Home insurance is becoming unaffordable for a growing number of Australian households as increased climate threats drive up their premiums, potentially putting billions of dollars in mortgage loans at risk, a report said. As of March 2024, 15% of Australian households were experiencing home insurance affordability stress, which is defined as having premiums that cost…

Hundreds of California sea lions have taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, prompting local officials to close the area to people. Caution tape has been put up but crowds are still drawn to the animal spectacle, taking photos of the sea lions as they rest and play on the sand and in the…

Climate change and security will dominate discussions at next week's meeting of Pacific Islands leaders in Tonga as China and the United States jostle for influence in the region. The chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, told foreign ministers from the 18 member nations this month "regional solidarity amidst…

On Saturday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, alongside members of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion, staged a blockade at a minor oil terminal connected to Norway’s Kårstø gas processing plant. The demonstration was part of their ongoing protests against fossil fuel extraction and the broader impact of Norway’s oil and gas industry on the environment. According…

A team of biologists, vets and fishermen temporarily captured rare freshwater dolphins in the Amazon this week to study their health in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the deaths of hundreds of the mammals last year due to a severe drought. The dolphins, that are in danger of extinction, were brought ashore for blood…

Wildfires blazed through sugarcane fields in northern Sao Paulo state , sending up clouds of smoke that covered nearby towns so thoroughly that officials prohibited outdoor sports. A soccer match of the Brazilian championship was canceled due to the ban in Ribeirão Preto, a city in the most critical region in the west of São…

A U.S. federal court has issued a ruling blocking new regulations in Missouri aimed at limiting the ability of financial professionals to integrate ESG considerations into their investment advice, finding that the regulation was vague and unconstitutional. The regulation, initiated by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and passed in 2023, required securities firms and…

A bill introducing mandatory climate reporting for large and medium-sized companies passed the Australian Senate, marking a major step towards the establishment of a new climate risk disclosure framework in the country. The new proposed legislation would introduce climate-related reporting requirements broadly in line with the recently-released standards by the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards…

The pilot of a new initiative to foster sustainable business practices by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines has successfully concluded. Part of a wider collaboration between GRI ASEAN and the Philippines Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), the Sustainable Practices and Reporting Kickoff (SPARK) saw targeted activities to support 15 SMEs…

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published the translations in all official EU languages of its Guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms. The Guidelines will start applying three months after this publication, i.e. on 21 November 2024. Within two months of the date…

As noted in its Policy Statement on Consultation with Indian Tribes in Commission Proceedings, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recognizes the unique relationship between the United States and Tribes as defined by treaties, statutes, and judicial decisions. FERC has committed to promote a government-to-government relationship between itself and federally recognized Indian Tribes. This guide…