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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El Niño events have become nearly 40% stronger over four decades
A University of Michigan study using coral records from the Galápagos found that El Niño events during the past 40 years were nearly 40% stronger than during the pre-industrial period. The researchers found that recent El Niños were stronger than any identified in the previous 1,000 years and linked the increase in intensity to rising global temperatures. “The question is not whether the current El Niño is going to happen, but how bad is it going to be, and how bad will the impacts be?” said lead author Julia Cole, professor and chair of the U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Greece receives €4.77bn Social Climate Plan
The European Commission has endorsed Greece’s €4.77 billion Social Climate Plan, with €3.57 billion coming from the EU Social Climate Fund and the remaining 25% from Greece. Running from 2026 to 2032, the plan will finance energy-efficiency measures, building renovation, clean heating and cooling, renewable-energy integration and low- and zero-emission mobility.
Australia’s emissions fall 1.6% as renewable generation reaches new highs
Australia’s greenhouse-gas emissions fell 1.6% to 455.6 million tonnes in the year to March 2026, according to the latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Electricity-sector emissions fell 5.6 million tonnes, or 3.7%, as renewable generation displaced coal and gas. The Clean Energy Regulator also reported more than 1GW of rooftop solar installed and 1.8GW of large-scale solar reaching final investment decisions during the June quarter.
STL moves four Indian manufacturing plants to 100% renewable electricity
India’s Sterlite Technologies has moved four manufacturing plants in Maharashtra to electricity sourced entirely from wind and solar power. The company expects the transition to reduce Scope 2 emissions from the participating facilities by around 65%. STL also says the carbon footprint of its G.657.A2 optical fibre has fallen by approximately 80%, from 4.7kg to 0.9kg of CO₂ per unit, and that it is moving Indian hydrogen production to 100% green hydrogen.
Eurofiber secures €2.2bn sustainability-linked refinancing
European digital infrastructure company Eurofiber has completed a €2.2 billion sustainability-linked refinancing with a new long-term financing platform replacing its existing arrangements. The financing will support continued investment in open digital infrastructure across Europe. Eurofiber’s shareholders include Antin Infrastructure Partners and PGGM Infrastructure Fund, while the firm was advised by Clifford Chance.
BAFT publishes sustainability guidelines for trade finance
The Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) has published new sustainability guidelines for transaction banking and trade finance. The guidelines establish a baseline for assessing sustainable trade-finance transactions and address short-tenor financing, high transaction volumes, multi-party structures, complex supply chains and cross-border activity. BAFT says the framework is intended to translate broader sustainability principles into practical assessment criteria for banks.
Vehicle-mounted system detects methane leaks while driving
Researchers at East China Normal University have developed a vehicle-mounted spectroscopy system capable of detecting methane emissions in real time while travelling at speeds of up to 100km/h. The system uses mid-infrared dual-comb spectroscopy and achieved 66 parts per billion precision in testing. GPS data is combined with two-dimensional gas-diffusion mapping to locate potential methane sources, including livestock farms, landfills, gas stations and oil and gas facilities.
Citi passes $647bn in sustainable finance commitments
Citi has committed $647.2 billion towards its $1 trillion sustainable-finance target since 2020, according to reports. The bank committed $91.3 billion during 2025, with 62% of that activity supporting international projects. Citi estimates its sustainable-finance activity has helped avoid 8.8 million tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions and supported more than 4.4 million jobs.
