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☆ Neft Daşları: The Soviet-era oil rig city ‘floating’ in the Caspian Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He kept hearing about this secretive city, sprawled like floating, rusting tentacles across the Caspian Sea, far from the nearest shoreline. Oil production on Neft Daşları in 2011. Gahramanli’s organization has been raising concerns about pollution from Neft Daşları for years, including reports of untreated wastewater being pumped into the Caspian Sea. Neft Daşları oil rig and industrial settlement in the Caspian Sea on September 6, 2023. “After its oil supplies run out, Neft Daşları will probably become a tourism magnet,” Shaffer said.

Persons: Marc Wolfensberger, Neft Daşları, ”, CNN Neft, Wolfensberger, Mirvari Gahramanli, ” Gahramanli, Daşları, Maxim Shipenkov, Brenda Shaffer, Gahramanli, SOCAR, derrick, Neft, ” Shaffer, “ It’s, “ Organizations: CNN, Oil, CNN Seven, Oil - Workers Rights Protection Organization, US Naval Postgraduate School, Facebook, United Nations, Global Locations: It’s, Azerbaijan’s, Baku, Soviet, Azerbaijan, Caspian

☆ The richest man you've never heard of isn't sure what to do with his billions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Autry Stephens is set to be one of the world's richest people after selling his oil business. The sale is set to create one of the biggest drillers poised to take advantage of Texas' oil boom. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Autry Stephens sold his company, Endeavor Energy Resources, to Diamondback Energy earlier this week. Asked by the Journal what he would do with his newfound billions, Stephens said that he hadn't really thought about it yet.

Persons: Autry Stephens, —, Stephens, he's, Lyndal Greth, wasn't, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: drillers, Service, Endeavor Energy Resources, Diamondback Energy, Bloomberg, Wall Street, Endeavor, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips —, Cruiser, Southwest Airlines, University of Texas Austin, UT Austin Locations: Texas

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ From black gold to green power: Texas, weirdly, is leading America's clean energy future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

John DavisDeals like Davis' have made Texas — America's oil capital for more than a century — the top producer of renewable energy in the US. The state has long generated the most wind power and is second only to California as a solar-energy producer. The high-stakes battle for Texas' energy future is a microcosm of how tricky America's green transition is shaping up to be, especially when politics are involved. Slowing down renewable energy could cost Texas in the long term, both economically and socially. The coalition seems to be growing stronger, even as Texas politicians shift further to the right on issues beyond renewable energy.

Persons: John Davis, Davis, Greg Abbott, Critics aren't, there's, George W, Bush, Rick Perry, Abbott, Winter Storm Uri, hasn't, it's, It's, Judd Messer, Madeline Gould Laughlin, Michael Looney, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Brent Bennett, Bennett, Messer, That's, Enel's Laughlin, Enel, Sandhya Ganapathy, Catherine Boudreau Organizations: Menard, RES, Texas, Republican, Texans, Power Alliance, John Davis Texans, University of Texas, Winter Storm, ERCOT, Bloomberg, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Energy Fund, Advance Power Alliance, San, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, ExxonMobil, Chevron, West Texas Chamber of Commerce, Lone Star, EV Locations: North Dakota, Texas, America, Nowhere, Menard , Texas, Concho County , Texas, California, Menard, Austin, San Angelo, Midland , Texas

☆ Why Mexican Corn Fungus, or Huitlacoche, Is so Expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Irene Anna Kim | Sarah Elkasaby | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Huitlacoche, also known as the "Mexican truffle," is an edible fungus that forms on undeveloped corn ears and sells for as much as $40 a pound. Discovered by the Aztecs, the bulbous fungus has been consumed in Mexico for centuries and has recently become a popular specialty ingredient around the world. However, the US has dedicated significant time and money to keeping its cornfields free of what it calls "corn smut" and "the devil's corn." Huitlacoche forms naturally during the rainy season, but farmers can also inject the fungus into their cornfields to harvest the valuable "black gold." So, why has huitlacoche become so popular, and what exactly makes it so expensive?

Organizations: Aztecs Locations: Mexico

All 80 employees of their company, Premier Energy Services, are Hispanic, reflecting a shift that has slowly transformed Texas’ oil-rich western expanse. Where a roughneck — the grease-stained symbol of Texas’ economic identity — was once typically a white man hoping to strike black gold, the average oil field worker is now a Hispanic man who was born in Texas. “Growing up, my dad used to take me to work in the oil fields. It was a white man’s industry,” said a foreman, Alfredo Ramirez, 31, a third-generation Mexican American. “Today it is us Latinos.”Mark Matta, a city councilman in Odessa, chuckled as he described a television series about a Texas oil rig in which most of the workers were white.

Persons: —, ”, Alfredo Ramirez, ” Mark Matta Organizations: Premier Energy Services, “ Locations: West Texas, Odessa, Texas, chuckled

But a couple of the world’s largest oil companies beg to differ – or at least for the future that extends out about three decades. This month, Exxon Mobil and Chevron have together bet heavily on a future their CEOs think will still need a lot of black gold. Hess also has considerable oil and gas assets in the U.S., including the Bakken area of western North Dakota, eastern Montana and southern Saskatchewan in Canada. But equally critical, the moves are important statements that the age of oil remains, despite the release on Tuesday of the annual world energy outlook from the International Energy Agency that forecasts global demand for fossil fuels will peak in 2030. Although he has championed many green energy policies, President Joe Biden also has done little to block the advancement of domestic oil and gas production.

Persons: Hess, ” Chevron, “ Hess, ”, Dan Pickering, we’re, it’s, ’ –, Fatih Birol, Mike Wirth, “, Pickering, Joe Biden Organizations: White, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Natural Resources, Republican Party, “ Investors, Pickering Energy Partners, Hamas, International Energy Agency, Financial Times, French, U.S . Energy, Administration, Republicans Locations: Brussels, Chevron, U.S, Guyana, North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan, Canada, Texas, New Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Iran, Europe

☆ Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia's grand plan to future-proof its oil-based economy. Experts say it's a huge risk.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia's grand plan to transform its economy and reduce its reliance on oil. The centerpiece of Vision 2030 is Neom, which includes a $1 trillion megacity known as The Line. But time is ticking: Seven years after announcing Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has reached the midway point of its timeline, with just seven years left to the finish line. That said, much of this is being financed by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's powerful sovereign wealth fund, which manages assets worth about $700 billion. NeomA key factor that could determine this project's success involves Saudi Arabia's changing appeal to the West.

Persons: Saud, who's, Simon Mabon, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, McKinsey —, —, Gerald Feierstein, Barack Obama, Feierstein, Richard Callis, Prince Mohammed, Yasir Othman al, Mabon, Prince Mohammed's, there's, Muslimi, they're Organizations: Foreign Policy Center, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Crown, McKinsey, Middle East Institute, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, SoftBank's Vision, Newcastle United soccer, Newcastle United FC, Saudi Aramco, International Monetary Fund, Chatham House, Neom, United, Bloomberg, Amnesty International Locations: Saudi, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, London, NEOM, Bandar, Yemen, Ukraine, Riyadh, Jeddah, they're, United Arab Emirates, Neom

☆ A man found a giant megalodon tooth that experts say belonged to a shark the size of a semi-truck
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A charter boat captain found a whopping 6.25-inch long megalodon shark tooth in Florida. That's why today, the Sarasota County coastline in Venice, Florida, is known as the shark tooth capital of the world. Recently, a charter boat captain discovered one of the largest fossilized shark teeth ever from a megalodon shark. One of the largest megalodon teeth ever discoveredMichael Nastasio, who has been hunting shark teeth in Florida for 12 years, discovered a fully-intact megalodon shark tooth that was 6.25 inches (15.87 cm) long — only about an inch smaller than the largest megalodon tooth on record. Megalodon teeth are similar to great white shark teeth, and it's thought the two species may have been close relatives.

Persons: —, Michael Nastasio, Kristen Grace, Nastasio, Jack Cooper, it's, Victor Habbick, Victor Perez, Cooper, Emma Bernard, wouldn't, he's, WTSP Organizations: Service, Swansea University, Environmental Studies, St, Mary's College of Maryland Locations: Florida, Sarasota, Venice , Florida, London

Saudi's energy ministry said the country's output would drop to 9 million barrels per day (bpd) in July from around 10 million bpd in May, the biggest reduction in years. "This is a Saudi lollipop," Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz told a news conference. EXTENSION TO END OF 2024OPEC+ has in place cuts of 3.66 million bpd, amounting to 3.6% of global demand, including 2 million bpd agreed last year and voluntary cuts of 1.66 million bpd agreed in April. In addition to extending the existing OPEC+ cuts of 3.66 million bpd, the group also agreed on Sunday to reduce overall production targets from January 2024 by a further 1.4 million bpd versus current targets to a combined of 40.46 million bpd. By contrast, the United Arab Emirates was allowed to raise output targets by around 0.2 million bpd to 3.22 million bpd.

Persons: Prince Abdulaziz, Brent, Amrita Sen, Gary Ross, Giovanni Staunovo, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El Dahan, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, David Holmes, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Saudi, UAE, Saudi Energy, Organization of, Petroleum, Brent, OPEC, Analysts, Energy, Veteran OPEC, Black Gold, UBS, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Russian, Angolan, VIENNA, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Saudi, Russia, Ukraine, Nigeria, Angola, United Arab Emirates

☆ Truffle hunters in Italy are poisoning their competitors' dogs with snail bait in a war for the 'black gold' that goes for up to $5,000 per pound
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Truffle foragers in Italy have long sought to get rid of competition in search of "black gold." "It's all about getting rid of the competition," The Wall Street Journal reported Saverio Dogliani, a 57-year-old truffle hunter whose dog, Floki, has been poisoned twice, said. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty ImagesThe poisoned treats claim the lives of multiple dogs and wildlife such as deer and foxes, each year. A group of truffle hunters wearing camouflage searched the area where Brando was poisoned, hoping to rid the brush of leftover poison. "It's getting worse," Agent Emanuele Gallo told The Wall Street Journal.

Actor and Golden Globes presenter Niecy Nash called out the "Black Girl Magic" during the awards ceremony Tuesday night. Tyler James Williams, Brunson's castmate on “Abbott Elementary,” won best supporting actor in a TV comedy series for his portrayal of a public school educator. Brunson, Zendaya and Williams are all first-time Golden Globes nominees and winners. Rich Polk / NBCHe said he was having tea at home when he got the phone call to host the Golden Globes. The Golden Globes awards show made its television comeback Tuesday after NBC opted not to air the 2022 ceremony in the wake the criticism.

☆ OPEC's U.S. shale worries subside as it cuts forecast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday, OPEC trimmed its forecast for 2023 growth in U.S. tight oil, another term for shale, to 780,000 barrels per day. The group kept its 2022 forecast unchanged at 590,000 bpd, having steadily cut the figure from 880,000 bpd in July. from OPEC's monthly oil market reportU.S. shale oil drillers over the last two decades helped to turn the United States into the world's largest producer. OPEC+ in October made its biggest output cut since the pandemic took hold in 2020. Rapid growth in shale has previously caused problems for OPEC, as when it helped to create a supply glut during 2014-2016.

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Tuesday it would make fresh investments to set up solar and wind projects in Europe and called on its suppliers to decarbonize operations related to the production of iPhones and other products. Apple had previously asked suppliers to commit to 100% renewable energy for Apple's production. Apple has been carbon neutral for its global corporate operations since 2020. Apple said the European investments are part of a strategy to address about 22% of its carbon footprint coming from the electricity customers use to charge their devices. In total, the planned investments will add 3,000 gigawatt hours per year of new renewable energy on the grid, Apple said.

Companies BlackRock Inc FollowOct 25 (Reuters) - BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) has raised $4.5 billion out of an overall $7.5 billion-target for a new fund to invest in infrastructure assets aimed at climate-focused projects, the world's largest asset manager said on Tuesday. BlackRock, which manages around $8 trillion in assets, said public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies and family offices had invested in the new fund, which will be called Global Infrastructure Fund IV. The asset manager said the new fund will invest in five sectors –– energy, low carbon power, transport and logistics, regulated utilities, and digital infrastructure –– to capitalize on the growing trend towards decarbonization and digitalization. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIts previous infrastructure fund raised $5.1 billion in 2020. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ann Maria shibu and Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Over 100 U.S. environmental groups on Monday urged top U.S. climate diplomat John Kerry to support the creation of a fund that would compensate countries that have experienced economic and physical loss from climate change, a key demand of vulnerable countries at the upcoming COP27 climate summit in Egypt. The United States and European Union, the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, are facing pressure from lower-income nations to soften their long-standing resistance to compensation for the "loss and damage" wrought by floods, rising seas and other climate change-fueled impacts. "We also think you need to examine the existing institutions and see what the what the gaps are." Egypt, host of the United Nations' climate negotiations, has appointed the environment ministers of Chile and Germany to come up with a plan for including the controversial loss and damage topic on the formal summit agenda. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Deutsche Bank AG FollowLONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) said on Friday it aimed to reduce the emissions tied to its upstream corporate oil and gas sector loans by 23% by 2030, as part of a series of targets to help it meet its climate commitments. By 2050, the bank said so-called financed emissions tied to the sector, including Scope 3 emissions from the use of gasoline and other refined products by end-users, would be reduced by 90%. In the power generation sector, it would target a 69% cut in so-called Scope 1 physical emissions intensity - a measure of emissions per unit of output tied to utilities' direct energy usage - by 2030 and 100% by 2050. In the autos sector, and specifically light duty vehicles, the bank said it aimed to reduce tailpipe emissions intensity by 59% by 2030, and 100% by mid-century. In the steel sector, it aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 physical emission intensity by 33% by 2030, and 90% by 2050, it said in a statement.

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Companies worth half of total global market capitalistion are now disclosing environmental data after a 42% year-on-year rise in the number of firms reporting, new data published on Wednesday showed. Non-profit environmental disclosure platform CDP said more than 18,700 companies -- the highest yet since CDP launched in 2000 -- and worth a combined $60.8 trillion disclosed data on climate change, deforestation and water security in 2022. The data is also crucial for climate negotiators, including at next month's United Nations climate summit, COP27, to assess progress and spot laggards. However, despite more companies disclosing environmental data, few are providing sufficient information. The United States, China, Japan, Britain and Brazil topped the list of countries for corporate disclosures in 2022, CDP said on Wednesday.

London-based PRI's network of more than 5,000 signatories including Nuveen agree to take steps like urging portfolio companies to disclose more about carbon emissions or workforce diversity. She noted Princeton University recently moved to dissociate its $38 billion endowment from fossil fuel companies. https://bit.ly/3TwDttEA spokesperson for TIAA of New York said it has taken steps including asking portfolio companies to cut emissions. "Large-scale divestments by simply selling fossil-fuel-generating investments to other companies won’t necessarily reduce carbon output," said the spokesperson. Other PRI signatories have also declined to sell off energy stocks.

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Missouri has pulled $500 million out of pension funds managed by BlackRock Inc (BLK.N), state Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick said on Tuesday, over the asset manager's environmental, social and governance (ESG) "priority" over shareholder returns. Several Republican-led states have sought to cut business ties with BlackRock over its ESG push, with Louisiana earlier this month saying it would pull $794 million out of the company's funds. While environmentalists have protested that the world's largest asset manager does too little to press for change at fossil fuel portfolio companies, Republican politicians have accused it of boycotting energy stocks. Missouri State Employees' Retirement System had asked BlackRock to abstain from proxy voting at companies on its behalf, but the asset manager refused its demand, Fitzpatrick said. Proxy voting is done by asset management firms on behalf of shareholders.

A smoke billowing from a chimney is pictured, as the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) takes place, in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 6, 2021. Just 32 of the 100 biggest private firms have set a target to reach net-zero carbon emissions, compared with 69 of the 100 largest public companies, the study showed. In high-emitting sectors such as energy, infrastructure and manufacturing, only 14% of the private firms' annual combined revenue is covered by such a target compared with 77% of revenues from listed firms in the same sector. “Private firms are falling devastatingly short on net zero compared with their publicly-listed cousins," said John Lang, project lead of the Net Zero Tracker. As listed companies increasingly face mandatory climate-related disclosures, Thomas Hale, professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, said there was a risk private firms escaped scrutiny and gained an unfair advantage.

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Austria raised 1 billion euros ($983.20 million) on Tuesday from the auction of the first ever green T-bill, a move aimed at attracting shorter-term investors to buy environmentally friendly assets. But with central banks and a wider group of investors interested in green investments to bolster their sustainability credentials, interest in shorter-term green debt is growing. Austria, rated AA, is the first government to issue a green T-bill - short-term government debt which usually matures in less than a year. Markus Stix, director of the Austrian Treasury, called short-term green securities the "missing link" in the green market. It was easier for Austria to shift expenditure for funding through green T-Bills, given its overall T-Bill programme was only launched in 2021 and it just started issuing green debt, the banker said.

Companies Mercedes Benz Group AG FollowBERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) has struck a preliminary agreement with an offshore wind provider to supply electricity equivalent to 25% of its demand in Germany from 2027 onwards, a spokesperson for the carmaker said on Monday. The energy provider, which the spokesperson declined to name, will reserve the energy for Mercedes-Benz from an offshore wind park under construction in the Baltic Sea. The carmaker, which previously said it aims to cover 70% of its energy demand with renewables by 2030, said in April it was sourcing all its electricity for Germany from green sources from 2022 onwards under purchase power agreements with Statkraft and Enovos. It is also planning to build a wind farm in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony by 2025 that is able to produce a hundred megawatts of electricity, equivalent to over 15% of the carmaker's annual demand in Germany. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Victoria Waldersee; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BlackRock, which manages around $8 trillion in assets, said Transition Capital would work with portfolio managers and BlackRock's capital markets team to find and back "proprietary transition-focused opportunities" across asset classes and geographies. The group would also work with BlackRock colleagues to develop new investment strategies and funds, and help deepen the company's research in the area, the memo said. The new unit will be part of BlackRock Alternatives and run by Dickon Pinner, who previously led on sustainability at consultant McKinsey, where he advised on the transition, the memo said. Pinner will report jointly to Edwin Conway, Global Head of BlackRock Alternative Investors, and the company's vice-chair, Philipp Hildebrand. As well as joining the BlackRock Alternatives Executive Committee, Pinner will also sit on senior sustainability committees, the memo said.

Companies The World Bank Group FollowWASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - World Bank President David Malpass defended the institution's commitment to tackling climate change on Tuesday, telling civil society groups that have criticized his leadership on the issue that the bank is focused on global warming. "We are clearly prioritizing climate," Malpass told a town hall held during the World Bank Group's annual meetings, responding to several questions about the World Bank's climate change work. The World Bank spent a record $31.7 billion on climate-related investments, exceeding its goal of dedicating 35% of its investments to climate co-benefits, he added. And we are working very hard at the World Bank to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout all of our tools and programs." "We have not lent a single dollar in the World Bank and IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) directly to fossil fuels last year," Juergen Voegele, vice president of sustainable development at the World Bank, said in addressing that report's findings.

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