ESG Foundation https://esgfoundation.org/ Environmental, social impact and corporate governance Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 When Greenwashing Meets the Gavel – Why ESG Needs Both Your Lawyer and Your Marketer in the Room https://esgfoundation.org/when-greenwashing-meets-the-gavel-why-esg-needs-both-your-lawyer-and-your-marketer-in-the-room?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-greenwashing-meets-the-gavel-why-esg-needs-both-your-lawyer-and-your-marketer-in-the-room&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-greenwashing-meets-the-gavel-why-esg-needs-both-your-lawyer-and-your-marketer-in-the-room Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/when-greenwashing-meets-the-gavel-why-esg-needs-both-your-lawyer-and-your-marketer-in-the-room There is a conversation happening in boardrooms across the Gulf right now, and it is long overdue. On one side of the table sits the marketing team, eager to position the company as a sustainability leader. On the other, the legal team, quietly flagging the regulatory minefield that same positioning could create. For too long, these two functions have operated in parallel — one building the brand narrative, the other managing risk. ESG is the issue that finally forces them into the same room.

The UAE has made that convergence non-optional. Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 on the Reduction of Climate Change Effects came into force on 30 May 2025, and the full compliance deadline lands on 30 May 2026 — barely seven weeks from today. Every entity operating in the UAE, public or private, mainland or free zone, must measure, report, and demonstrate plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Non-compliance carries fines ranging from AED 50,000 to AED 2,000,000, doubled for repeat offences within two years, with potential licence suspension and regulatory blacklisting on the table.

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There is a conversation happening in boardrooms across the Gulf right now, and it is long overdue. On one side of the table sits the marketing team, eager to position the company as a sustainability leader. On the other, the legal team, quietly flagging the regulatory minefield that same positioning could create. For too long, these two functions have operated in parallel — one building the brand narrative, the other managing risk. ESG is the issue that finally forces them into the same room. The UAE has made that convergence non-optional. Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 on the Reduction of Climate Change Effects came into force on 30 May 2025, and the full compliance deadline lands on 30 May 2026 — barely seven weeks from today. Every entity operating in the UAE, public or private, mainland or free zone, must measure, report, and demonstrate plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Non-compliance carries fines ranging from AED 50,000 to AED 2,000,000, doubled for repeat offences within two years, with potential licence suspension and regulatory blacklisting on the table. And before anyone asks: no, the current geopolitical climate has not paused this. The deadline is immovable. There has been no announced delay, no softening of enforcement, no grace period linked to regional tensions. If anything, the UAE’s positioning as a post-COP28 sustainability leader makes retreat from this law politically untenable. The legislation is a signal of national identity, not a discretionary policy lever. This is where the marketing-legal divide becomes dangerous — and it is a divide I have spent my career straddling. Having trained in both communications and law, I have sat in rooms where the marketing team writes a line that makes the lawyers wince, and rooms where legal drafts a disclosure so dense it might as well be invisible. A sustainability report is simultaneously a compliance document and a brand asset. When marketing drafts the company’s ESG narrative without legal review, the result can be aspirational language that crosses into misrepresentation. When legal drafts the disclosures without marketing input, the result is often impenetrable jargon that fails to communicate genuine progress to investors, partners, and the public. The risks cut both ways. Overpromise in your sustainability communications and you face greenwashing liability — an area where regulators globally are sharpening their teeth. But undercommunicate your ESG efforts and you miss a competitive differentiator in a market where government procurement, sovereign wealth fund mandates, and international partnerships are increasingly gated by sustainability credentials. The companies that will navigate this well are the ones treating ESG communications as a joint output. Legal ensures the claims are defensible, the data is auditable, and the disclosures meet the requirements of the Decree-Law. Marketing ensures the story is coherent, the positioning is strategic, and the reporting actually reaches and resonates with the audiences that matter. Neither function can do this alone. This is not a theoretical problem. Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions data must be measured, inventoried, and reported annually. Records must be maintained for a minimum of five years. External assurance will be required as mandated by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. These are legal obligations with teeth — but the way a company frames, presents, and contextualises that data is a brand decision with commercial consequences. The organisations that treat ESG as purely a compliance exercise will meet the minimum threshold and gain nothing. The organisations that treat it as purely a marketing exercise will eventually get caught. The ones that get it right will be those where the General Counsel and the CMO are not just aligned, but actively co-owning the output. May 2026 is not a drill. The law is live, the fines are real, and the reputational stakes are higher than the regulatory ones. The question is not whether your company needs to act — it is whether your marketing and legal teams are acting together.

THE SIGNAL

“Non-compliance with UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 carries fines of AED 50,000 to AED 2,000,000 — doubled for repeat violations — with potential licence suspension and regulatory blacklisting.”

— Kayrouz & Associates, ESG Enforcement Analysis, 2026

THE QUESTION

If your sustainability report landed on a regulator’s desk tomorrow and a journalist’s desk the day after — would both be satisfied with what they read?

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

— UAE Climate Change Law — PwC Middle East — ESG Is Now Enforceable in the UAE — Kayrouz & Associates — From Voluntary to Mandatory: UAE Climate Law — The Sustainable Times — UAE ESG Risk Revolution: Mandatory Climate Reporting 2026 — ASC Global — ESG Reporting in UAE 2026 — ExSolution Consultancy
The views expressed in this newsletter are Jonathan Ashton’s own personal perspectives and do not constitute legal or professional advice. Common Ground is published weekly. If this was shared with you, subscribe on LinkedIn to receive it directly.

(Image: JoJo Martin, Pexels.com)

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40 Migratory Animal Species Receive New or Upgraded Protection at Close of UN Meeting https://esgfoundation.org/40-migratory-animal-species-receive-new-or-upgraded-protection-at-close-of-un-meeting?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=40-migratory-animal-species-receive-new-or-upgraded-protection-at-close-of-un-meeting&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=40-migratory-animal-species-receive-new-or-upgraded-protection-at-close-of-un-meeting Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/40-migratory-animal-species-receive-new-or-upgraded-protection-at-close-of-un-meeting With populations of many migrant wildlife species in deepening decline, parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (132 nations and EU) agree on new or greater coordinated conservation efforts.

Confronted with stark new evidence that many migratory species are moving closer to extinction, governments at a major UN wildlife conservation meeting today in Brazil agreed on expanded conservation efforts, including new or enhanced treaty protections for 40 species and populations of birds, aquatic wildlife, and terrestrial animals.

Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) adopted several measures to strengthen global or regional conservation efforts of such iconic species as the cheetah, striped hyena, snowy owl, giant otter, great hammerhead shark, and several shorebird species facing steep population declines (listed below).

40 additional species or populations of species on CMS Appendices I (species in danger of extinction) or II (species in need of coordinated international action), which now include over 1,200 unique species under the 47-year-old Convention were identified.

They also approved multi-species conservation plans in the Amazon and other key regions. The week-long CMS COP15 opened with new findings that key indicators for many treaty-protected species continue to trend downward, reinforcing warnings that habitat loss, over exploitation, and infrastructure barriers are accelerating declines across species that traverse national borders.

The conference also highlighted a growing need to address threats such as deep-sea mining, climate change, plastic pollution, underwater noise, illegal wildlife killing, fisheries bycatch, and marine pollution.

CMS COP15 began with strong political and scientific warnings: migratory species are in accelerating decline and international cooperation is required to effectively respond.

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With populations of many migrant wildlife species in deepening decline, parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (132 nations and EU) agree on new or greater coordinated conservation efforts.

Confronted with stark new evidence that many migratory species are moving closer to extinction, governments at a major UN wildlife conservation meeting today in Brazil agreed on expanded conservation efforts, including new or enhanced treaty protections for 40 species and populations of birds, aquatic wildlife, and terrestrial animals.

Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) adopted several measures to strengthen global or regional conservation efforts of such iconic species as the cheetah, striped hyena, snowy owl, giant otter, great hammerhead shark, and several shorebird species facing steep population declines (listed below).

40 additional species or populations of species on CMS Appendices I (species in danger of extinction) or II (species in need of coordinated international action), which now include over 1,200 unique species under the 47-year-old Convention were identified.

They also approved multi-species conservation plans in the Amazon and other key regions. The week-long CMS COP15 opened with new findings that key indicators for many treaty-protected species continue to trend downward, reinforcing warnings that habitat loss, over exploitation, and infrastructure barriers are accelerating declines across species that traverse national borders.

The conference also highlighted a growing need to address threats such as deep-sea mining, climate change, plastic pollution, underwater noise, illegal wildlife killing, fisheries bycatch, and marine pollution.

CMS COP15 began with strong political and scientific warnings: migratory species are in accelerating decline and international cooperation is required to effectively respond.

CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel, said: “We came to Campo Grande knowing that the populations of half the species protected under this treaty are in decline. We leave with stronger protections and more ambitious plans but the species themselves are not waiting for our next meeting. Implementation has to begin tomorrow. Expanded protections for cheetahs, snowy owls, giant otters, great hammerhead sharks, and many more, demonstrate that nations can act when the science is clear. Our duty now is to close the distance between what we’ve agreed and what happens on the ground for these animals.”

COP15 outcomes at a glance

15 new Concerted Actions approved:

  • Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Behavioral Diversity and Cultures
  • Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum)
  • Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)
  • Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)
  • Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) of the Eastern Tropical Pacific
  • Franciscana Dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei)
  • Lahille Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus gephyreus)
  • Antipodean Albatross (Diomedea antipodensis)
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes)
  • Peruvian or Humboldt Pelican (Pelecanus thagus)
  • Magellanic plover (Pluvianellus socialis)
  • Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)
  • Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
  • Blue Shark (Prionace glauca)
  • All Devil and Manta Ray species (Mobulidae)

Report on previous Concerted Actions:

  • Giraffe: A report of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation on the Concerted Action for giraffes highlighted that the combined number of the four giraffe species increased ~20% from ~113,000 to ~140,000 between 2020 to 2025.

10 new or updated Species-focused Action Plans:

  • Regional Action Plan for Jaguar Conservation
  • Single Species Action Plan for the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sub-Population of the Tope Shark
  • Multi-species Action Plan for Amazonian Migratory Catfish
  • Single Species Action Plan for European Eel
  • Conservation Management Plan for Arabian Sea Humpback Whales
  • Multi-Species Action Plan for Bustards
  • Steppe Eagle Global Action Plan
  • Action Plan for Migratory Landbirds in the African-Eurasian Region
  • Action Plans for Birds
  • Conservation of African-Eurasian Vultures

Endorsed Conservation Management Plan for Arabian Sea Humpback Whales

New initiative on the illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species (detailed here: Global initiative to address mounting pressures from illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species announced at UN wildlife conference, www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121422)

Groundbreaking new scientific studies and tools unveiled, including

9 new champions of migratory species recognized for their long-term and sustained commitments in supporting conservation initiatives (detailed here: www.cms.int/news/migratory-species-champion-award-honors-long-term-commitments-conservation-initiatives-cms)

Germany, where the CMS treaty was first created in 1979, announced that Bonn would host the 16th Conference of the Parties in 2029, the treaty’s 50th anniversary.

40 species / populations of species added to / upgraded within CMS Appendices I and II

Terrestrial

Added to CMS Appendices I and II

  • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) – Zimbabwe’s cheetah population, estimated at 150 to 170 individuals, was . Other populations were already listed on Appendix I.
  • Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)

Avian

Added to Appendix I and II

  • Gadfly petrels (genera Pterodroma and Pseudobulweria):
  • 16 added to Appendix II (15 species, plus two subspecies)
  • 9 added to Appendix I

Added to Appendix II:

  • Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
  • Flesh-footed shearwater (Ardenna carneipes)
  • Iberá seedeater (Sporophila iberaensis) – added to Appendix II

Added to Appendix I:

  • Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus)
  • Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica)
  • Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Aquatic

Added to Appendix I and II

  • Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

Added to Appendix II:

  • Patagonian narrownose smoothhound (Mustelus schmitti)
  • Spotted sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) App. II

Added to Appendix I (while maintaining their status under Appendix II):

  • Pelagic thresher shark, bigeye thresher shark and common thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus, Alopias superciliosus, Alopias vulpinus)
  • Scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini)
  • Great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran)

About CMS Appendices

Appendix I  comprises migratory species in danger of extinction in the wild throughout all or a significant portion of their range. Parties that are Range States to a migratory species listed on Appendix I endeavour to strictly protect them by prohibiting the taking of such species (including the deliberate killing, capture or disturbance), with a very restricted scope for exceptions; conserving and, where appropriate, restoring their habitats; preventing, removing or mitigating obstacles to their migration; and controlling other factors that might endanger them.

Appendix II  migratory species require international agreement for their conservation and management. It also includes species whose conservation status would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement. This can include setting common objectives and management measures for shared populations, preparing and implementing joint action plans, coordinating monitoring and research, sharing data and best practices, and working together to conserve and restore key habitats along the species’ migration routes. The aim is to ensure that protection and management efforts are aligned across borders so that conservation gains in one country are not lost in another.

A species can be listed on both appendices when it is endangered and also requires coordinated international action across its migratory range.

At a glance: CMS and COP15

Over 2,600 participants, and 39 resolutions adopted, spanning efforts to strengthening conservation of species, habitats and ecological connectivity to addressing urgent threats such as

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of CMS, which meets every 3 years to review progress, add new species under the Treaty, and strengthen actions to address conservation needs as well as continuing or emerging threats. Strong science underpins the COP’s agenda, ensuring that policy discussions reflect the best available evidence on threats, population trends and effective response measures.

Venue: Bosque Expo, Campo Grande, Brazil (bosquedosipes.com/bosque-expo), 23-29 March, 2026

About CMS

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is a legally binding international treaty under the United Nations. CMS is one of the most important global frameworks for wildlife conservation and plays a vital role in addressing the global biodiversity crisis.

By fostering international collaboration, supporting research, and developing conservation agreements and actions among the Range States in which these species are found, CMS ensures the long-term survival of migratory species of wild animals and their habitats, and the vital benefits they provide.

132 countries plus the European Union are Parties to CMS. In addition, several non-Party countries have signed one or more binding CMS Agreements to protect migratory species.

Related news releases:

Share of migratory wild animal species with declining populations despite UN treaty protections worsens from 44% to 49% in two years; 24% face extinction, up 2%https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1118733

Amid new findings that more migratory species of animals are facing extinction nations gather in Brazil to agree on actions

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120997

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Survey reveals the top 5 industries which are on a good pathway to net zero https://esgfoundation.org/survey-reveals-the-top-5-industries-which-are-on-a-good-pathway-to-net-zero?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=survey-reveals-the-top-5-industries-which-are-on-a-good-pathway-to-net-zero&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=survey-reveals-the-top-5-industries-which-are-on-a-good-pathway-to-net-zero Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/survey-reveals-the-top-5-industries-which-are-on-a-good-pathway-to-net-zero Carbon Neutral Group, who work with organisations to build actionable net zero roadmaps, grounded in robust carbon accounting and operational change, has reviewed industry sectors and their road in sustainability, specifically those who are leading the way to becoming net zero, by examining their decarbonisation progress across five major industries.

When it comes down to industry sectors, retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are currently leading the way to net zero readiness, in comparison to logistics and hospitality industries, who for now remain behind.

The research assessed the hospitality, FMCG, manufacturing, logistics and retail sectors, comparing each industry's knowledge and progress in areas such as emissions measurement, science-based target setting, supply-chain engagement and the implementation of decarbonisation strategies.

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Carbon Neutral Group, who work with organisations to build actionable net zero roadmaps, grounded in robust carbon accounting and operational change, has reviewed industry sectors and their road in sustainability, specifically those who are leading the way to becoming net zero, by examining their decarbonisation progress across five major industries.

When it comes down to industry sectors, retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are currently leading the way to net zero readiness, in comparison to logistics and hospitality industries, who for now remain behind.

The research assessed the hospitality, FMCG, manufacturing, logistics and retail sectors, comparing each industry’s knowledge and progress in areas such as emissions measurement, science-based target setting, supply-chain engagement and the implementation of decarbonisation strategies.

The top five industries which are on a good pathway to net zero:

  • Retail and FMCG: Strongest so far in strategic plans and governance

  • Manufacturing: They have progress where technology and investment align, which is beneficial

  • Logistics and Hospitality: These two industries are most in need of accelerated support and coordinated action

The Retail and FMCG sectors emerged as the most strategically advanced. This may be driven largely by multinational brands with formal science-based targets, established ESG governance, along with increasing pressure from investors and consumers where there isl a huge demand for sustainable products but also evidently pressures of the rising cost of those products.

George Curtis, CEO of Carbon Neutral Group says: “To continue their progression in 2026, Retail and FMCG brands need to pair sustainability with quality, convenience, value, and trust, it’s crucial that C-suite members keep their sustainability commitments they have promised consumers throughout, to keep that reliability and trust going.“

Large retailers have also made significant progress in reducing operational emissions through renewable energy procurement, energy efficiency and fleet electrification. When it comes down to it, the FMCG companies are leveraging supply-chain engagement to accelerate emission reductions. However, these sectors will still face challenges in translating top-level commitments into consistent supplier-level action, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses.

When reviewing reports, Carbon Neutral Group, found that the manufacturing sector showed moderate to high readiness, particularly among energy-intensive producers investing in renewables, electrification and efficiency upgrades.

Where capital and infrastructure is available, manufacturers are demonstrating tangible emissions reductions, meaning the industry’s overall pace is constrained by high upfront investment requirements and asset lifecycles.

George Curtis, CEO of Carbon Neutral Group continues: “Teaming up with a Carbon Consultancy, really helps industries that are lagging behind, it allows us to deeply understand the company’s emissions profile but really enables us to advise the business on quick wins to reduce their footprint whilst creating longer term plans. The longer term plans could range from, reviewing suppliers, products and services and the associated footprint, through to how the business travels and commutes.  Any changes in these areas will need a longer time to implement and for the business to feel the benefits of change“.

Despite the logistics industry critical role in global supply chains, it remains one of the least net-zero-ready sectors. While awareness is rising and pilot projects around alternative fuels and efficiency are increasing, it seems adoption is inconsistent and emissions tracking remains a little broken.

The Hospitality sector ranked lowest overall in being net zero ready. Although the sector’s awareness is improving and industry bodies are developing shared roadmaps, most operators, particularly smaller venues, really lack data, capital and the expertise required to implement comprehensive decarbonisation strategies.

Food waste, building energy use and supply-chain emissions are key challenges that they are currently facing.

George Curtis continues: “This leads to why it is so important to have regular reviews of your energy use, plan for the seasonal changes and look at ways, where possible, on how you can make reductions in this area. Supply chain emissions can be a real headache for businesses. A suggestion that we tend to make is, make the change when onboarding any new supplier. Asking for carbon information on the products/services that are being bought allows for the carbon footprint for  that supplier to be calculated.  This can be done whilst reviewing the current suppliers, their carbon audits and asking them for their carbon plans for their products and services.“

Achieving net zero requires more than aspirational targets, it demands credible, measurable strategies that drive real reductions. Too often, organisations default to offsetting without understanding the deeper changes they need to make, this can risk confusing stakeholders and slowing down their net zero progress.

For more information, visit: https://www.carbonneutralgroup.co.uk/

Shadi Shadlou: shadi@carbonneutralgroup.com

About Carbon Neutral Group:

Carbon Neutral Group is one of the UK’s fastest-growing carbon neutral and sustainability consultancies.  With clients vary from NHS Trusts and NHS organisations to leading Digital Marketing Agencies, Architects and Freight & logistics businesses.  Carbon Neutral Group understands that every business has its unique challenges, and they use their experience to help solve and create a realistic journey to Net Zero that is conscious of time and financial budgets.

Carbon reduction plans are created following data that is from a carbon audit.  From this we can then understand the clients issues and look to create ways to reduce their clients carbon footprint.  No two carbon journeys are the same so we look to create a tailored solution.  This uses strategic planning whilst combining it with clients capabilities to help them to transition to a sustainable, carbon-neutral future.  As a team, they bring years’ worth of consultancy experience to the market which means that they can help businesses who are at any point in their journey to Net Zero.

(Image: Pexels.com)

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World Enters “Era of Global Water Bankruptcy” https://esgfoundation.org/world-enters-era-of-global-water-bankruptcy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=world-enters-era-of-global-water-bankruptcy&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=world-enters-era-of-global-water-bankruptcy Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/?p=35755 A UN report report calls for fundamental reset of global water agenda
as irreversible damage pushes many basins beyond recovery

UN Headquarters, New York – Amid chronic groundwater depletion, water overallocation, land and soil degradation, deforestation, and pollution, all compounded by global heating, a UN report today declared the dawn of an era of global water bankruptcy, inviting world leaders to facilitate “honest, science-based adaptation to a new reality.”

“Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era,” argues that the familiar terms “water stressed” and “water crisis” fail to reflect today’s reality in many places: a post-crisis condition marked by irreversible losses of natural water capital and an inability to bounce back to historic baselines.

“This report tells an uncomfortable truth: many regions are living beyond their hydrological means, and many critical water systems are already bankrupt,” says lead author Kaveh Madani, Director of the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), known as 'The UN’s Think Tank on Water.'

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World Enters “Era of Global Water Bankruptcy”;

UN Scientists Formally Define New 

Post-Crisis Reality for Billions

A UN report calls for fundamental reset of global water agenda

as irreversible damage pushes many basins beyond recovery

UN Headquarters, New York – Amid chronic groundwater depletion, water overallocation, land and soil degradation, deforestation, and pollution, all compounded by global heating, a UN report today declared the dawn of an era of global water bankruptcy, inviting world leaders to facilitate “honest, science-based adaptation to a new reality.”

“Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era,” argues that the familiar terms “water stressed” and “water crisis” fail to reflect today’s reality in many places: a post-crisis condition marked by irreversible losses of natural water capital and an inability to bounce back to historic baselines.

“This report tells an uncomfortable truth: many regions are living beyond their hydrological means, and many critical water systems are already bankrupt,” says lead author Kaveh Madani, Director of the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), known as ‘The UN’s Think Tank on Water.’

Expressed in financial terms, the report says many societies have not only overspent their annual renewable water “income” from rivers, soils, and snowpack, they have depleted long-term “savings” in aquifers, glaciers, wetlands, and other natural reservoirs.

This has resulted in a growing list of compacted aquifers, subsided land in deltas and coastal cities, vanished lakes and wetlands, and irreversibly lost biodiversity.

The UNU report is based on a peer-reviewed paper to be published in the journal of Water Resources Management that formally defines water bankruptcy as

1) persistent over-withdrawal from surface and groundwater relative to renewable inflows and safe levels of depletion; and

2) the resulting irreversible or prohibitively costly loss of water-related natural capital.

By contrast:

  • “Water stress” reflects high pressure that remains reversible
  • “Water crisis” describes acute shocks that can be overcome

The report is issued prior to a high-level meeting in Dakar, Senegal (26–27 Jan.) to prepare the 2026 UN Water Conference, to be co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal 2-4 Dec. in the UAE.

While not every basin and country is water-bankrupt, Madani says, “enough critical systems around the world have crossed these thresholds. These systems are interconnected through trade, migration, climate feedbacks, and geopolitical dependencies, so the global risk landscape is now fundamentally altered.”

Madani underlines the following four essential points:

  • Water cannot be protected if we allow the hydrological cycle, the climate, and the underlying natural capital that produces water to be interrupted or damaged. The world has an important and still largely untapped strategic opportunity to act.
  • Water is an issue that crosses traditional political boundaries. It belongs to north and south, and to left and right. For that reason, it can serve as a bridge to create trust and unity between and within nations. In the fragmented world we live in, water can become a powerful focus for cooperation and for aligning national security with international priorities.
  • Investment in water is also investment in mitigating climate change, biodiversity loss, and desertification. Water should not be treated only as a downstream sector affected by other environmental crises. On the contrary, targeted investment in water can address the immediate concerns of communities and nations while also advancing the objectives of the Rio Conventions (climate, biodiversity, desertification).
  • A renewed global emphasis on water could help reaccelerate stalled negotiations and potentially reenergize halted international processes. A practical and cooperative focus on water offers a way to connect urgent local needs with long-term global goals.

Hotspots

In the Middle East and North Africa region, high water stress, climate vulnerability, low agricultural productivity, energy-intensive desalination, and sand and dust storms intersect with complex political economies;

In parts of South Asia, groundwater-dependent agriculture and urbanization have produced chronic declines in water tables and local subsidence; and

In the American Southwest, the Colorado River and its reservoirs have become symbols of over-promised water.

A world in the red

Drawing on global datasets and recent scientific evidence, the report presents a stark statistical overview of trends, the overwhelming majority caused by humans:

  • 50%: Large lakes worldwide that have lost water since the early 1990s (with 25% of humanity directly dependent on those lakes)
  • 50%: Global domestic water now derived from groundwater
  • 40%+: Irrigation water drawn from aquifers being steadily drained
  • 70%: Major aquifers showing long-term decline
  • 410 million hectares: Area of natural wetlands – almost equal in size to the entire European Union – erased in the past five decades
  • 30%+: Global glacier mass lost since 1970, with entire low- and mid-latitude mountain ranges expected to lose functional glaciers altogether within decades
  • Dozens: Major rivers that now fail to reach the sea for parts of the year
  • 50+ years: How long many river basins and aquifers have been overdrawing their accounts
  • 100 million hectares: Cropland damaged by salinization alone

And the human consequences:

  • 75%: Humanity in countries classified as water-insecure or critically water-insecure
  • 2 billion: People living on sinking ground.
  • 25 cm: Annual drop being experienced by some cities
  • 4 billion: People facing severe water scarcity at least one month every year
  • 170 million hectares: Irrigated cropland under high or very high water stress – equivalent to the areas of France, Spain, Germany, and Italy combined
  • US$5.1 trillion: Annual value of lost wetland ecosystem services
  • 3 billion: People living in areas where total water storage is declining or unstable, with 50%+ of global food produced in those same stressed regions.
  • 1.8 billion: People living under drought conditions in 2022–2023
  • US$307 billion: Current annual global cost of drought
  • 2.2 billion: People who lack safely managed drinking water, while 3.5 billion lack safely managed sanitation

Says Madani: “Millions of farmers are trying to grow more food from shrinking, polluted, or disappearing water sources. Without rapid transitions toward water-smart agriculture, water bankruptcy will spread rapidly.”

A new diagnosis for a new era

A region can be flooded one year and still be water bankrupt, he adds, if long-term withdrawals exceed replenishment. In that sense, water bankruptcy is not about how wet or dry a place looks, but about balance, accounting, and sustainability.

Says Madani: As with global climate change or pandemics, a declaration of global water bankruptcy does not imply uniform impact everywhere, but that enough systems across regions and income levels have become insolvent and crossed irreversible thresholds to constitute a planetary-scale condition.

“Water bankruptcy is also global because its consequences travel,” Madani explains. “Agriculture accounts for the vast majority of freshwater use, and food systems are tightly interconnected through trade and prices. When water scarcity undermines farming in one region, the effects ripple through global markets, political stability, and food security elsewhere. This makes water bankruptcy not a series of isolated local crises, but a shared global risk that demands a new type of response: Bankruptcy management, not crisis management.”

A call to reset the global water agenda

The report warns that the current global water agenda – largely focused on drinking water, sanitation, and incremental efficiency improvements – is no longer fit for purpose in many places and calls for a new global water agenda that:

  • Formally recognizes the state of water bankruptcy
  • Recognizes water as both a constraint and an opportunity for meeting climate, biodiversity, and land commitments
  • Elevates water issues in climate, biodiversity, and desertification negotiations, development finance, and peacebuilding processes
  • Embeds water-bankruptcy monitoring in global frameworks, using Earth observation, AI, and integrated modelling
  • Uses water as a catalyst to accelerate cooperation between the UN Member States

In practical terms, managing water bankruptcy requires governments to focus on the following priorities:

  • Prevent further irreversible damage such as wetland loss, destructive groundwater depletion, and uncontrolled pollution
  • Rebalance rights, claims, and expectations to match degraded carrying capacity
  • Support just transitions for communities whose livelihoods must change
  • Transform water-intensive sectors, including agriculture and industry, through crop shifts, irrigation reforms, and more efficient urban systems
  • Build institutions for continuous adaptation, with monitoring systems linked to threshold-based management

The report underlines that water bankruptcy is not merely a hydrological problem, but a justice issue with deep social and political implications requiring attention at the highest levels of government and multilateral cooperation. The burdens fall disproportionately on smallholder farmers, Indigenous Peoples, low-income urban residents, women and youth while the benefits of overuse often accrued to more powerful actors.

“Water bankruptcy is becoming a driver of fragility, displacement, and conflict,” says UN Under-Secretary-General Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of UNU. “Managing it fairly – ensuring that vulnerable communities are protected and that unavoidable losses are shared equitably – is now central to maintaining peace, stability, and social cohesion.”

“Bankruptcy management requires honesty, courage, and political will,” Madani adds. “We cannot rebuild vanished glaciers or reinflate acutely compacted aquifers. But we can prevent further loss of our remaining natural capital, and redesign institutions to live within new hydrological limits.”

Upcoming milestones — the 2026 and 2028 UN Water Conferences, the end of the Water Action Decade in 2028, and the 2030 SDG deadline, for example — provide critical opportunities to implement this shift, he says.

“Despite its warnings, the report is not a statement of hopelessness,” adds Madani. “It is a call for honesty, realism, and transformation. Declaring bankruptcy is not about giving up, it is about starting fresh. By acknowledging the reality of water bankruptcy, we can finally make the hard choices that will protect people, economies, and ecosystems. The longer we delay, the deeper the deficit grows.”

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ESG and Sustainability Insights: 10 Things That Should Be Top of Mind in 2026 https://www.lw.com/en/insights/esg-and-sustainability-insights-10-things-that-should-be-top-of-mind-in-2026#new_tab?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=esg-and-sustainability-insights-10-things-that-should-be-top-of-mind-in-2026&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=esg-and-sustainability-insights-10-things-that-should-be-top-of-mind-in-2026 Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/?p=35750 In 2026, we expect that business and legal leaders who successfully disentangle and separate economic, political, and legal risk with a clear strategic focus will be best able to capitalize on ESG/sustainability imperatives.

Interest rates are expected to fall across many key markets, which will likely lead to an active IPO and M&A market. Investors are expected to continue to consume and rely on ESG/sustainability data as part of their investment decision-making pre- and post-IPO and acquisitions.

In the world of private capital, ESG/sustainability is hardwired into the investment process, whether in raising funds aligned with the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) or more generally to access LP capital or deploy capital in the acquisition of assets or provision of credit. Specifically, given the current trends of buy-and-build deals and carveout transactions, targets can have a different risk culture from the buyer, which makes ESG/sustainability diligence especially important for both valuation and integration purposes.

A new generation of AI tools is helping to shed light on what are challenging ESG/sustainability diligence topics like child labor, human rights violations, and other critical social factors that can degrade valuation as well as investor and customer trust. We expect increased AI use by buyers and investors to deepen their understanding of companies’ business models and risk, including through the value chain.

Geopolitics continue to have a significant influence on financial markets. Several countries will hold elections in 2026, including the US, South America (Brazil and Peru), and Israel. In the US, the political balance of Congress will have important implications for ESG/sustainability, and at the state level, various gubernatorial elections could shape the ESG/sustainability space and debate.

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ESG progress stalls across UK fiduciary management market https://www.professionalpensions.com/news/4523856/esg-progress-stalls-uk-fiduciary-management-market#new_tab?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=esg-progress-stalls-across-uk-fiduciary-management-market&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=esg-progress-stalls-across-uk-fiduciary-management-market Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/?p=35752 There is a growing disconnect between sustainability rhetoric and reality, with overall ESG progress stalling across the UK fiduciary management (FM) market, latest research by XPS Group finds.

The firm's Fiduciary Manager ESG Integration Survey 2025 – covering 14 FMs representing over £300bn in assets – found that, while sustainability is widely referenced, implementation across the market "remains inconsistent".

The survey – which rated rates FMs as green, amber or red across five key areas – found that only 21% of fiduciary managers were rated green in 2025, down from 38% in 2024 – a 17-point decline.

It said that, while 57% of fiduciary managers influence voting activities, escalation from engagement to divestment remains inconsistent.

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From Rush Hour to Kitchen Table: Remote Work’s Quiet Environmental Shift in 2026 https://esgfoundation.org/from-rush-hour-to-kitchen-table-remote-works-quiet-environmental-shift-in-2026?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-rush-hour-to-kitchen-table-remote-works-quiet-environmental-shift-in-2026&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-rush-hour-to-kitchen-table-remote-works-quiet-environmental-shift-in-2026 Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/from-rush-hour-to-kitchen-table-remote-works-quiet-environmental-shift-in-2026 Remote work refers to a work arrangement where individuals perform their jobs outside a centralized office, most often from home. Now in 2026, remote work has solidified its status as a norm for millions of people. Along the way, it has quietly reshaped the environmental equation for individuals, changing how energy is used, how carbon is emitted, and how daily habits form.

The Environmental Shift That is Now Standard

When people think about environmental impact, they often picture factories, planes, or city traffic. But individual routines matter too. A traditional office job bundles energy use and emissions into shared spaces: large buildings, daily commutes, centralized heating and cooling, and constant lighting.

Remote work breaks that bundle apart. Working from home doesn’t automatically make someone
“greener,” but by 2026, it has fully moved environmental decisions closer to the individual. This shift creates both opportunities and responsibilities.

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Remote work refers to a work arrangement where individuals perform their jobs outside a centralized office, most often from home. Now in 2026, remote work has solidified its status as a norm for millions of people. Along the way, it has quietly reshaped the environmental equation for individuals, changing how energy is used, how carbon is emitted, and how daily habits form.

The Environmental Shift That is Now Standard

When people think about environmental impact, they often picture factories, planes, or city traffic. But individual routines matter too. A traditional office job bundles energy use and emissions into shared spaces: large buildings, daily commutes, centralized heating and cooling, and constant lighting.

Remote work breaks that bundle apart. Working from home doesn’t automatically make someone “greener,” but by 2026, it has fully moved environmental decisions closer to the individual. This shift creates both opportunities and responsibilities.

2026 Snapshot: What Has Changed

  • Permanent reduction in daily car trips and fuel consumption.
  • More individualized control over heating, cooling, and lighting.
  • Increased use of home electronics during the workday
  • Greater visibility into personal energy habits

In short: less commuting, more personal choice.

Key Takeaways for the 2026 Workforce

Working remotely can lower personal carbon footprints mainly by cutting commutes, but the environmental benefit depends on how people manage energy at home. Small, intentional changes—like efficient heating, mindful device use, and sustainable routines—add up. Remote work doesn’t eliminate environmental impact; it redistributes it into everyday decisions.

Carbon Footprints: Commutes vs. Living Rooms

For many workers, commuting was the single biggest daily source of carbon emissions. Driving alone, sitting in traffic, or even using public transit adds up over time. Remote work removes or reduces that entirely.

However, home energy use rises during the day. The net environmental impact depends on several factors, summarized below.

How remote work shifts emissions

Factor Office-Based Work Remote Work (2026 Standard)
Transportation Daily commuting emissions Often eliminated
Heating/Cooling Large shared systems Individual home systems
Lighting Always-on office lighting Targeted, room-level use
Equipment Shared devices Personal devices

For many people, the reduction in transportation emissions outweighs the increase in home energy use—especially if they live in energy-efficient homes or take steps to manage consumption.

Learning, Careers, and The Digital-First Economy

Remote work doesn’t exist in isolation from education and career development. In 2026, many people now prepare for remote-friendly roles without ever setting foot on a physical campus. Earning an online degree allows students to build relevant skills while avoiding daily travel, reducing commuting emissions and the energy demands of large institutional buildings. It also aligns naturally with remote work culture, where digital communication, self-management, and virtual collaboration are essential.

For those interested in technology-focused roles, exploring cybersecurity career paths can support both career growth and sustainability goals. With a cybersecurity degree, you can also learn about protecting businesses’ computers and network systems—an increasingly critical need in a digital-first world.

Daily Habits That Quietly Matter

Remote work changes the rhythm of the day. Lunches are cooked at home. Coffee is brewed in personal kitchens. Breaks look different. These small shifts can influence sustainability more than people expect.

A few examples:

  • Cooking at home can reduce packaging waste and food transport emissions.
  • Flexible schedules make it easier to run errands on foot or by bike.
  • Less pressure to “look busy” can reduce unnecessary device use.

On the 2026 flip side, always being home can blur boundaries and lead to higher energy use if devices stay on all day or heating runs longer than needed.

2026 Checklist: Making a Home Office Eco-Friendly

You don’t need a solar roof or a smart home overhaul to make a difference. The biggest gains usually come from simple, repeatable choices.

A practical checklist for greener remote work

  • ☐ Set a consistent thermostat schedule for work hours only
  • ☐ Use natural light whenever possible
  • ☐ Power down monitors and equipment when not in use
  • ☐ Choose energy-efficient bulbs and devices
  • ☐ Avoid printing unless absolutely necessary
  • ☐ Bundle errands to reduce extra trips

These habits not only reduce emissions but often lower utility bills—a rare win-win.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is working from home always better for the environment?
Not always. The benefits depend on commuting distance, home energy efficiency, and daily habits. For most people with long commutes, remote work reduces emissions overall.

Does remote work increase electricity use?
Yes, typically during the workday. However, targeted use at home is often more efficient than powering large office buildings.

What’s the biggest eco-friendly change remote workers can make?
Reducing unnecessary heating, cooling, and device use during the day usually has the biggest impact.

Do hybrid workers still see environmental benefits?
Often, yes. Even working from home a few days a week can significantly cut transportation emissions.

By 2026, remote work has reshaped environmental challenges. By shifting control from centralized offices to individuals, it turns sustainability into a daily practice rather than a distant policy goal. The real impact comes from awareness: when people notice their energy use, they can change it. Small decisions, repeated every workday, quietly add up to something meaningful.

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Is ESG dead? https://esgfoundation.org/is-esg-dead?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-esg-dead&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-esg-dead Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/is-esg-dead No, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is not dead, but it's evolving and facing challenges like political backlash, greenwashing scrutiny, and a need for clearer metrics, shifting from simple "box-ticking" to more integrated, results-driven strategies, with many experts seeing it maturing into "ESG 2.0" focused on tangible impact and business sense. While some claim it's failing due to hype, the core principles remain vital, with investors, regulators, and companies continuing to embed sustainability into core decisions, albeit with a greater demand for authenticity and measurable outcomes.

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No, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is not dead, but it’s evolving and facing challenges like political backlash, greenwashing scrutiny, and a need for clearer metrics, shifting from simple “box-ticking” to more integrated, results-driven strategies, with many experts seeing it maturing into “ESG 2.0” focused on tangible impact and business sense.
While some claim it’s failing due to hype, the core principles remain vital, with investors, regulators, and companies continuing to embed sustainability into core decisions, albeit with a greater demand for authenticity and measurable outcomes

Why it’s considered “dead” (and why it’s not)
  • Backlash & Fatigue: Criticism arose from ESG being treated as a compliance exercise, leading to “greenwashing” and performance questions, causing some to question its relevance.
  • “Midlife Crisis”: Momentum slowed as performance and practicality gained focus over pure purpose, with a generational divide in views.
  • Not Dead, Just Evolving: The fundamental need for sound governance, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility remains crucial for long-term business viability. 
The evolution (ESG 2.0)
  • Focus on Tangible Results: Businesses are moving from broad promises to concrete actions, like installing efficient trucks or optimizing energy use, proving impact.
  • Authenticity is Key: Companies must back up claims with real data to avoid reputational damage from greenwashing.
  • Regulatory Shift: Regulators are refining rules, pushing for clearer disclosure, and recalibrating burdens, but the overall sustainability agenda persists.
  • Core Business Integration: ESG is becoming a fundamental part of risk management and strategy, not just a separate initiative, notes the IOM3. 
In essence, the noisy hype around ESG might be fading, but the underlying movement towards sustainable, responsible business practices is maturing, not dying. 
(Picture: Pexelx.com_Jean Christophe Andre)

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Five ideas to find and retain the best ESG and sustainability talent https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/insights/five-ideas-to-find-and-retain-the-best-esg-and-sustainability-talent#new_tab?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=five-ideas-to-find-and-retain-the-best-esg-and-sustainability-talent&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=five-ideas-to-find-and-retain-the-best-esg-and-sustainability-talent Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/five-ideas-to-find-and-retain-the-best-esg-and-sustainability-talent Creating a sustainable, corporately responsible business takes huge commitment. For that reason it’s crucial to be able to attract the appropriate talent to deliver your company’s aspirations. But where do you find the right people in this emerging and rapidly evolving marketplace? And what do you need to do to ensure you attract and appoint the best person?

Building a sustainable business is a major project. We’re talking about wholescale business transformation: from the way you light and heat your offices to the decarbonisation of entire supply chains. To meet objectives like these requires significant investment in time and money. However it is important to note that a sustainably run business is a more profitable one, therefore recruiting and retaining the very best individuals is a crucial component to achieving success.

The climate crisis has created an influx into the sustainability workforce, from experienced candidates pivoting into sustainability to ever-increasing numbers of graduates eager to be part of the solution. While this is a good thing, there are some key obstacles to navigate when hiring an experienced sustainability specialist with the skills to create a strategy that aligns with the existing corporate strategy, someone who can guide you through its implementation and maximise the commercial benefits.

So here are five recommendations to help you attract and hire the best talent to fulfil that role.

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ESG progress declines for second consecutive year amid political uncertainty https://www.pensionsage.com/pa/ESG-progress-declines-for-second-consecutive-year-amid-political-uncertainty.php#new_tab?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=esg-progress-declines-for-second-consecutive-year-amid-political-uncertainty&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=esg-progress-declines-for-second-consecutive-year-amid-political-uncertainty Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://esgfoundation.org/esg-progress-declines-for-second-consecutive-year-amid-political-uncertainty Investment firms' progress on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and climate strategies has declined for the second year running, with the proportion rated ‘green’ falling to 64 per cent, down from 72 per cent last year and 85 per cent in 2023, according to XPS' fifth annual Investment Fund ESG Rating Review.

The review, which assessed 170 investment funds across 41 asset managers, found that although headline ESG scores continued to edge slightly higher, underlying progress has slowed sharply, and significant gaps remain across climate strategy, stewardship, and the day-to-day integration of ESG risks.

Indeed, XPS downgraded a number of asset managers after identifying weakened or softened climate commitments, warning that political uncertainty around sustainability should not deter firms from setting “clear, credible climate strategies”.

While 90 per cent of asset managers had a diversity and inclusion (D&I) policy in place, only 61 per cent had firm-level D&I targets, highlighting further inconsistency in commitment.

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