ESG Currents What Forces Will Drive ESG Markets in 2026
Dec 17, 2025
Shaheen Contractor, a sustainable funds specialist tracking ESG-labeled assets and flows. Melanie Rua, a researcher on water stress and infrastructure risks for data centers. Rob Du Boff, an analyst of shareholder activism and proxy trends. They discuss sustainable debt and fund flows, water and infrastructure pressures from AI and data centers, and the outlook for shareholder activism and regulatory shifts shaping 2026 markets.
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Japan May Force Cash Deployment Changes
- Japan's governance code revision will pressure companies to reduce excess cash and reallocate capital.
- Homa-san (Yasutake Homma) says the outcome could force structural shifts in Japanese corporate capital allocation.
Sustainable Debt Keeps Hitting Trillions
- Global sustainable debt should top $2 trillion again, led by green and social bonds backed by sovereigns and agencies.
- Chris Ratti expects low- to mid-single-digit growth for sustainable bond issuance in 2026.
Leverage Thematic Debt And Private Credit
- Expand thematic fixed-income and private credit solutions to fund transition projects and de-risk construction phases.
- Chris Ratti suggests using targeted products and private credit to bridge financing gaps for renewables and storage.