The European Union has emerged over the past decade as a global regulatory leader in sustainability governance, particularly through the development of mandatory corporate disclosure frameworks. At the centre of this architecture lies the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) — one of the most ambitious regulatory initiatives worldwide aimed at integrating environmental, social, and governance […]
COP30 in Belém: Key Outcomes and What They Enable Next
COP30 concluded in Belém, Brazil, with Parties adopting a negotiated set of decisions presented by the UNFCCC as the Belém Political Package. In his closing remarks, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell stressed that countries maintained cooperation and a shared resolve to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach. The Belém Political Package is not […]
Europe’s Climate Deal: Balancing Ambition, Flexibility, and Economic Competitiveness
This month has been particularly prolific in European climate regulation. Two major developments stand out, both of which will shape the strategic landscape for Spanish companies regardless of the outcomes of COP30. This post focuses on the first — the Council’s agreement on the EU’s 2040 climate target — while a forthcoming piece will examine […]
Re-thinking the Climate Agenda: A Human-Welfare Pivot for Innovation and Impact
On the road to COP30 in Belém (Brazil), Bill Gates has dropped a pebble into the climate pond—and the ripples are worth following. In his essay “Three Tough Truths About Climate,” Gates argues that we’ve mis framed the challenge: climate change is grave, but not civilization-ending; temperature is the wrong scoreboard; and the best defense […]
Integrating Nature and Climate Finance for Development
In the shadow of a planetary crisis defined by climate breakdown, mass nature loss, and persistent poverty, a new consensus is emerging—not only among scientists and environmentalists, but also within the financial and policy-making spheres. The recognition that climate and nature are interlinked with economic resilience is no longer theoretical; it is now a foundational […]
A New Tool to Motivate the Conservation and Restauration of Nature: The European Union’s Emerging Market for Nature Credits
In an era increasingly defined by frequent adverse natural events and economic uncertainty, the European Union’s latest step toward integrating ecosystem restoration into market-based frameworks—the development of a Nature Credit system—marks a conceptual and regulatory shift with profound implications. Emerging under the stewardship of Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall and initially proposed by Commission President Ursula […]
Agroforum 2025: The Rural Economy as a Driver of Environmental, Social, and Economic Transformation
In an era of ecological urgency and demographic imbalances, the rural world occupies a central—though often underestimated—position in the global sustainability agenda. This insight was the guiding principle behind the second edition of Agroforum, a conference organized by IESE Business School and Alianza Rural, under the theme: “The Countryside: Driving Economic, Social, and Environment Progress.” […]
