Global enforcement trends: What global corporates need to know

Global enforcement agencies are shifting priorities, reshaping the corporate bribery and corruption landscape. New laws, political changes, sustainability-linked enforcement and AI-driven compliance – the next 12-18 months are critical for reassessing risk exposure and readiness.

Regulatory enforcement is no longer fragmented – it’s global, fast-moving, and shaped by political, technological and societal forces.

From sustainability-linked probes in Europe to AI-driven compliance in Asia and whistleblower momentum in the Americas, the landscape demands more than reactive compliance. It calls for strategic foresight.

Today’s compliance programs have to be agile, data-informed and locally attuned. That means embedding anti-bribery controls into sustainability frameworks, using AI for real-time risk detection and preparing for coordinated cross-border investigations.

So what are the key trends shaping global regulatory enforcement?

Global enforcement: Sharpening the focus

Regulators worldwide are intensifying their pursuit of corporate misconduct. Enforcement is becoming more coordinated, more assertive and more cross-border.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) recently recalibrated the FCPA to focus on conduct tied to US national security, major bribery and the competitiveness of US businesses, especially in critical sectors like defence, intelligence and key infrastructure.

In the UK, tax enforcement is escalating, with senior executives increasingly in scope, prompting a reassessment of governance and risk exposure.

France is refining its settlement regime, expanding the CJIP framework to include asset forfeiture. And Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission is gaining momentum, with dozens of investigations and multiple convictions since its launch.

Across Asia Pacific, reforms are expanding liability and lowering thresholds for enforcement. China is leading with aggressive anti-bribery measures and sector-specific crackdowns, while Southeast Asia is strengthening whistleblower protections and asset recovery tools.

Middle East governments are focused on security-related enforcement, targeting trade compliance and bribery with increased international agency cooperation.

Latin America is evolving through a mix of domestic reform and international cooperation. As enforcement matures, companies have to localise compliance, strengthen third-party oversight and stay ahead of shifting regulatory priorities.

Sustainability-enforcement: The new frontier of corporate risk

Sustainability is fast becoming a regulatory battleground. Prosecutors and regulators are zeroing in on greenwashing, governance failures and sustainability-linked misconduct. Cross-border probes and high-impact penalties are increasing.

Recent enforcement in Europe has made the risks tangible. Record fines for misleading sustainability claims underscores the growing scrutiny of asset managers and sustainability disclosures.

At the same time, EU legislative frameworks are reshaping corporate obligations. Despite political resistance, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive are on track to impose far-reaching requirements. Companies will be expected to disclose governance risks – including bribery – across their supply chains, with enforcement likely to follow.

Elsewhere, enforcement innovation is accelerating. Whistleblower reward programs in, for example, Saudi Arabia are targeting sustainability-linked corruption, particularly in climate finance and infrastructure. These schemes raise the stakes for internal reporting failures and increase reputational exposure from within.

Global corporates should treat these developments as active compliance priorities. sustainability audits, documentation trails and alignment between marketing and operations are no longer optional. Anti-bribery controls must be embedded into sustainability reporting, not bolted on as an afterthought.

Sustainability is becoming a core compliance risk. Companies have to move beyond policy statements and build defensible, data-backed sustainability frameworks. Regulators won’t just ask if your claims are credible. They’ll investigate.

Navigate complexity with confidence

We see compliance as a catalyst – not just for risk mitigation, but for resilience, value creation and leadership.

Our updated Global Bribery Offenses Guide offers jurisdiction-specific insights, enforcement forecasts and practical tools to help you anticipate change and respond with confidence. Wherever your business operates, our global team will help you stay one step ahead.

To discuss how these trends will affect your organisation – or to request a tailored briefing – please contact one of our compliance and investigations partners.