Buzz: Transfer to editor

In 2024, we engaged with 2,883 issuers, representing a 10% increase compared with the previous year. These discussions covered a broad range of environmental, social, and governance topics, with significant expansion in Developed Asia (+40%), Emerging Markets (+10%), and North America (+28%). Among the engagements closed during the year, 45% achieved positive outcomes, showing that constructive dialogue can deliver tangible progress

24 February 2026 | 12:00 PM SAST | 11:00 AM CET

"We would like to invite you to the online launch of ATNi's South Africa Retail Assessment, hosted by Daily Maverick.  During this event, we will present ATNi's findings on the country's three largest retailers—Shoprite, Pick n Pay, and Spar, analyzing their nutrition-related commitments and outlining recommendations to drive healthier food environments."

Feb 24 2026, 11:00am GMT | 45 mins

"Join us on February 24th for our UK Managed Portfolio landscape webinar. The UK managed portfolio sector now offers over 1,475 live portfolios with more choice, lower costs, and a growing focus on sustainable investing. 

In our upcoming webinar, our speakers will discuss new opportunities in passive and blended strategies to meet diverse investor needs. We will also showcase the newly-launched Morningstar rating (commonly known as the “star rating”) for UK Managed Portfolios."

Auto sales have always been the most cyclical sector of consumer spending – heralding and contributing to both recessions and recoveries. This year, slumping consumer confidence, newly imposed tariffs and falling job growth could all have been expected to clobber auto sales. Despite this, when automakers report their November numbers early this week, they will likely show continued resilience. This is testament to the unusual drivers of consumer spending in 2025 but also to long-term changes in the auto market that may be reducing its cyclical impact. For investors and policy makers, the important message is that stability in auto sales increases the odds that 2026 will be a year of continued economic expansion.

[includes discussion of EVs and podcast]

In 2026, sustainability will be a story of how stakeholders balance near-term priorities with long-term realities.

Businesses will seek to craft durable sustainability strategies that allow them to navigate the current political environment even as many of their projects and investments extend beyond election cycles. This challenge will be especially fraught for global companies navigating an increasingly fragmented landscape for policy, regulation and standards. Businesses will continue to evolve the way they articulate their sustainability efforts toward language that prioritizes pragmatism, risk avoidance and profitability.

Even if data center operators reduce their own environmental footprint, the exponential growth of the industry could still lead to higher emissions and water stress in regions where data centers are located.

"Outstanding debt in the global sustainable bond market should hit a new high in 2026. In 2025, issuance fell 19% to $866 billion. We expect issuance of a similar level this year. This would bring outstanding sustainable bonds to about $5.5 trillion, given 2026 maturities slightly exceeding $500 billion.

However, we note sustainable bond issuance is decoupling from the overall bond market, which increased nearly 11% in 2025 and surpassed $10 trillion in total issuance. This means forecasts for sustainable bond issuance are subject to increasing uncertainty, in S&P Global Ratings' view.2

Chiquita Brands International, a leading global producer and distributor of bananas, operates across 25 countries with roughly 20,000 employees. Until its takeover in 2014 by a coalition of Brazilian companies, Cutrale Group and Safra Group, it was a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  

In 2007, the company pleaded guilty to charges brought by the US Justice Department for making more than 100 payments totaling USD 1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to a Colombian paramilitary group: The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) was designated as a terrorist organization by the US government in 2001. Chiquita argued that the payments were made to the AUC in order to protect its employees, and agreed to pay USD 25 million in damages.  

In June 2024, a Florida court ordered Chiquita to pay a further USD 38.3 million to Colombian families after finding the company liable for financing a paramilitary group responsible for their relatives' deaths.  

In 2025, a Colombian court sentenced seven former Chiquita executives to more than 11 years in prison.  

The company’s 2019 Sustainability Report highlights Chiquita’s self-described pioneering role as the first company in the industry to join the Rainforest Alliance in 1992. According to the report’s sustainability timeline, Chiquita achieved Rainforest Alliance certification for all company-owned farms by 2000 and fully adopted the SA8000 labor and human-rights standard by 2004. Chiquita framed these measures as part of a broader strategy to safeguard labor, human rights, and environmental protections. 

Chiquita’s reputation, however, has suffered significantly as a result of the various court findings, with the potential for long-term effects on investor confidence, brand equity, and stakeholder trust. 

Sustainable investing in 2026: Five key takeaways for asset managers

Sustainable investing continues to evolve rapidly, shaped by higher scrutiny, rising expectations, and a more complex global risk environment. RepRisk’s recent webinar brought together senior voices from public markets, private equity, and private credit to discuss how sustainability is being embedded into investment decisions in 2026.

In a year of political rhetoric questioning climate action—from Donald Trump’s campaign-trail scepticism to shifting regulatory winds in the US—investors might wonder: does decarbonisation still matter?

For anyone seeking long-term financial resilience, the answer is a resounding yes. Decarbonisation still matters, even when headlines suggest otherwise.

Despite the noise, many of the world’s largest companies are doubling down on climate commitments. Between late 2023 and mid-2025, the number of companies setting science-based decarbonisation targets surged by 227%

As AI reshapes the world, its hidden thirst for water and soaring infrastructure costs raises urgent questions about the sustainability of the digital revolution.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, economies, and investment strategies. But beneath the surface of this technological revolution lies a complex web of environmental and financial risks – particularly around water and energy consumption. For investors, understanding these dynamics is critical to navigating both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities emerging from AI’s infrastructure demands and business models.

Physical climate risk is no longer a niche concern – it’s a core investment issue. Find out why (link below).

For years, investors have focused on climate transition risk – policy shifts, regulatory changes and technological disruption. But the story is changing. Rising global temperatures are turning physical climate risk into an immediate threat, with the power to reshape asset values, portfolio performance, and long-term financial stability. 

The subject of climate adaptation can be difficult to bring up, often clouded by the misconception that focusing on adaptation means admitting defeat on climate change mitigation. In this viewpoint, our experts outline why far from being mutually exclusive, adaptation and mitigation are both essential elements of a robust climate action plan. 

Timberland’s value proposition has expanded far beyond its traditional confines to offer a spectrum of natural capital investment possibilities for discerning asset allocators. Discover the themes we believe encompass the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change and nature loss. 

Seeking Catalysts Amid Complexity

Section 5 - Evolving Thematic Landscapes and Megatrends (includes sections on sustainable investing and energy transition)