Hello, It's yet another day of tracking the environment, social and governance (ESG) policies made by U.S. President Donald Trump in his first few weeks in power. Let's first turn to his environmental policies. His administration has stopped all pending environmental litigation and reassigned four career Justice Department attorneys focused on environmental issues, according to three sources familiar with the matter and memos seen by Reuters. Trump also issued an executive order establishing a review council to evaluate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stopping short of instant action to shut or reshape the country's lead disaster response agency. Trump accused FEMA of bungling emergency relief efforts after deadly fires in California and said he preferred states be given federal money to handle disasters themselves. FEMA was a target of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump's second term prepared by his allies that the president distanced himself from during the election campaign. He also ordered the federal government to override the state of California's water-management practices, arguing that it would bolster firefighting efforts. Trump has falsely claimed that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials refused to provide water from the northern part of the state to fight the fires. Also on my radar today: |
|
|
Swannanoa resident Lucy Bickers holds a sign in support of the government agency as she waits on the route of Trump's motorcade in North Carolina, U.S. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake |
Trump has signed a series of executive orders to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from the military, reinstate thousands of troops who were kicked out for refusing COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, and take aim at transgender troops. One of the executive orders signed by Trump said that expressing a "gender identity" different from an individual's sex at birth did not meet military standards. While the order banned the use of "invented" pronouns in the military, it did not answer basic questions including whether transgender soldiers currently serving in the military would be allowed to stay and, if not, how they would be removed. Trump's plans have been heavily criticized by advocacy groups, which say his actions would be illegal. In fact, a transgender woman in a federal prison has filed a lawsuit in Boston federal court, arguing that Trump's executive order directing the U.S. government to recognize only two, unchangeable sexes and requiring inmates like her to be housed in men's prisons violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The lawsuit appeared to be the first to be filed nationally challenging the order, which directs the federal government to only recognize two, biologically distinct sexes, male and female; house transgender women in men's prisons; and cease funding any gender-affirming medical care for inmates. |
|
| This week, Trump's administration has directed prosecutors to investigate officials who resist immigration enforcement efforts, intensifying a sweeping crackdown that Trump launched the day he took office. In a memo seen by Reuters, Trump's acting deputy attorney general, Emil Bove, told Justice Department staff that state and local officials who resist or obstruct immigration enforcement could be charged under federal laws against defrauding the U.S. or harboring immigrants who are in the U.S. unlawfully. Prosecutors who opt not to file criminal charges will need to explain their reasoning to superiors, the memo said. The memo showed how Trump's Justice Department may try to back his immigration agenda by expanding threats of criminal charges beyond immigrants or those who employ them to city and state officials. Last week, the newsletter covered the Trump administration placing all federal DEI office staff on paid leave because their offices were being closed down. He also urged government employees to turn into informants to root out any attempts to hide diversity programs. |
Umm Ali hugs her son-in-law, along with his wife, Umm Ali's daughter Souad Atallah, who were displaced, upon their return to northern Gaza, Gaza City REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas | - Gaza: Tens of thousands of Palestinians waited at roadblocks to return to their homes in northern Gaza, voicing frustration after Israel accused Hamas of breaching a ceasefire agreement and refused to open crossing points. Under the agreement, Israel was meant to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Additionally, the German foreign ministry said the Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza, after Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians.
- China 2060 net-zero: China's coal-based thermal power generation is set to fall in 2025 for the first time in a decade, some analysts estimate. Analysts from LSEG, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, and a U.S. bank forecast a plateau or decline in thermal power output this year, whilst Rystad Energy expects 1-2% growth. The China Coal Industry Association also forecast a 4.5% increase, highlighting the uncertainty in forecasting. The country plans for its overall carbon emissions to peak before 2030 and to fall to a net zero before 2060.
- Fuji Media sexual harassment probe: Japan's Fuji Media said its chairman and the head of its TV unit would step down immediately amidst a probe into alleged sexual misconduct by a celebrity TV host. The scandal has led to an exodus of advertisers and investor calls for a management shake-up, and raised concerns about the exploitation of women in Japan's entertainment industry.
- Corporate censorship: Ben & Jerry's ratcheted up its censorship lawsuit against Unilever, accusing its parent company of suppressing a social policy statement the U.S. ice cream maker wanted to release because it mentioned President Donald Trump. The allegation came in an amended complaint filed in Manhattan federal court.
- TikTok censorship: Speaking of censorship, U.S. TikTok users who once saw the app as a haven for free speech say they see signs of suppression after the platform was revived by an executive order from President Donald Trump. TikTok users are noting a difference in the short-video app following its revival after going dark over the weekend.
- Deepseek: In keeping with governance and tech trends, global technology shares sank on Tuesday, as a market rout sparked by the emergence of a low-cost Chinese artificial intelligence model entered its second day, making investors question the sky-high valuation and dominance of AI bellwethers. Click here for more.
|
|
|
Jamie Peters, interim chief executive of Friends of the Earth, shares his view on Trump's return: "From his promise to "drill, baby, drill" to demanding the re-opening of the North Sea, Trump's return to the Oval Office is emboldening a new wave of climate denial - despite the catastrophic wildfires raging now in Los Angeles, fuelled by climate change. "But instead of giving in to the culture of fear, division and doubt being sown by those who stand to gain from increasing polarisation online and in our communities, we must redouble our efforts for climate and social justice at such a critical juncture for people and the planet. "2024 was a year of devastating floods, scorching heatwaves and deadly droughts the world over, and the first to surpass the 1.5 degrees threshold. With things only set to worsen in 2025, there couldn't be a greater need for global co-operation in averting runaway climate breakdown." |
Reuters reviewed filings made to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and employment demographic reports for nine large companies that have scaled back or abandoned their diversity initiatives last year: Meta, Walmart, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Deere & Co, Ford, Boeing, McDonald's and Lowe's Companies. Click here for the full analysis. |
|
|
Sustainable Switch was edited by Elaine Hardcastle. |
Sustainable Switch is sent three times a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement |
|
|
|
