UK food industry experts warned companies are downplaying food security risks and treating nature-related disclosures as mere formalities, lacking transparency and long-term planning. In parallel, EU lawmakers voted to delay and scale back sustainability reporting rules, sparking backlash from NGOs concerned about weakening environmental protections, and at UK and International Energy Agency-led talks in London, leaders emphasised that energy security is vital for national stability.

The Cali Fund, established at COP16, has been launched to support biodiversity conservation through contributions from industries using genetic data. An updated biodiversity plan from the UK aims to meet global targets by 2030 despite concerns about progress, and ahead of COP30, Brazil's climate summit CEO called for year-round action, while the UK considers linking its carbon market with the EU to address revenue shortfalls.

Can the energy transition stay on track? Our recent live lunchtime webinar ‘Renewables at a crossroads’ explored the opportunities and risks within the renewables sector and the effects that current global politics have on the global clean energy transition.

An unexpected contraction in retail sales dampened UK growth expectations in January, while Eurozone GDP stagnated as political instability and rising unemployment hit France and Germany. In the US, President Donald Trump fulfilled his promise to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and his executive order encourages domestic energy exploration and the elimination of the electric vehicle mandate. Meanwhile, the EU looks to boost its global tech and clean energy position with a new strategic business initiative.

Dominated by elections, 2024 brought the first Labour Party budget in 14 years in the UK and a landslide victory for the Republican Party in the US elections. Global inflation struggled to slow, and in equity markets, the US led the way once again with the ‘Magnificent 7’. Looking ahead to 2025, systemic risks around climate change, inequality, biodiversity loss and ill-health remain unresolved, guiding Greenbank’s 2025 engagement work to three key topics: climate, nature and human rights.

What does the UN global plastics treaty mean for companies and investors? In this Green Shoots webinar we looked in detail at the issue of plastic pollution and its relevance to companies and investors.

Another volatile month for major equity markets as encouraging news from central banks was offset by political uncertainty and sluggish economic data. The head of the World Trade Organization called for a global carbon pricing system to prevent trade disputes, and average annual losses from global natural catastrophes reached a new high, with actual insurable losses averaging over $100 billion for the fifth consecutive year.