Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies Division of Environment and Sustainability 241 Green Finance and Big Data Supervisor: ZHOU Zoey Yiyuan / ENVR Student: ZHANG Zhiqing / COGBM Course: UROP 1100, Spring This progress report presents a comprehensive analysis of two critical dimensions in contemporary environmental governance, that is, the evolution of trade regulations targeting deforestation-linked commodities and the implications of reduced air quality monitoring transparency. Focusing on major importing jurisdictions, including the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and the United Kingdom (UK), regulatory frameworks such as the EU Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR), the US FOREST Act of 2023, and the UK Forest Risk Commodity Regulation (UKFRC) is examined. Through comparative analysis, this report illustrates their legal structures, compliance mechanisms, and effectiveness in curbing deforestation, while highlighting systemic challenges such as supply chain traceability, compliance costs for SMEs, and geopolitical tensions with producer nations. Concurrently, the environmental impact resulting from Trump administration’s discontinuation of air quality monitoring at U.S. embassies and consulates starting from March 2025 was investigated. Utilizing embassyrecorded PM2.5 datasets, this research aims to reveal and quantify the decline in data transparency and its impact on global/regional air quality. In short, the research findings underscore the necessity of harmonizing trade policies with robust data infrastructure to advance environmental accountability across the globe. This interdisciplinary approach bridges economics/finance, environmental science, and policy studies, offering insights for policymakers, various stakeholders, and researchers committed to combating deforestation and atmospheric pollution in an era of fragmented governance. To begin, this progress report starts with an in-depth analysis of existing research findings on trade regulations by major jurisdictions (e.g., European Union) as a mechanism to mitigate deforestation. Subsequently, a presentation on the interplay between regulatory frameworks and environmental outcomes is reinforced by empirical data derived from air quality monitoring systems. Green Finance and Sustainable Investments Supervisor: ZHOU Zoey Yiyuan / ENVR Student: KAN Caleb / EVMT Course: UROP 1100, Fall This report explores key topics in the evolving ESG landscape, focusing on litigation in the voluntary carbon market, media influence on ESG discourse in U.S. swing states, and state-level anti-ESG legislation. Through systematic secondary research, 48 litigation cases were analysed, highlighting legal challenges surrounding voluntary carbon offsets. Preliminary findings on anti-ESG laws reveal the growing impact of state-level restrictions targeting financial institutions applying ESG criteria. However, the analysis of media influence was postponed due to data limitations. The study faced challenges including incomplete data access, language barriers, and evolving ESG dynamics. Despite these limitations, this research provides a foundational understanding of ESG’s intersection with policy, litigation, and finance, offering scope for further analysis.
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