The REP Wrap: Bruising week for EVs with rowbacks from Ford and EU

Your weekly summary of corporate sustainability news.

Ford is stepping back from its plans to manufacture large electric vehicles, saying the business case for the technology has been “eroded” by “lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes”. The automaker will instead invest more in hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, as well as smaller electric vehicles.

The announcement came just one day before the European Commission confirmed it was reversing its 2035 ban on European companies producing combustion engines. The decision, made under pressure from Germany, is part of a focus on making the EU more competitive. The US has also moved to weaken the case for electric vehicles, while China has continued to pursue a leadership position in the global industry.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has adopted a final rule for reporting on the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) intentionally added to products in the US. The first reports under the new law are expected in July 2026 – a delay from the original proposal – with new products entering the Minnesota market after that required to report annually.

Oil and gas companies in the UK, Canada and Australia aren’t properly disclosing the cost of decommissioning their fossil-fuel-related infrastructure, according to new research from Carbon Tracker. The think-tank found “significant variation in the quality and completeness of reporting information, despite companies in all three jurisdictions using the same international accounting standards”.

The Canadian Government has appointed a new slate of members to its national climate institute, which will lead the development of the country’s sustainable investment taxonomy. A first version of the framework is expected by the end of next year, giving companies and investors a clearer sense of what counts as ‘green’ or ‘transitional’.