Buzz: Transfer to editor

The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) launched its first two sustainability-related standards in June 2023, effective for annual reporting periods on or after Jan. 1, 2024.

The standards could form the basis of a consistent sustainability disclosure framework for companies and investors around the world. In this quarterly report, we bring you the latest global developments in the uptake of the ISSB’s standards.

Cleantech growth expectations remain on a robust trajectory in 2026, even as markets such as the US and EU roll back sustainability policies from the first half of the 2020’s.

The sheer scale of additions to S&P Global’s Clean Power Project Pipeline Tracker in January 2026 — 165 gigawatts — offers a counterpoint to concerns about sector growth that emerged as the US has deployed policy tools to rein in the expansion of renewables and the EU has curbed sustainability ambitions for its energy sector.

Among cleantech options, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are overtaking solar PV as the segment outperformer. Solar PV will still account for the lion’s share. However, while the planned and proposed project pipeline for solar PV out to 2040 represents just under six times existing capacity, for BESS, that multiple is nearly 12.

The rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers is putting unprecedented pressure on energy supply, emissions and water availability. At the start of 2026, S&P Global named AI and data center growth as a top sustainability trend to watch, and it was a dominant theme at both Climate Week Zurich and CERAWeek 2026 in Houston, where the conference title was “Convergence and Competition.”

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we talk to PepsiCo to understand how one of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies is building resilient food systems.

The Iran war has repriced geopolitical risk across assets. Given the Strait of Hormuz’s central role in global energy flows, disruption risks have increased the likelihood of higher energy prices and a tougher inflation backdrop. Europe’s higher dependence on imported energy amplifies downside growth risks and relative equity underperformance.

In a State Street Investment Management survey of EMEA-based asset owners in May 2025,  53 per cent of respondents said they plan to increase allocations to nature- and/or biodiversity-related investments over the next two years. Of respondents who currently integrate nature and biodiversity objectives in their investment process, 42 per cent noted a lack of reliable and/or scalable data as one of their top three challenges.

Previous papers in this series addressed nature and biodiversity from two perspectives. The first described nature as an asset that underpins economic activity across many sectors. The second outlined different objectives investors may have when integrating nature in portfolios, including managing nature-related dependency risks and identifying investment opportunities tied to nature and biodiversity.

This paper reviews the current state of nature-related data for investors in public markets, the types of data available, and the investment objectives they may address in the portfolio construction process. It also outlines current limitations and recent developments in the data landscape.

The AI buildout is revealing capacity constraints in many key inputs, with power being one of the most strained.

BlackRock technology investors see the system adjusting across multiple time horizons but suggest a more dynamic environment requires shifting from a broad AI lens to more precise stock selection in the theme.

Infrastructure equities can be play the role of “defensive engine” inside a diversified portfolio: they provide exposure to essential services—keeping the lights on, clean water flowing, goods and people moving, and data connected—often supported by resilient demand, predictable cashflows and above-average income potential.

Shariah compliance doesn’t remove the infrastructure opportunity; it refines it. Applying Shariah screens reduces the eligible universe, but it also reshapes sector and regional exposures—creating a distinct subset of infrastructure equities with different macro sensitivities. For Islamic multi-asset portfolios—where diversification can be constrained and equity benchmarks can be technology-heavy—Islamic listed infrastructure equities can help fill a meaningful gap.

Despite apparent headwinds, global energy transition investment hit a record $2.3trn in 2025, up 8% YoY. Amid this, one of the key challenges for companies and investors is measuring progress. How can one separate headlines from on-the-ground data and get a clear picture of global transition strategy in 2026?

Jefferies’ Sustainability & Transition Team set out to address that question in a new note, Energy Transition Download: Practical Tools to Track Macro, Sector & Companies. The resource aggregates the analytical tools and datasets most useful for understanding the transition and guiding thinking across the investor community.

Our view 

• Employee share ownership can create long-term value for companies, shareholders, employees and society.
• Plans work best when they are offered broadly across the workforce, transparent in design, and complementary to wages. 

Key takeaways.

• Switzerland holds a 14 June referendum from a position of macroeconomic strength, with steady growth, low inflation and limited near-term spillovers from geopolitical shocks
• The initiative proposes capping the Swiss population at 10 million. We believe its approval would introduce uncertainty around long-term growth by challenging labour market openness and relations with the European Union 
• Any direct economic impact would depend on implementation, but the longer-term risks to potential growth and competitiveness would be meaningful
• For investors, near term market effects should be muted, but domestic focused Swiss equities could face a decline in valuations as a result of higher political risk, while the Swiss franc’s fundamentals will remain supportive. 

Report here

ESG reporting has never been more detailed — yet one simple question is often surprisingly hard to answer: did sustainable products and services actually sell, gain market share and improve profitability?

In a new article, I explore how sustainability disclosure may have drifted into an “indicator arms race”, where investors can easily find hundreds of pages of carbon metrics and governance data, but struggle to identify whether companies are genuinely winning commercially through cleaner products and services.

The piece also examines whether parts of the ESG market have become overly focused on low-carbon portfolio construction rather than identifying the businesses truly driving the transition economy.

Published: 2026 reporting cycle

Summary: Covers engagement activity, stewardship priorities, proxy voting and ESG integration across equities and fixed income portfolios. Includes reporting aligned with UK Stewardship Code expectations.

Full report suite here

Published: March 2026

Summary: LGIM’s stewardship report details shareholder voting, climate engagement, executive pay interventions and nature-risk priorities. Strong focus on real-world outcomes and transition alignment across listed holdings.