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MESSAGES FROM US
Dear Readers,
We are consuming the life-giving resources of soil, water, and air earlier each year. In this issue, we highlight Turkey’s Earth Overshoot Day, which fell on June 18, as a stark reminder that we are exceeding the limits of our planet. While climate negotiations in Bonn continue under the shadow of unfulfilled promises, the time has come for real and transformative action not further delay.
Meanwhile, as the importance of ESG criteria continues to grow in the corporate world, we bring you the most current and critical developments in this area. We also invite you to rethink humanity’s relationship with nature through the lens of the social metabolism concept.
With this newsletter, we call on you to walk with us toward a more sustainable future.
Stay sustainable…
ÖZGÜN ÇINAR, CEO
ESG NEWS
- Fish similar to those made famous by the movie Finding Nemo are shrinking to cope with marine heatwaves, a study has found. The research recorded clownfish living on coral reefs slimmed down drastically when ocean temperatures rocketed in 2023. DETAIL
- Rising seas will severely test humanity’s resilience in the second half of the 21st century and beyond, even if nations defy the odds and cap global warming at the ambitious 1.5 degrees Celsius target, researchers said Tuesday. DETAIL
- Japan is moving forward with a large-scale offshore research program to explore “blue carbon” solutions—harnessing marine vegetation like seaweed and mangroves to absorb and store carbon dioxide in deep-sea environments. This strategy, backed by Japan’s Environment Ministry, is designed to complement existing decarbonisation efforts and help the country meet its 2050 net-zero emissions target. A senior ministry official noted. DETAIL
- In a new study, scientists have found that soil used for growing crops can contain up to 23 times more microplastics than the concentration found in oceans. DETAIL
- The European Union is closing in on its 2030 climate and energy targets, according to the European Commission’s latest assessment of Member States’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). Improved national commitments put the bloc within striking distance of its 55% net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goal—currently projected at 54% if all measures are fully implemented. DETAIL
- According to a new survey published by the professional network #WeAreEurope, the majority of companies in Europe oppose the European Commission’s “Omnibus” initiative to reduce sustainability reporting requirements and the scope of companies covered by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). While the majority of reporters are satisfied with the current version of the CSRD, they support some improvements. DETAIL
- Climate solutions provider Watershed has announced the launch of an open and free version of its global emissions database, a move aimed at enabling organizations and companies to make more accurate decarbonization decisions. DETAIL
- The EU’s climate science adviser – the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC) – has warned against watering down its climate targets. In July, the European Commission plans to propose a legally binding target to reduce EU countries’ emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. But facing a backlash from governments, Brussels is considering options such as setting a lower target for domestic industries and using international carbon credits to cover the gap by up to 90%. DETAIL
- The European Investment Bank has pledged to invest 15 billion euros ($17 billion) over the next three years in projects that help reduce water pollution, prevent water waste and support innovative businesses in the water sector. DETAIL
🍃 GREEN COLUMN🍃
More Words, Less Progress: The Bonn Talks and the Global Climate Crisis
The United Nations Climate Conference, which took place in Bonn, Germany, in June 2025, was an important milestone that was expected to shape the process ahead of COP30 in Brazil. However, rather than capturing the momentum needed in the fight against the climate crisis, these meetings revealed deep differences of opinion and political fragilities. Increasing financing demands from developing countries, disagreements between delegations and the absence of the United States from the negotiations were the main factors that determined the spirit of the talks. This has raised serious questions about the future of multilateralism. Although proposals such as simplifying the agenda and limiting the number of delegations were put forward for efficiency, countries struggled to find common ground on these issues. An attempt by the LMDC countries, led by Bolivia, to add new items to the agenda deadlocked the talks for two days and wasted time. At the same time, non-governmental organizations drew attention to these deadlocks and offered reform proposals such as majority decision-making.
One of the most intense areas of discussion in Bonn was climate adaptation. In particular, the clarification of the indicators within the scope of the Global Adaptation Goal constituted the technical dimension of the talks. Although there was hope that the number of potential indicators would be lowered, which initially exceeded 9,000, there were deep differences of opinion on how to apply the indicators and according to what criteria they would be evaluated. Financing stood out as the biggest bottleneck in this area as well. While the contributions of developed countries were insufficient, developing countries demanded that the MoI (instruments and financing) be placed at the center of the process. However, this demand was met with objection by many developed countries, especially European countries. Meanwhile, data from the UN Environment Report revealed that financing for adaptation was only able to meet 5% of needs. Negotiations on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) were inconclusive; which led to the process being rolled over to COP30.
Climate finance was at the heart of the Bonn talks. While developing countries stated that they needed support much higher than the annual target of 300 billion dollars set at COP29, the cancellation of climate aid by the USA and the announcement of cuts by some European countries lowered expectations. The debate over Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement has deepened. Despite the $1.3 trillion overall appeal put forward at COP29, there is still no clear plan for how this funding will be delivered. In the midst of all this turmoil, the climate finance roadmap “from Baku to Belém” is promising, but it is nothing more than cautious optimism.
Just transition was another important issue discussed in Bonn. In particular, a consensus was sought on how to support workers, local communities and vulnerable groups in the process of economic transformation. However, in this area, too, there was a difference in approach between developed and developing countries. While the southern countries want not only the economic but also the social dimension of the process to be addressed; Nordic countries considered the just transition more focused on the workforce. The problem of financing came to the fore in this area as well. The fact that the program will end in 2026 has raised the possibility of establishing a new mechanism. While proposals such as the Belém Just Transition Action Mechanism are exciting for civil society, they have not yet materialized.
On the other hand, there was also great disappointment about the loss and damage. The loss and damage fund, which was set up in 2023, has so far only pledged $768 million, while only half of it has been paid. This figure is less than two-thousandths of the estimated needs of developing countries. Developed countries argued that the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) was not the appropriate place for financing discussions, while developing countries thought the opposite. The parties ultimately agreed on an unofficial note, but this is far from considered progress.
The Mitigation Work Program (MWP), on the other hand, has lost its scope and has turned into a platform with a questionable function. While concrete outputs such as the reduction of fossil fuels were expected, discussions focused more on digital infrastructures and IT systems. The failure of this three-year-long process to produce any tangible progress has disappointed many in Bonn’s end. At the same time, the process of Global Due Diligence (GST) and new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) has generated controversy. Although it has been argued that the GST should clearly emphasize the transition away from fossil fuels, no binding language has been used to that effect. The final text did not turn out to be a memorandum, but only a document reflecting the positions of the parties.
After the Bonn talks, all eyes are now on Belém, the host of COP30. However, the contradiction created by Brazil’s investments in the oil and gas sector has already cast a shadow over the process. In addition, practical obstacles such as logistical problems, lack of accommodation and overpricing threaten the participatory nature of COP30. While there is still not enough progress in key areas such as finance, adaptation, just transition and fossil fuels, COP30 is expected to be not only a symbolic summit, but also a turning point where concrete steps will be taken to close the “claims gap”. As Bonn has shown, there is still a huge gap between the reality of the climate crisis and political decision-making.
DAMLA GÜNALP, SUSTAINABILITY SPECIALIST
