Altiorem Weekly - 25 October 2026
This issue examines the economic impact of data centre expansion on electricity grids and the business case for resilient agriculture in the food industry. It highlights findings from Transport & Environment regarding the discrepancy between official and real-world emissions for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Further research explores worker voice in corporate governance, the rise of index-based ownership, and the SEC’s examination priorities for 2027.
Dear friends and supporters of Altiorem,
A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through LinkedIn and I came across two posts. One on the importance of humility when engaging with complex systems and the other a recap from a session at Climate Week NYC. I really liked the systems post and recoiled from the other because it seemed so obviously written by AI. Which is not to say the content itself was of no interest, it's just that the language seemed so irritatingly not human!
I thought I'd check, so I went to the AI detection tool Pangram (v4.0), which said they were both 100 per cent AI. Fast forward to today, and in writing this, I felt I should retest them, first with Grammarly, which found the first post was 8 per cent AI and the second not AI at all! Going back to Pangram (v4.1), the rating had changed and the systems piece was 94 per cent AI and the Climate Week one 42 per cent.
The point of this week's newsletter is not the accuracy or otherwise of AI detection tools or the merits and quality of either of these posts. It is about loss of voice. As regular readers know, we use AI tools a lot for Altiorem, but I can't imagine having AI write something for me and publishing it under my own name. Editorial advice and edits, sure. Testing my biases and challenging the basis of my arguments, absolutely. Help researching an article using the expertly curated resources in Altiorem, yes, all the time!
But never to write for me, because then it wouldn't be me. It reminded me of the scene in Arthur Miller's The Crucible where John Proctor, under threat of execution, refuses to sign his name to a false confession: "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! … I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" Use AI to augment and enhance, but don't give it your voice. You cannot have another in your life, and once you cheapen it, who will trust it is really you again?
Reflecting on this, I decided to make some changes. A few weeks ago, I released an article writer on Altiorem. It would use the 125,000 pages of indexed research in the library to develop an article you commission. The feature allowed for rounds of review so you could tell Alma to make changes until you were happy with it. I appreciate now that this approach was fundamentally back to front. In addition, while the intention was for people to clearly state it was written by AI, there were no guarantees.
This is the problem with the concept of "human in the loop." If you're going to use AI for writing, it should be the other way around, with AI in the loop, lest you lose your voice. Releasing that feature was a mistake. I don't want Altiorem to facilitate AI slop, encourage people to give up their voice or contribute to all the ways AI is making people dumber.
Instead, I have converted the feature into a research deep dive. You give Alma the brief and it will extract research, statistics, different arguments and challenges from Altiorem's resources that can help you develop your own arguments and writing, but not do it for you. Every source is linked, with page references, to make exploring the underlying research easier.
You can find an example of a deep dive on the relevance of Indigenous wisdom to sustainable finance here. I hope that, by linking to resources across the Altiorem library, it encourages people to explore and validate in a structured way, as they develop and test their own thinking.
Indigenous wisdom to sustainable finance evidence base
Whether this strikes the right balance or not, I don't know, and some research in Altiorem suggests it may still go too far. I'd love to hear what you think so that we create features you value while walking the right line on AI adoption. Please get in touch!
My friend Maddy Combes takes these ideas a step further. She has developed system instructions in Claude to stop it from supporting cognitive offloading and laziness. If you are interested in this, I can share them with you; just reply to this email.
These AI quandaries are also why we are running our AI in sustainable finance and ESG research program. As this is ongoing work, we are leaving the expressions of interest open. We are holding an in-person workshop on 18 November in Sydney and will follow that with online focus groups for people in other locations or who can't make the Sydney event.
| Register your interest |
Until next week,
Pablo
New in the library
Pablo’s handpicked highlights from Altiorem last week:
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★ Featured
Cultivating investment: Resilient agriculture can pay off for food companies Ceres
Ceres explores how food companies can benefit from investing in resilient agriculture. The report provides a business case for prioritising sustainable farming practices to mitigate climate risks and ensure long-term supply chain stability for the global food industry. ESG Integration and analysisIssue/sector focused research
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| Who pays for growth? Evidence from data centers and the grid
MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR)
This research analyses the economic impact of data centre expansion on electricity grids. It investigates the distribution of costs between developers and existing consumers, offering evidence on how rapid digital growth influences infrastructure investment and energy pricing models. Issue/sector focused research
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| Artificial intelligence adoption in Chinese enterprises: Productivity effects, workforce implications, and policy challenges
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
The International Labour Organisation examines the productivity and workforce effects of AI adoption within Chinese enterprises. This report discusses the policy challenges and organisational changes required to manage the transition while protecting labour rights and promoting sustainable growth. Issue/sector focused researchStrategy and Organisational change
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| Beyond sovereignty: Nationally led crisis response in East Africa
ODI Global
ODI Global reviews nationally led crisis responses in East Africa, moving beyond traditional sovereignty frameworks. The study provides insights into fixing financial systems to better support local humanitarian efforts and improve the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement during regional crises. Fixing financial and economic systemsIssue/sector focused researchStakeholder engagement and advocacy
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| The global rise of index-based ownership of firms
European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This paper investigates the significant increase in index-based firm ownership globally. It explores the implications for corporate governance and financial systems, analysing how the shift towards passive investment affects firm behaviour and the broader landscape of product development. Fixing financial and economic systemsProduct development and trends
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To see all of the resources added this week visit Altiorem’s website: Altiorem Articles: Insightful Reads & Expert Knowledge
This week in ESG trends
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★ Featured
Corporate Emissions Reporting Controversy 21 October 2026
On October 18, 2026, the NGO Transport & Environment released a report alleging that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles from major manufacturers produce real-world carbon dioxide emissions up to six times higher than official figures. The analysis found that real-world emissions from models registered in Europe were only 14% lower than traditional combustion vehicles, despite official tests suggesting an 83% reduction. The report specifically noted that while Volkswagen had introduced upgrades to some models, the industry-wide discrepancy remains a significant concern for consumers and regulators. [Published: 18 Oct 2026] 📖 Global EV Outlook series📖 Navigating the EV transition: Barriers and tools for shifting Europe to low-carbon mobility |
Americas (North, Central & South America)
| Critical Minerals ESG Partnership
22 October 2026
On October 16, 2026, eight governments, including Argentina and Bolivia, announced the launch of country-led partnerships and compacts to advance responsible metals and minerals development with a specific focus on strengthening environmental and social oversight. The initiative, supported by the World Bank Group, sets out measurable targets for legal reforms and the adoption of high ESG standards to mobilise private responsible investment in the extraction of critical minerals like lithium and copper. This development seeks to align mining activities in the Americas with rigorous sustainability frameworks to secure international supply chains and attract climate-linked capital for the energy transition. [Published: 16 Oct 2026] 📖 Landscape of Climate Finance in Latin America and the Caribbean📖 DERA Preismonitor |
Asia
| Temasek Trust and World Bank Group Sustainable Finance Partnership
19 October 2026
On October 12, 2026, Temasek Trust and the World Bank Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Bangkok to establish a strategic partnership aimed at mobilising capital for climate resilience and sustainable development. The agreement includes the planned 2027 launch of a Singapore-based Knowledge Node to connect philanthropic organisations with investment opportunities. [Published: 12 Oct 2026] 📖 Business-led blended finance: A practical playbook📖 Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance: Portfolio |
| Regulator Haze Enforcement Action
19 October 2026
On October 16, 2026, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) issued preventive measure notices to seven Indonesian companies following investigations into forest fires on their concession lands. The notices legally require the firms to deploy firefighting personnel, cease all burning activities, and submit immediate action plans to the NEA. [Published: 16 Oct 2026] |
To see all of the daily trends follow us on LinkedIn: Altiorem on LinkedIn
Webinars and events
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★ Featured
ICRC · 1 November 2026 · Geneva, Switzerland · in_person
A gathering for states and civil society to examine two years of consultations on international humanitarian law and practical guidance for protecting civilians. Laws and regulations
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| A Holistic Approach to Deforestation and Conversion-Free Supply Chains
Trellis · 29 October 2026 · Online · webinar
A webinar focusing on moving deforestation requirements from optional to core requirements in sustainable supply chain management. Issue/sector focused research
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| Smallholders and the European Union Deforestation Regulation
International Institute for Sustainable Development · 27 October 2026 · Online · webinar
A webinar exploring how to ensure an inclusive transition to deforestation-free supply chains under new EU regulations. Laws and regulations
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| Collaborative Engagement: How Engagement Can Deliver Measurable Outcomes and Drive Impact
ISS STOXX · 27 October 2026 · Online · webinar
A webinar focused on building effective sustainability engagement programmes, setting KPIs to track company progress, and measuring investor influence through case studies. Active ownership
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| Routes to Transformation – Rebuilding Momentum for Sustainable Transformation
GlobeScan, Volans, and ERM · 29 October 2026 · Online · webinar
A webinar discussing findings from ‘Sustainability at a Crossroads 2026’ and the pathways to systemic sustainability progress. Fixing financial and economic systems
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| The State of Forests and Land Webinar
Systems Change Lab · 27 October 2026 · Online · webinar
A high-level discussion marking the launch of new data and insights on the state of the world’s forests and land, exploring progress and setbacks in halting terrestrial ecosystem loss. Issue/sector focused research
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For the full list of sustainable finance events visit our events page
From the community
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★ Published on Altiorem
Five Truths We Can No Longer Ignore Katie and Brian Boland of the Delta Fund argue that ESG, win-win and the Paris goals changed the story but not where the money went, and set out five truths, from a world past 2°C to AI and inequality, that philanthropy and impact investing can no longer ignore. Republished with permission. |
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★ Featured
Predistribution Initiative
An essay exploring how worker voice can strengthen corporate governance in the US and UK by providing a long-term, non-diversifiable stake that complements shareholder engagement. Governance and directors' duties
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| Nature-related disclosures consultation announced
IFRS
The IFRS Foundation has announced a new consultation phase for developing nature-related financial disclosure standards. Industry standards and guidance
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| Does Private Lending in Emerging Markets Deliver Competitive Returns?
blogs.worldbank.org
Analysis of over 4,100 IFC loans across 127 countries challenging perceptions of risk in emerging and fragile markets. ESG Integration and analysis
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| From intentionality to evidence: How the ESG backlash made impact investing real
Impact Alpha
Commentary on how political and market pressure has forced the impact investing sector to move toward more rigorous evidence and verification. Impact measurement and verification
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| SEC Announces Fiscal Year 2027 Examination Priorities
SEC
The SEC has released its examination priorities for the 2027 fiscal year, highlighting key areas of regulatory focus for investment advisers and broker-dealers. Laws and regulations
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| Research insights into fund due diligence for private market funds
Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP)
Explores a four-lens framework (Philosophy, People, Process, Performance) for conducting due diligence on private equity and venture capital funds starting with an Investment Policy Statement. Sustainable financial advice and consulting
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