both Europe and the United States. ISG estimates the global digital sustainability market at $34.3 billion in 2026, up 12% from 2025, with Europe accounting for 43% and the US 33%. “As AI becomes increasingly integrated into enterprise operations, organisations in all industries must balance increasing compute requirements with pressure to operate more sustainably,” commented John Stamer, vice president and general manager of Global Product and Sustainability Services, Lenovo.
Green products account for 26% of exhibits at 140th Canton Fair
Green and low-carbon products account for a record 26% of exhibits at the 140th Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China. The organisers said exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and wind turbines and components increased 72.3%, 36.4% and 22.4% respectively during the first three quarters of 2026. Exhibitors are also showcasing renewable-energy desalination systems, high-efficiency motors and agricultural machinery, claiming fuel savings above 30%.
Ireland commits €500m to industrial decarbonisation support
Ireland has €500 million available through Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and SEAI to support industrial energy efficiency, renewable-energy uptake and decarbonisation investment through to 2030. A government report says that €163 million has already been allocated through the Environmental Aid Fund to some 43 projects, which are expected to reduce industrial emissions by about 214,210 tonnes of CO₂e. The projects have attracted more than €1 billion in private investment.
EU awards €390m to 135 climate and environmental projects
The European Commission has awarded more than €390 million to 135 projects covering climate, nature, circular economy and clean energy across all 27 EU Member States and several associated countries. The projects represent €579 million of total investment, with the remaining €189 million coming from governments, businesses, public-private partnerships and other partners. The funding is 9% higher than last year’s LIFE allocation.
Minesto selected for €20.2m EU grant for Irish tidal project
Swedish ocean-energy developer Minesto has been selected to enter grant-agreement preparation for €20.2 million from the EU Innovation Fund for its proposed 10MW Euro Dragon Farm tidal-kite project in Ireland. The grant would cover 60% of the project’s required investment. The project is designed to generate predictable renewable electricity from low-velocity tidal currents, with the grant agreement expected to be finalised during the first quarter of 2027.
INEOS launches lower-carbon polymer range
INEOS has launched LowINCO₂, a range of olefins and polymers with a product carbon footprint of up to half the European industry average. The company says the footprint will fall further when its €5 billion Project ONE facility in Antwerp starts operating. The materials are intended for applications including transport components, pipes, medical products, electronics, food and beverage packaging and construction. INEOS’s launch of LowINCO₂ comes as European manufacturers face increasing pressure to reduce value-chain emissions.
PurposeEnergy commissions $40m food-waste biogas facility
PurposeEnergy has commissioned a more than $40 million anaerobic-digestion facility in Minster, Ohio, processing up to 250,000 gallons of organic residuals a day from Danone’s nearby yoghurt plant and other food and beverage producers. At full operation, the facility is expected to produce about 50,000 MMBtu of biogas annually, replacing conventional natural gas at Danone. PurposeEnergy estimates the project will avoid about 3,200 tonnes of CO₂e annually.
Italy has achieved only 15% of its 2030 energy-transition targets
Italy has achieved 15% of the energy-transition targets it set for 2030, according to an annual monitoring report from climate think tank ECCO, according to reports. Reuters reported that the assessment found Italy significantly behind schedule in its shift towards sustainable energy and its wider climate objectives. The findings come as European governments face pressure to accelerate investment and policy measures ahead of the 2030 targets.
Data centres face growing water-supply exposure
New research by the American Chemical Society has found that that around one-quarter of data centres currently operate in locations where water demand can exceed supply, with the proportion potentially reaching one-third as climate change alters water availability. “These facilities are not landing in empty landscapes. They are landing on top of the water supply of cities and farms,” commented Lorenzo Rosa, lead author.
