Year in Review Special

By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello!

It’s official - the last Sustainable Switch of the year is here, where I look back at the major news that shaped our environmental, social and governance (ESG) coverage in 2024. 

Before I dive into it, I’d like to thank all my subscribers for signing up to Switch and staying engaged throughout the year - I sincerely appreciate you all!

Sustainable Switch will be back in your inbox with all the latest climate news on January 7. Have a great holiday season and wonderful New Year! 

Now, let’s look at what you all engaged with the most this year alongside a few of my own non-algorithm dictated key stories of the year. 

According to the data gods, the most clicked story of the year was ‘US officials struggle to quash Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories’ on Oct. 8.

In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the United States, false rumors spread on social media about how disaster funds have been used, and even claims that officials control the weather. Research has shown that conspiracy theories often surge in the wake of natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, or earthquakes.

Analytics aside, being able to write about Britain’s race riots in the summer was a special moment for me. The fourth wall was somewhat broken down as I shared my fears and concerns with readers, some of whom sent their well wishes which I am still very grateful to have received. The political climate remains uncertain, especially for marginalized groups, but I can only hope that next year will be better somehow.

A drone view shows a flooded and damaged area, following Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Florida, U.S. REUTERS/Marco Bello 

Through using the power of data, the most opened newsletter was the Climate Focus on ‘A major oil spill in the Caribbean’ on Feb. 16.

The newsletter focused on how countries in the Caribbean were struggling with an environmental disaster as first responders and volunteers from Trinidad and Tobago sought to contain a major oil spill that was spreading across the Caribbean Sea past northern Venezuela.

The statistics also showed a close contender for the most opened newsletter being ‘US Supreme Court curbs ‘Chevron deference’’ on July 2. The newsletter highlighted the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned a legal precedent which had given deference to government agencies in interpreting laws.

Outside of statistics, it’s worth noting that this year saw a lot of extreme weather events which we covered from hurricanes in the United States to typhoons in Asia.

There are a few others that deserve honorary mentions like ‘The hottest year on record’ newsletter from Dec. 10 about this year surpassing last year’s temperatures, or ‘What a Trump return means for ESG’.

Once again, a 'Switchie' favorite is most certainly the Climate Focus ‘What to Watch’ segment. 

The most clicked video this year was about Japan's newest discovered species, the skeleton panda sea squirt which had never been studied by scientists until a researcher saw a picture of it online in 2018 on Feb. 16. Click here to check it out again.

Hortense Bioy, head of sustainable investing research at Morningstar Sustainalytics, an ESG and corporate governance research firm, shares her 2025 predictions:

“2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for sustainable investing, with political, macroeconomic, and regulatory developments that will transform the landscape. Investors will need to navigate this complex environment carefully, but at the same time cut off some of the noise and focus on the long term.

“Despite greater divergence and competing interests between the EU, the U.S., and China in areas as diverse as ESG regulations, decarbonization goals, renewable energy, and Artificial Intelligence, the direction of travel is clear: the world needs to transition to a low-carbon economy, and investors have a role to play in the process.

“Our report will help sustainability-aware investors focus on the key developments and trends that will likely make a difference to their investment outcomes in 2025 and beyond.”

There were many strong contenders for this year’s ‘In Conversation of the Year’ but the one below by Charles Sekwalor on Aug. 8, managed to perfectly encapsulate the feelings of many people who are part of the African diaspora in the West. Sekwalor is CEO and co-founder of Movemeback, a members’ community focused on African talent and innovation.

“The effects of colonialism and geopolitics have forced migration out of necessity, and it is apparent that a portion of the UK’s own citizens are the last to be educated on the facts and implications of its own history.

“It follows that those who helped build the foundations of our society are now scapegoated for its ‘end of empire’ economic strains which are independent of them, obscuring the fact that many were brought here not by choice, but by circumstance.  

“For them, me, and many of their descendants, the UK is home. I identify as both British and Ghanaian; I am a citizen of the world and an example of the UK’s multiculturalism which I wear with pride.” 

This year’s ESG Spotlight mainly focused on animal conservation and wildlife preservation, especially after extreme weather events. Two rescue initiatives stuck with me the most. 

One was the initiative by rural communities in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador who were fighting to protect fragile high-altitude wetlands in Colombia and Ecuador – both largely dependent on hydroelectric dams for energy – who were battered by the strong El Nino weather pattern that caused drought conditions.

A worker removes utility poles in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Higuey, Dominican Republic — REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas 

The other was the work of the volunteer veterinarians in eastern Spain's flood-hit Paiporta who treated pets that had caught infections from the devastated town's mud-filled streets. The volunteers have set up an improvised first-aid station with donated medicines and equipment.