As world leaders, policymakers, climate experts, global investors, and other key stakeholders converge on New York this week for annual Climate Week, new research from Morningstar suggests that environmental factors remain top of mind for global asset owners.
In its 2026 Asset Owner Perspectives Survey, Morningstar Indexes spoke to more than 500 asset owners globally representing more than $20 trillion in combined assets. When asked about which factors across E (environmental), S (social), and G (governance) were most material to investment strategy, more than half (56%) of respondents said they believe environmental factors have become more material in the past year, just two percentage points lower than last year’s survey.
And, among the most material environmental considerations for asset owners, climate transition readiness (50%), energy management (42%) and physical climate risk (30%) remain the most material, with AI-related environmental concerns more than doubling year over year (12% to 25%).
Margaret Stafford, director of product management at Morningstar Indexes, said: “What I'm hearing in New York this week confirms the data from our recent survey and adds texture to it. Climate hasn't lost momentum, but the conversation has become more specific: physical risk and adaptation, nature dependencies like water and land use, and how sharply those risks vary by location. Board-level understanding still lags; our data showed board preparedness for climate risk is one of the only governance issues gaining ground this year, even as incentives, compensation, and board composition all declined.”
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