Exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and sustainable development, this research identifies the governance frameworks required to manage AI’s environmental risks while leveraging its potential to accelerate global sustainability transitions and economic systems change.

This practical guide outlines the transition to a Total Portfolio Approach, offering investment professionals a framework for more integrated decision-making that aligns organizational strategy with long-term sustainability goals and evolving market conditions.

This report examines the growing threat of environmental crime, detailing how illegal activities such as wildlife trafficking and unauthorized waste disposal create significant legal, reputational, and financial risks for businesses and their investors.

This ILO report examines the evolving landscape of youth employment, highlighting the persistent challenges and emerging opportunities for young workers in a changing global economy and the policy interventions needed to secure their future.

ShareAction argues for the preservation and enhancement of the Annual General Meeting as a vital mechanism for corporate accountability, proposing policy reforms to ensure shareholders can effectively engage with boards on critical ESG issues.

This research analyzes the shifting dynamics of shareholder influence, investigating how the fragmentation of ownership structures affects corporate governance, active ownership strategies, and the ability of investors to drive long-term sustainable value.

The ENCORE Country Dashboard provides essential data for assessing nature-related risks and dependencies at a national level, enabling investors to better integrate environmental considerations into sovereign risk analysis and portfolio management.

On August 14, 2026, South Africa’s Constitutional Court delivered a landmark judgment setting aside the offshore oil and gas exploration rights held by Shell and Impact Africa along the Wild Coast. The court ruled that the original grant of the rights was unlawful due to a failure to meaningfully consult affected local communities and a failure to consider the potential impacts on climate change and marine life. This decision overturned a previous Supreme Court of Appeal ruling and effectively prevents the companies from renewing the exploration permits. [Published: 14 Aug 2026]

📖 Breaking down silos: Navigating the intersection of environmental and social risks for investors📖 Human rights and climate change: A guide for institutional investors

On August 14, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance announced it will permanently stop responding to no-action requests under Rule 14a-8, which governs when companies may exclude shareholder proposals from their proxy ballots. This decision makes permanent a temporary pause first announced in November 2025 and removes the previous exception for proposals related to state law. It ends the SEC’s long-standing role as an informal referee in disputes over shareholder proposals, forcing companies and proponents to resolve disagreements through direct negotiation or litigation. [Published: 14 Aug 2026]

📖 Shareholder proposals and corporate governance in a season of regulatory uncertainty📖 PRI’s resolution database

On August 17, 2026, the Australian federal government filed court documents in its $2 billion lawsuit against 3M, alleging the company knew for more than 50 years that its PFAS "forever chemicals" were toxic to humans and the environment. The filings claim 3M’s internal documents from as early as 1973 warned of the persistence of these chemicals in the human body and their link to health conditions such as reduced kidney function and birth defects. The government is seeking damages for contamination at 28 defence bases across Australia, marking the largest legal claim ever brought by the Commonwealth. [Published: 17 Aug 2026]

📖 PFAS: From non-stick to stuck in court – Dashboard📖 The European chemical sector’s influence on biodiversity policy

ABN AMRO announced on August 17, 2026, that it has committed to developing an absolute emissions backstop by 2030. This commitment involves setting specific targets to reduce the total volume of greenhouse gases associated with its lending and investment portfolios, marking a transition from a carbon intensity model to an absolute financed emissions reduction target. [Published: 17 Aug 2026]

📖 The good transition plan: Climate action strategy development guidance for banks and lending institutions: COP26-version📖 Targeting net zero: The need to redesign bank decarbonization targets

New harmonised rules on packaging and packaging waste began applying across all 27 EU Member States on August 12, 2026. The regulation sets mandatory requirements for packaging manufacturing, including recycled plastic content targets and a requirement for full recyclability by 2030. It also introduces restrictions on PFAS in food packaging and mandates clearer labelling to facilitate sorting and reuse. [Published: 12 Aug 2026]

📖 Solutions from the One Planet network to curb plastic pollution📖 Plastic promises scorecard series

On August 18, 2026, the United States government called on the European Commission to deliver on trade concessions regarding the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The US stated it would take any actions necessary to address what it describes as unreasonable burdens on American commerce caused by the extraterritorial reach of these ESG laws. This follows a 2025 trade framework agreement where the EU committed to reducing the administrative burden of these directives on US-based businesses. [Published: 18 Aug 2026]

📖 Sustainability Reporting Navigator📖 Retreat or respect? Diverging corporate paths on human rights in a time of turbulence

An update on legal actions to defend the EPA’s Endangerment Finding and Clean Air Act standards against regulatory rollbacks.

A Willis Tower Watson report highlights the supply chain complexities and political risks associated with lithium in the Lithium Triangle.

ACCR piece addressing the trajectory of global carbon emissions and their systemic implications for climate stability and financial markets.

Australian Retirement Trust highlights how the gender pay gap leads to significant shortfalls in retirement savings for women.

Unpublished research presented at the Australian Conference of Economists regarding the disconnect between wage growth and productivity.

Blog post examining the impact of extreme heat on garment workers in Dhaka and Indian textile hubs, and discussing just transition opportunities for the garment industry.

Media release summarizing the FMA’s findings on the conduct of insurers regarding add-on insurance products and the need for better distribution oversight to ensure fair treatment of customers.