Daily Update — March 24, 2026
Harmonizing Carbon Accounting Standards; Competing in the Electrotech Era; and Private Equity Investment in Education
Today is Tuesday, March 24, 2026, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
Aligning the math of carbon accounting
Carbon accounting — the math of emissions — is the process behind how emissions are calculated, reported and compared. Although often overlooked, it plays a crucial role in shaping climate policy, determining compliance costs, influencing carbon competitiveness and affecting public perception.
Recently, efforts to harmonize standards and establish a common language have pushed carbon accounting to the forefront of climate discussions. Three major developments in 2026 are intensifying the need for alignment: the introduction of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, updates to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and new industry-led initiatives for product-level carbon accounting.
Accurate and consistent carbon accounting can align decarbonization incentives with economic benefits. Conversely, poor implementation may hinder trade, restrict market access, deter investment and slow decarbonization efforts.
Achieving harmonization and establishing a common language for carbon accounting will be a major challenge in 2026. Strong differences of opinion may make consensus difficult. Still, the aim in 2026 is to accelerate the alignment of carbon accounting across regions, creating a transparent and equitable framework for measuring and reporting emissions.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
Has the electrotech age arrived?
In the electrotech age, the US, China and Europe are poised to strongly compete in their pursuit of energy autonomy, with each aiming to reduce dependence on rivals and decouple strategic sectors. This drive to build resilient power grids and secure electrotech supply chains is intensified by the AI race and mounting national security concerns.
However, as these dynamics evolve, the global landscape is likely to shift toward a state of competitive interdependence, with nations remaining interconnected through technology, supply chains and international markets. Lasting success will favor those who balance energy autonomy with industrial adaptability, cultivating an electrified, innovation-driven economy that can thrive amid rivalry and pragmatic collaboration.
Private Markets
Private equity education sector deals plummet in Asia-Pacific
The total deal value of private equity and venture capital investment in Asia-Pacific education services fell 87% year over year to $240 million in 2025, while the number of transactions decreased to 35 from 57. The median deal value also declined, dropping 20.7% to $2.3 million.
The pullback reflects stricter investor selectivity and a post-pandemic recalibration in education technology toward proven profitability, customer retention and unit economics. Additionally, uncertainty around AI's potential to disrupt software-driven education models is prompting investors to evaluate whether companies are AI-enabled or at risk of disruption.
Japan led the region in terms of aggregate transaction value, recording $177.6 million across nine deals — including 2025's largest transaction, Nippon Sangyo Suishin Kiko's $160.5 million acquisition of With us. India ranked second, with $33.2 million across nine deals.
In case you missed it
- The deal value of M&A in the Middle East and Africa rose 146% year over year, fueled by a strong performance in the United Arab Emirates, even as the number of transactions declined to 328 from 335.
- US shrimp prices have risen, with market participants at Seafood Expo North America attributing the increase to higher logistical costs linked to the war in the Middle East. They said that upcoming price trends will likely depend on freight expenses and geopolitical developments related to tariffs.
- Gold producers are benefiting from elevated bullion prices driven by geopolitical risk and safe-haven demand. However, these higher prices are also creating margin pressures as input costs, royalties and taxes continue rising.
Upcoming events
- US Tax Reporting & Withholding: Trends, Technology, and Compliance Strategies for 2026 | March 31 (Webinar)
- Navigating the Chaos of Sports Media Rights Fragmentation | April 2 (Webinar)
- The Frontier Of Cyber Risk: Crypto, Quantum, And AI | April 7 (Webinar)