Daily Digest for

Nordic-based Areim has completed an additional capital raise for its Nordic data centre fund, Areim DC Fund, bringing total raised capital to EUR 900 million. The capital raise was significantly oversubscribed and adds both Nordic and international institutional capital, further diversifying the investor base. Over the past two years, Areim has raised more than EUR 1.2 billion of capital to the platform, including equity, debt, and bond capital. The raised capital will be used to continue expanding EcoDataCenter, which is fully owned by the Areim DC Fund since 2023.

The UK government has announced a consultation to position the North Sea as a central hub for Britain’s clean energy future, aiming to drive economic growth. The plan includes ending the Energy Profits Levy by 2030 and consulting on a new fiscal regime to boost investment. The government is committed to maintaining existing oil and gas fields while transitioning to clean energy technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture, and wind. This initiative is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs in offshore renewables by 2030, with significant investments already made in Scotland’s clean energy infrastructure.

US-based Nebius Group N.V. announced the construction of a new data center in New Jersey with a capacity of up to 300 MW. This facility is designed to achieve maximum efficiency and performance, with the first phase expected to be completed by summer 2025. Additionally, Nebius is expanding its capacity in Kansas City and Iceland, utilizing Iceland’s geothermal energy to reduce environmental impact. These expansions are part of Nebius’s strategy to increase its AI infrastructure footprint in the US and Europe.

China has announced plans to develop a package of major projects aimed at responding to climate change. This initiative is part of the country’s efforts to actively engage in and steer global environmental and climate governance in 2025. The announcement was made in a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation. This move underscores China’s commitment to addressing climate change on a global scale.

Japan’s Sustainability Standards Board (SSBJ) issued its inaugural sustainability disclosure standards on March 5, 2025. The SSBJ was established in July 2022 to develop sustainability disclosure standards for Japan, aligning with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). The standards include the Universal Sustainability Disclosure Standard, General Disclosures, and Climate-related Disclosures. The SSBJ aims to align with ISSB’s IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards while incorporating jurisdiction-specific alternatives. The standards are expected to be applied by entities listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The European Union automotive industry has acknowledged the European Commission’s Action Plan, which aims to address global market challenges while promoting zero-emission mobility. European vehicle manufacturers have invested billions into this transition but emphasize the need for infrastructure, demand incentives, and cost reduction measures for vehicles. The Action Plan proposes flexibility in meeting CO2 targets and highlights the importance of infrastructure and zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. ACEA, representing major European car manufacturers, supports regulatory simplification and competitive enhancements in autonomous driving. ACEA is committed to collaborating with the European Commission to develop a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy.

Norway’s Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority entered a collaboration to establish the country as an international test arena for zero- and low-emission aviation. On March 4, 2025, they signed the first formal agreement with American aircraft manufacturer BETA Technologies and Bristow Norway AS. The initiative aims to conduct demonstration cargo flights using BETA’s ALIA CX300 eCTOL aircraft. With one billion kroner allocated in the National Transport Plan, the goal is to accelerate the transition to green aviation technologies.

US-based Nitricity Inc. has secured $10 million in funding to build a first-of-a-kind organic fertilizer plant in Delhi, California. The facility will utilize recycled almond shells and renewable energy to produce a sustainable, organic nitrogen fertilizer, with its full capacity already sold out through 2028 under binding agreements with local growers. This project marks a significant increase in production capacity and is expected to create around 20 jobs in the Merced community by 2026.

Germany-based GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research launched the SAFAtor project to utilize existing telecommunications cables on the seabed to gather climate and geological data. The €30 million project aims to equip these cables with sensors for monitoring ocean currents, earthquakes, and tsunamis, while enhancing early warning systems. The project is expected to fill significant knowledge gaps in the ocean, which covers 70% of the Earth’s surface, and will be implemented over five years.

The European Union’s BaltCOP project has been initiated to restore wetlands and rivers in Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden. It focuses on reducing nutrient runoff to the Baltic Sea, which has suffered from eutrophication. This initiative, funded by the EU’s Interreg Central Baltic Programme, involves various organizations partnering to implement pilot projects that restore ecosystems, improving water quality in the region. The project will create a toolkit and roadmap for long-term strategies.

The European Commission has released the Clean Industrial Deal (CID), a strategy designed to enhance the EU’s industrial competitiveness while decarbonizing its industry. The plan mobilizes €150 billion for clean technology, with €100 billion allotted as direct funding through the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. Key initiatives include funding for battery production, regulatory measures to support EV manufacturing, and guidelines for sustainability in public procurement, aimed at facilitating the transition towards a greener economy in the automotive sector.

India intends to welcome 100 percent foreign direct investment in its food and beverage sector, announced by Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in 2025. The country seeks to double its food exports to USD100 billion by 2030. The readiness for foreign investment marks a pivotal shift to bolster the food processing and production technology sectors to meet both domestic and global demands. Government initiatives will streamline the process for foreign businesses eager to tap into India’s rapidly growing food consumption market, projected to surpass USD1.2 trillion in the coming years.

Cercarbono, a Colombia-based environmental project certification standard, unveiled its new integrated methodology for carbon removals focusing on forestry and agriculture. Launched in March 2025, the CM-LU-002 methodology combines reforestation, forest restoration, and woody agricultural crops, with an emphasis on native species and advanced mapping for improved carbon accuracy. The approach aims to increase participation in the voluntary carbon market, empowering Indigenous Peoples and small landowners with clear credit ownership and tailored solutions.

Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems (MHI-MS) has finalized domestic development of an autonomous vehicle transport robot designed for handling subcompact mini vehicles. The robot is set to improve working conditions for workers in the logistics sector by facilitating the automated transport of finished vehicles, enhancing safety, and reducing CO2 emissions. The model features a smaller head than prior designs, allowing it to handle vehicles more easily. This initiative emphasizes the potential of tech innovations in contributing to a more sustainable and efficient logistics environment.