Investments in renewable energy technologies reached a record of $1.3 trillion last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The world needs around $35 trillion for transition technology by 2030, says IRENA. Renewable energy deployment must grow from around 3,000 GW annually today to over 10,000 GW in 2030.
Global renewable energy capacity amounts to 3,372 gigawatts (GW) at the end of last year, some 295 GW or 9.6% higher than the previous year. The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) expects an increase in the number of employees in the renewable energy sector up to a total of 38.2 million in 2030, as investments in energy efficiency, electric vehicles, or hydrogen will increase.
Microsoft has achieved its goal of matching 100% of its annual global electricity consumption with renewable energy, reaching the milestone five years ahead of its 2025 target. The achievement supports the company's commitment to become carbon negative by 2030.
The recent weakening of the CSRD may have some real estate developers cheering the compliance rollbacks, but the consequences could be complicated. A new research survey examines how EU real estate firms are navigating changes to the CSRD, and what that could mean for upcoming SFDR revisions.
Waldevar Energy has begun construction on two utility-scale photovoltaic parks for Doral Energy in Tudor Vladimirescu (Brăila County) and Ștefan Vodă (Călărași County), Romania. The projects will deliver 14 MWp of installed capacity using around 25,000 photovoltaic panels.
Lidl Romania has published its eighth sustainability report for the 2024 financial year, announcing accelerated progress in reducing environmental impact. The retailer has achieved its international 2030 target for transitioning to natural refrigerants, with these now used in 100% of logistics centres and 81.7% of stores, compared to the original goal of 100% of logistics centres and 40% of stores. The company has also increased its green energy usage to 80% of total consumption.
The European Union has reached a provisional agreement to reduce the scope and stringency of two major ESG regulatory frameworks: Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
