The Week Climate Regulation Retreated — And Why the Risk Is Growing Anyway
This week in sustainability, four major climate regulation retreats happened in a single week. The SEC proposed scrapping US climate disclosure rules. Brazil went voluntary. New York pushed back its climate goals. And California handed oil refiners $4 billion in free carbon allowances.
But here is the bigger story: oil crossed $114 a barrel, Russia suspended jet fuel exports, and Bloomberg Green is now reporting a 67% chance of a Super El Niño arriving in 2027. The last major one caused $5.7 trillion in global GDP losses. For Food and Beverage businesses with supply chains in the tropics, that risk is not abstract — it is near-term and material.
In this week's top 10 we cover all of this plus:
- Why Burberry pushing net zero back 10 years is actually a measurement story
- The UK net zero economy supporting 1.1 million jobs
- How AI data centres are already hitting energy and water limits in Europe
- What $479 billion in global clean energy trade tells you about investment direction
- And why PepsiCo, ADM and McCain stepping up regenerative farming matters for your supply chain
Find out how 51toCarbonZero can help your business build a climate strategy that holds up under scrutiny: https://www.51tocarbonzero.com
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#NetZero #Sustainability #ClimateRisk #ElNino #CarbonStrategy
STORY 10 — Circular economy / Vinted Math
Source: edie.net, 1 and 2 June 2026
URLs:
https://www.edie.net/why-vinted-math-shows-the-circular-economy-is-shaping-everyday-shopping/
https://www.edie.net/can-policy-make-circularity-cost-competitive-with-fast-fashion/
STORY 9 — Regenerative agriculture: PepsiCo, ADM, McCain
Source: edie.net, 2 June 2026
URL: https://www.edie.net/pepsico-adm-and-mccain-how-industry-giants-are-ramping-up-regenerative-farming/
STORY 8 — AI climate value $600bn / data centre limits
Source: OneStop ESG, 1 June 2026
URLs:
https://onestopesg.com/esg-news/ai-climate-sustainability-opportunity
https://onestopesg.com/esg-news/europe-ai-data-centre-water-energy-constraints
STORY 7 — Bezos Earth Fund off track
Source: edie.net, 1 June 2026
URL: https://www.edie.net/bezos-earth-fund-off-track-to-meet-10bn-giving-target/
STORY 6 — Food price shocks baked into UK system
Source: edie.net, 1 June 2026
URL: https://www.edie.net/treasury-launches-tariff-review-as-food-price-shocks-get-baked-in-to-uk-system/
STORY 5 — Burberry delays net zero by a decade
Source: edie.net, 1 June 2026
URL: https://www.edie.net/burberry-delays-net-zero-target-by-a-decade-amid-revised-emissions-data/
STORY 4 — UK net zero supports 1.1 million jobs
Source: edie.net, 2 June 2026
URL: https://www.edie.net/report-net-zero-supports-over-a-million-uk-workers/
STORY 3 — Global clean energy trade $479bn; global energy investment $3.4trn
Source: edie.net, 1 June 2026
URLs:
https://www.edie.net/report-global-clean-energy-trade-rose-to-479bn-in-2025/
https://www.edie.net/global-energy-investment-set-to-hit-3-4trn-as-clean-power-leads-fossil-fuels/
STORY 2 — Regulatory retreats: SEC, Brazil, New York, California
Sources:
ESG Today, 1 June 2026 — https://www.esgtoday.com/sec-launches-formal-process-to-rescind-corporate-climate-reporting-rules/
ESG Today, 1 June 2026 — https://www.esgtoday.com/brazil-shifts-from-mandatory-to-voluntary-sustainability-reporting/
ESG Today, 1 June 2026 — https://www.esgtoday.com/new-york-governor-hochul-signs-budget-pushing-back-state-climate-goals/
OneStop ESG, 1 June 2026 — https://onestopesg.com/esg-news/california-carbon-market-free-allowances-revision
Bloomberg Green, 1 June 2026
STORY 1 — Iran war / $114 oil / Russia jet fuel / Super El Nino
Sources:
Semafor Flagship, 1 and 2 June 2026
Semafor Energy, 2 June 2026
Bloomberg Green, 1 June 2026
MIND-BLOWING FACT 1 — Super El Nino 67% / $5.7tn GDP loss
Source: Bloomberg Green, 1 June 2026
MIND-BLOWING FACT 2 — Reform UK voters prefer solar over fracking
Source: edie.net, 1 June 2026
URL: https://www.edie.net/reform-voters-prefer-solar-to-fossil-fuels-according-to-poll/
MIND-BLOWING FACT 3 — 2027 forecast as hottest year / 2024 at 1.5C
Source: Bloomberg Green, 1 June 2026
Mentioned in this episode:
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I'm Will Richardson, Head of Ecosystems at 51toCarbonZero and a sustainability advisor with 25 years in the field. I founded Green Element in 2004 and spent two decades building it into one of Europe's most respected sustainability consultancies before it merged with 51toCarbonZero in November 2025. Climate action is both an obligation and an opportunity, and that's the thread running through everything I write here. I co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software recognised as a key player in the Global Carbon Accounting Software Market, and I'm a Fellow of IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist. Each week, I break down what's actually happening in sustainability: the data, the regulation, the greenwash worth calling out, and the practical steps businesses can take right now. No jargon, no doom-mongering, just clear thinking for people who need to make real decisions. I also host the Sustainability Solved podcast with Charlie Luxton, 200+ episodes and counting, where we talk to the people building the solutions. Based in Scotland. Writing for business leaders who want sustainability to make commercial sense, not just moral sense.
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