Green Markets is a daily series dedicated to highlighting events of interest that could impact investments within environmental markets.
Battery Metals
U.S. consumers are likely to face higher costs if President Donald Trump proceeds with imposing tariffs on copper and aluminum imports. Trump's recent remarks suggested he would apply these tariffs to encourage domestic production of these essential metals, including those used for military hardware. However, experts and industry participants argue that the U.S. lacks sufficient domestic production capacity to meet demand, leading to a reliance on imports. This could result in increased prices for U.S. buyers, as the tariffs would raise the cost of these metals, which are vital for various industries, including manufacturing and defense.
Related Stock List(s): Commodity Trust Stocks, Commodity Royalty Stocks
Biofuels/Chemicals
Airbus CTO Sabine Klauke has expressed concerns that the progress of SAF and green hydrogen production is lagging behind the aviation industry's 2050 decarbonization goals. Although SAF production tripled in 2024, Klauke emphasized that the industry still faces challenges in scaling up these technologies at the necessary pace to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century.
Related Stock List(s): Biofuels & Chemicals Stocks
Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs)
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) announced plans to launch ICE GreenTrace, an environmental registry technology service, in late 2025 to enhance carbon market infrastructure. The platform will support registries and users across the carbon credit life cycle, improving transparency and efficiency. Winrock International’s Environmental Resources Trust (ERT) will be a launch partner, transitioning its ACR and ART crediting programs to the new system.
Related Stock List(s): Carbon Credit Stocks
Hydrogen
Italy and Saudi Arabia signed $10 billion in strategic agreements, including energy, infrastructure, and defense. Key deals involve Snam and ACWA Power partnering on green hydrogen supply to Europe, while Industrie De Nora will collaborate on water desalination projects.
Related Stock List(s): Hydrogen Stocks
Nuclear Energy
Canada and Poland signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in nuclear energy, supporting Poland’s transition from coal to cleaner energy. The partnership will leverage Canada’s expertise, including technology from Canadian-owned Westinghouse, which is involved in Poland’s first planned nuclear power plant.
Fusion energy startup Helion Energy has raised $425 million in venture funding, with SoftBank's Vision Fund 2 leading the round. The funding will accelerate the development of Helion's next-generation fusion reactor, aiming to generate carbon-free electricity without long-lasting radioactive waste. Helion uses electromagnetic induction to capture fusion energy, bypassing traditional steam-based methods. The company has a power agreement with Microsoft, aiming to provide electricity by 2028. Investors in this round also include Lightspeed Venture Partners, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital, and steel producer Nucor.
A new bill aimed at advancing nuclear energy in Utah has cleared a key committee hurdle, passing unanimously at the Utah State Capitol. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Carl Albrecht, would establish two new bodies— the Nuclear Energy Consortium and the Utah Energy Council to plan new nuclear projects.
Related Stock List(s): Nuclear Energy & Uranium Stocks
Investment Funds
Sustainable lending startup Colesco Capital raised over €800 million (USD$839 million) at its first platform close to support investments in companies addressing environmental and societal challenges. Founded in 2023, Colesco provides senior secured and subordinated debt to European mid-market companies focused on sustainable food, and the energy transition. The firm aims for over 50% of its investments to meet sustainable criteria under the EU's SFDR.