S&P Global surveyed sustainability, climate and energy transition leaders and analysts from across our business about the areas that they expect to have the greatest influence on sustainability strategy and decision-making in 2026. The research that follows lays out the 10 key trends we are watching for the year ahead, along with links to datasets, research, and further reading to learn more.
On Saturday 17 January 2026, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement – or High Seas Treaty – will enter into force, marking a major milestone in international ocean governance and introducing new tools to safeguard the deep ocean’s extraordinary life and the critical services it provides. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) – campaigning for the protection of the deep ocean, which makes up the majority of the high seas – celebrates the High Seas Treaty becoming law.
The Treaty introduces new obligations for governments to protect marine biodiversity and apply high environmental standards across ocean governance bodies including the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). These new provisions will create the context to reshape ocean governance, advance ocean science, and protect the deep from destructive practices like bottom fishing, deep-sea mining, and marine carbon dioxide removal.
Sian Owen, Executive Director of the DSCC, said:
The High Seas Treaty is a historic win for ocean protection, and thus for the deep sea, which accounts for around 90% of the entire ocean’s volume. As it enters into force, governments must turn ambition into action and apply its provisions wherever decisions affect the deep ocean – Earth’s beating blue heart. If States allow loopholes or proceed with business-as-usual, this landmark agreement could fall short. But with political will and courage, it can finally deliver the meaningful protection the deep ocean has long needed. Safeguarding the ecosystems that sustain life on our planet is an urgent priority.
Bronwen Golder, Global Seamounts Campaign Director at the DSCC, said:
The Treaty presents an unprecedented opportunity to safeguard the deep sea and the incredible ecosystems it hosts, including seamounts, which have long faced destruction from bottom trawling. With so much to discover and understand about the deep sea, and how it supports our ocean at large, this practice is simply not compatible with the vision presented by the Treaty. After over two decades of commitments from States to phase out destructive fishing practices with little progress, the Treaty sets requirements for delivering on these commitments which can no longer be ignored. Fully protecting seamounts is essential to delivering the ocean protection the High Seas Treaty promises.
Sofia Tsenikli, the DSCC’s Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium Campaign Director, said:
Today is a day of celebration for biodiversity and multilateralism, but the job of protecting the ocean is far from complete. The High Seas Treaty raises the bar significantly, but on its own, won’t stop deep-sea mining from beginning in our ocean. Governments cannot credibly commit to protecting marine biodiversity while allowing an industry that would irreversibly destroy life and ecosystems that we barely understand to proceed. As the Treaty enters into force, we call on States to use this momentum to strengthen ocean protection and establish a deep-sea mining moratorium at the International Seabed Authority.