August 2026 Newsletter
News & Commentaries by Ron Robins
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New August Podcast:
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Dem AGs dispute GOP’s probe into credit ratings agencies over ESG. “In their letter to the SEC, the state attorneys general said their Republican counterparts’ criticism of credit rating agencies drew conclusions ‘based on factual inaccuracies and distortions.’”
[COMMENTARIES] I don’t want to get ‘political’ here, but the criticism levelled at the ESG raters is misplaced. There’s certainly criticism of them that I believe is valid. But the main arguments Republicans put forth are largely invalid.
Dem AGs dispute GOP’s probe into credit ratings agencies over ESG, by Lamar Johnson, August 28, 2026, ESG Dive, USA.
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Can AI Go Green? Why Data Centers Are the Next Frontier for Green Bond Issuance. “AI is driving a surge in energy demand. Green bonds are one way the industry is responding. Here is how the data center green bond market works and how the industry is growing.”
[COMMENTARY] This article provides a great overview of the green bond market, particularly as it pertains to the bond issuance for AI data center development.
Can AI Go Green? Why Data Centers Are the Next Frontier for Green Bond Issuance, by Sunny Bokhari, August 28, 2026, VanEck, USA.
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Solar has helped Europe weather record-breaking heat. “Solar power proved the only major energy source that performed better than normal during Europe’s summer of extremes.”
[COMMENTARY] With the world warming and the issues concerning fossil fuels, it’s easy to see why solar is making big gains in electricity grids everywhere.
Solar has helped Europe weather record-breaking heat, by Austin Corona, August 25, 2026, Corporate Knights, Canada.
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ESG downgrades hit shares harder when investor expectations are high, study finds. “A study of more than 6,700 S&P 500 ESG rating changes finds that downgrades hit share prices harder when investor sentiment is already strongly positive – suggesting that the higher the expectations, the harder companies fall when their sustainability scores slip.”
[COMMENTARY] When investors are strongly positive, it often precedes many believing a market top might be near. Hence, the propensity to sell on any negative news. This is what I’ve believed for many years, and now this study appears to support that view.
ESG downgrades hit shares harder when investor expectations are high, study finds, by Taejun Kang, August 24, 2026, Eco Business, Australia.
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ESG Scores Miss What Matters: Can Companies Adapt? “ESG scores measure what companies disclose—not necessarily how they respond to disruption… For investment analysts, resilience may reveal risks traditional ESG analysis misses… The implication for long-term investors: move from sustainability attributes to demonstrated capabilities.”
[COMMENTARY] This is an interesting thesis that, for companies, the attributes of long-term resilience could encompass sustainability, yet be more meaningful for future operational and profitability than sustainability alone.
ESG Scores Miss What Matters: Can Companies Adapt? By Herman Bril, August 13, 2026, CFA Institute, USA.
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The climate strategy that most investors overlook. “Currently, only a quarter of these investors’ engagement resource goes towards real economy policies, while optimally they would double this.”
[CURRENTLY] The writer of this article makes a strong case for funds, investment managers, and companies to engage more with governments on climate policies.
The climate strategy that most investors overlook, by Richard Roberts, August 13, 2026, Reuters.
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The 2026 Clean Edge 100. “The 2026 Clean Edge 100, our third annual ranking of the 100 top publicly traded clean-tech companies in clean energy, transportation, water, and the grid, finds continued global industry leadership in the U.S., Europe, and China.”
[COMMENTARY] In this ranking, there appears to be some attempt to rate companies according to some clean tech criteria. However, without much further investigation, it’s unclear how much influence it may have on the overall rating assigned to companies.
The 2026 Clean Edge 100, August 2026, Clean Edge, USA.
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Looking back to look forward: the next phase of sustainable investment innovation. “As a provider of data and analytics, we help equip investors with the tools and insights to understand changing market dynamics, the evolution of a sustainable global economy and to assess associated risks and opportunities.”
[COMMENTARY] Though not well known to US investors, the LSEG Group in London is one of the world’s prominent influencers in global financial markets. It also has substantial interests in sustainable investing. Hence, what they have to say should interest visitors to this website.
Looking back to look forward: the next phase of sustainable investment innovation, by David Harris, August 7, 2026, LSEG Group, UK.
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Companies failing to act quickly enough on nature loss, UN says. “Companies and financial institutions are not moving fast enough to address nature loss despite the growing threat it poses to profits, economic growth and global supply chains, the U.N.’s biodiversity chief told Reuters.”
[COMMENTARY] Many industries can be affected by nature loss: Think of the fires in North America and their impacts on the lumber industry. Or loss of sea life for our food. And so on. For companies, it can mean reduced profits, and for consumers, higher prices.
Companies failing to act quickly enough on nature loss, UN says, by Simon Jessop, August 4, 2026, Reuters, UK.
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Sustainable investing is no longer about trying to save the world, managers say. “Asset managers launched a record low number of sustainable funds in the second quarter, as weak returns, steady investor withdrawals, and tighter regulation pushed firms to close products and rethink how they sell sustainability… Faced with the political climate, many firms now frame their funds around resilience, energy security, and risk rather than saving the planet.”
[COMMENTARY] Since funds with themes such as being socially responsible, ethical, responsible, sustainable, and ESG were initially launched, very few had ‘climate’ responsibilities as the major theme. Only in recent years, as climate change came to the fore, did funds use climate as a marketing theme. So it’s back to basics for these funds!
Sustainable investing is no longer about trying to save the world, managers say, by Freschia Gonzales, August 5, 2026, Wealth Professional, Canada.
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AI, Not ESG, Is Driving the Revival in Sustainable ETFs. “The return to positive flows was concentrated in a small group of passive ETFs tied to electrification, grid infrastructure and renewable energy, areas directly benefiting from AI-driven power demand and growing energy security concerns.”
[COMMENTARY] The excitement of everything surrounding AI has captured the interest of ethical and sustainable investors, and this is largely the reason for the new positive flows into sustainable stocks and funds.
AI, Not ESG, Is Driving the Revival in Sustainable ETFs, by
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Featured Book
Key Debates in Sustainable Investment “ESG investing reduces the risk of an investment being caught in a scandal or an environmental accident, etc., but it does nothing to incentivise a company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, for example.”
For more information, visit Key Debates in Sustainable Investment, by Rory Sullivan and Richard Perkins, April 21, 2026, by Routledge.
