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On Thursday, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced changes to EU financial tools to help circular economy projects and businesses secure funding and support the realization of EU climate goals. The changes open €24 billion (~US$26.4B) in funding for businesses looking to transition to a circular economy model.

As the opening of the United Nations Conference on climate change starts today at the Bourget, we turn to see the commitment of Disneyland® Paris in favour of the energy transition. David Courvoisier, Director Infrastructures and Buildings, believes it is twofold: to reduce energy consumption and reduce the use of fuel.

The US energy landscape is swiftly transitioning away from fossil fuels in favor of renewables, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. "By the close of 2014, the United States was relying on an unprecedented amount of renewable energy from wind turbines, solar panels, and other technologies. We are bearing witness to fundamental change in the energy sector, reflecting the needs and aspirations of all who depend on it," said the report. It added that US carbon emissions have already dropped 10% below 2005 levels

PepsiCo joins the flock of food companies swearing off eggs from caged hens. PepsiCo PEP -0.31% today became the latest company to commit to using 100% cage-free eggs. The company will make the transition in North America by 2020 and globally by 2025. PepsiCo uses eggs in some of its baked products, such as biscuits, cookies, and protein bars, as well as oatmeal.

"Tropical forests used to absorb carbon. Now they emit as much as all US transit" - a standout headline as a new study published by Science magazine caused a bit of a media stir. Once considered an all important carbon sink, the study is suggesting that tropical forests have reached a significant turning point.

After London air pollution levels surpassed allowed limits for 2017 just five days into the new year, new initiatives to improve air quality and draw attention to the city's growing pollution problem have been popping up on the regular. In January, Ford announced that it was teaming up with local government to launch the Ford Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid Van Pilot Program and the city has begun to roll out ultra-low emissions zones and fleets of hybrid and zero-emission buses to help drive London towards a zero-emission future.

ExxonMobil and other major oil companies, as well as several multinational firms in other sectors, are set to announce support for a tax on carbon emissions as a practical tool for fighting global warming. The firms argue that if energy produced from fossil fuels costs more, it will accelerate the market-driven transition to renewable energy and other sources that produce low carbon emissions.

Transportation company Uber announced its Clean Air Plan, which aims to transition its UK-based "uberX" drivers to 100% hybrid or fully electric vehicles by the end of 2022. As part of the plan, Uber has contributed £2 million toward a dedicated fund that allows its UK-based drivers to "access up to £5,000 towards the cost of upgrading their car to a hybrid or fully electric vehicle." The company will also add a fee to every ride taken through the app in London to grow the fund and extend access to more drivers, with plans to add a similar fee in other UK cities over the next year.

Wells Fargo plans to put $200 billion toward investment in, and finance of, companies and projects involved with clean technologies, renewable energy, green bonds and alternative transportation, by 2030. The funds will also go toward companies and projects focused on sustainable agriculture, recycling, conservation and other environmental activities, as part of a company-wide effort to support - and be part of - the transition to a low-carbon economy

Over the last 12 months, challenges around addressing sustainability issues have featured consistently in global headlines. Despite mixed political messages about our transition to a low-carbon future, the private sector has continued to drive sustainability up the business agenda; from Science Based Targets (SBTs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to increased investor scrutiny over Non-Financial Reporting. Here are eight key topics from around the world which will likely shape sustainability during 2018.

It is not among the world's biggest producers of oil and gas, nor the biggest consumers, but France is hoping to become an environmental pioneer with its decision not to issue any more oil and gas exploration licences. The government, under newly elected President Emmanuel Macron, has vowed to take the step as part of a transition towards more environment-friendly energy sources.

Environmental risks, which have grown in prominence over the 13-year history of the Global Risks Report, are an area of particular concern. The Global Risks Report 2018 looks at five categories of environmental risks: extreme weather events and temperatures; accelerating biodiversity loss; pollution of air, soil and water; failures of climate change mitigation and adaptation; and risks linked to the transition to low carbon. All of these risks ranked highly on both dimensions of likelihood and impact.

In a recent GreenBiz webcast, a panel of experts - including strategists from General MIlls, Kering and McDonald's - explained why going big on sustainability goals is increasingly a smart business strategy, as well as a good stewardship policy. They discussed the intersection of today's major frameworks, such as science-driven goal setting, the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTI), planetary boundaries, Sustainable Development Goals, and more, and provided concrete business cases from several organizations on how they are conducting this transition.

Indian Power minister Piyush Goyal reportedly announced that India is considering a target to transition the country to a 100% electric vehicle fleet by 2030, according to The Times of India.

Announced today at Climate Week NYC 2017 in New York, global financial institutions Citi and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have joined The Climate Group's RE100 campaign with CDP, committing to source 100% renewable power across their global operations by 2020. Other companies joining the RE100 initiative are one of the fastest-growing beverage companies, Califia Farms, and UK investment management company Jupiter Asset Management. The announcements follow news last week that The Estée Lauder Companies, Kellogg Company, DBS Bank and Clif Bar & Company have also joined RE100. 110 of the world's most influential companies are now generating demand for over 150 TWh renewable energy annually - more than enough to power New York State.

Packaging remains a considerable challenge for businesses looking to reduce their impacts, but innovators such as food-service supplier Eco-Products and Finnish startup Sulpac are helping to accelerate the transition to lower-impact models through cross-industry partnerships and sustainable packaging solutions.

Britain has gone a week without using coal to generate electricity for the first time since Queen Victoria was on the throne, in a landmark moment in the transition away from the heavily polluting fuel.