ESG Insider: BlackRock CEO's annual letter emphasizes "energy pragmatism"
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The head of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, wrote in his annual letter to investors that the low-carbon transition discussion is now centered on "energy pragmatism" that aims to balance decarbonization and energy security.
"I’m hearing more leaders talk about decarbonization and energy security together under the joint banner of what you might call “energy pragmatism,'" BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink wrote in his annual letter to investors. "Even the most climate conscious among them saw that their long-term path to decarbonization will include hydrocarbons, albeit less of them, for some time to come."
Fink's annual letters often shape the sustainability conversation for the year ahead. Fink went on to write that many energy companies are working on fossil fuel production while also investing in decarbonization technologies. And he suggested that the energy transition will not occur in a straight line and will vary by region.
In this week’s newsletter, we explore how a massive ramp-up in electricity demand in the US may make it harder for utilities to meet their decarbonization targets. And we look at how the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge could disrupt shipping imports for energy transition-related metals, particularly cobalt. And we highlight the latest edition of the S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly, which focuses on investors’ growing demand for more consistent climate-related information and the challenges of decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries.
Our ESG Insider podcast features special episodes from our coverage at S&P Global’s CERAWeek conference that are also part of our ongoing Women in Leadership series. We speak with two women CEOs running emerging climate tech companies working to push the energy transition forward. In another new episode, we talk with Martine Ferland, CEO of global consulting firm Mercer, about her path to the C-suite.
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Rising datacenter demand forces reckoning with US utility decarbonization goals
A massive ramp-up of US electricity demand over the next decade, driven by factors including the electrification of the economy, datacenters and AI, is putting power providers on a collision course with commitments to produce cleaner energy, S&P Global Commodity Insights reports.
S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly: Disclosure and Decarbonization
In this edition of the S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly, we take stock of two entwined trends shaping the sustainability conversation in 2024: investor demand for more consistent, comparable and reliable climate-related information and the challenges of decarbonization in hard-to-abate industries.
Baltimore bridge collapse seen impacting US East Coast metals, city's port
The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, after being struck by a container ship early March 26, is potentially disruptive to container ships carrying imports of base metals and dry bulk carriers in metallurgical coal trades passing through the Maryland port, which is a major hub for warehousing and the transshipment of commodities on the US East Coast, S&P Global Commodity Insights reports.
US DOE tax credit program will invest $4 bil in clean energy production, supply chains
The US Department of Energy will invest $4 billion worth of tax credits in over 100 clean energy projects in former coal communities through the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit, or 48C program, S&P Global Commodity Insights reports.
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Podcast
ESG Insider Podcast
CERAWeek: How cleantech companies are innovating to facilitate the energy transition In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re looking at the role that technological innovation will play in finding solutions for the low-carbon energy transition. We speak with Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of Lanzatech, and Dr. Enass Abo-Hamed, CEO and co-founder of H2GO Power. >>Listen on Spotify, Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts Women in Leadership: Why Mercer CEO turned down the top role — twice In this episode of the ‘Women in Leadership’ series of the ESG Insider podcast, we interview Martine Ferland, who retired from her role as CEO of global consulting firm Mercer in March 2024. Martine discusses her approach to leadership and longevity.
>>Listen on Spotify, Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts
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