Key highlights from April 2026 in the sustainability space.
1-Minneapolis campaigners press Swiss National Bank to disinvest from Palantir
On April 24, a delegation from Minneapolis urged the Swiss National Bank to divest their $1.1 billion stake in Palantir due to human rights concerns about its surveillance technologies. The data analytics firm signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2025 to support immigration and customs enforcement operations, whose agents are linked to the death of two Minneapolis-based activists and the arbitrary detention of several thousand migrants. The delegation, alongside Swiss campaign group BreakFree Suisse, argued that the investment violates the National Bank’s own policy, which proscribes investment in entities that violate human rights or Swiss values.
While Switzerland only represents 0.4% of Palantir shareholders, it is one of the only countries whose financial institutions have a direct public stake in the company. The Minneapolis delegation’s advocacy, alongside similar action in Norway and Britain, represents a powerful lever in ESG advocacy: holding not only companies but also their investors accountable for human rights violations linked to their investments.
2-European Commission announces policy package to fast-track clean energy
The European Commission has unveiled a new policy toolbox that aims to support energy transition and independence amidst rising fuel costs and fragilized global markets for clean energy. The Accelerate EU package aims to provide immediate relief for rising fuel costs, while also structuring the Union’s long-term clean energy strategy. Among the policy tools is the Commission’s 2026 Investment Strategy, which mobilizes private funds for energy technologies in partnership with the European Investment Bank Group, which has pledged over 75 billion for clean energy projects.
3-Sustainability leaders urge ISSB to implement global reporting standards
In an open letter addressed to the International Sustainability Standards Board, nineteen global leaders in conservationism and climate science called on the ISSB to adopt a dedicated standard on nature. The letter follows the ISSB’s decision to develop optional nature-related disclosures, rather than mandatory global standards.
The signatories assert the materiality of nature as a key climate and economic stabilizer, while noting the World Economic Forum’s 2026 finding that nature represents 44 trillion in economic value generation, whereas biodiversity losses represent 2,7 trillion in global annual costs. Beyond its climactic impacts, nature-related financial materiality is increasingly recognized as a key factor for responsible and profitable investments.
4-IBM reaches $17M settlement with the DOJ to resolve DEI allegations
IBM has agreed to a $17 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice following a probe into the company’s DEI practices. The case represents the first resolution under Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, launched in 2025, which allows the DOJ to investigate recipients of federal funds that knowingly violate civil rights laws.
While IBM was not found guilty of noncompliant DEI practices, the legal risks associated with such programs has increasingly dissuaded companies, prompting some to scale back their policies in response to heightened enforcement.
The settlement comes in the wake of a March 2026 Executive Order establishing new rules for anti-DEI compliance, which apply to federal contractors and subcontractors and cover guidelines for reporting, contract terms, implementation and enforcement. The Order also mandates that all federal agencies review its implementation within 120 days, signaling increased scrutiny and assessment of companies’ internal policies.
5-African Energy Chamber joins amicus curiae in advisory proceeding before the AfCHPR
Following a request by the Pan-African Lawyers Union in March 2025 for a landmark advisory opinion from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR), the African Energy Chamber has joined a growing list of NGOs and private entities participating in the proceedings as amicus curiae.
The petition, filed in May 2025, calls on the Court to clarify the human rights obligations of African States under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in the context of climate change, particularly where harm is caused by third parties such as multinational corporations.
Taking into account the differentiated responsibilities of CO2 emitters and the continent’s particular vulnerabilities, factors largely unaddressed in the ICJ’s advisory opinion, the proceedings could pave the way for mandatory due diligence, emissions disclosure requirements, and greater corporate accountability under Article 21(5) of the Charter, which obliges State Parties to eliminate foreign economic exploitation.
- Content prepared with the help of Amanda Alden.