July 2026 was the 2^nd warmest July on record and finished with an average global temperature of 1.56° +/- 0.09° C above the 1850 – 1900 average – trailing only 2023 and tied with 2024.

With a strengthening El Niño already showing a +2.7° C increase, forecasts suggest it will peak at 4.0° C.

With July being so hot, combined with the El Niño projections, Berkley Earth now gives a 69% chance 2026 will be the hottest year on record.

However, holding the crown will be hard, as 2027 is expected to be even hotter.

We’ve worked hard over the past 100 years to warm this place up.

If we want to, we can work equally hard to cool it down.

• In less than 4 years, AI will be using more power than all but five countries (China, USA, India, Russia and Japan) – We are already at the tipping point with carbon emissions and global warming.  AI is not going to nudge us over; it is going to throw us over.
• In less than 4 years, AI will be consuming the equivalent of the water needs of 1.3 billion people (15% of the world’s population) – It is taking the water needed to keep people alive.
• AI has reached your children – We need standards and controls for their safety.
• AI will be used in war, improving our ability to kill each other – How will a country’s leaders not choose to use it to kill thousands/millions if those leaders feel threatened (externally AND internally)?
• We may be the last generation able to set the terms on which humanity and machines co-exist – Yes, this sounds like it is coming from a movie, but it is not.

Trailing only 2024, June 2026 was the 2^nd hottest June in recorded history – 1.49°C above the industrial baseline.

Our oceans are warming even faster than the overall air temperature and June 2026 was the hottest June in recorded history for our oceans – 1.17°C above baseline.

The rising global temperatures have served as a foundation for the heatwaves and fires in Europe and Canada.  This will impact the cost of your food.

The rising ocean temperature is killing the reefs, which will also impact your food cost.

An El Niño is forming and, driven by the above, is expected to become the strongest ever.  In fact, the forecast models are literally scoring off the charts – they are providing numbers above the range they are designed to test at.

The impact of the El Niño will be mostly felt in 2027.  It will magnify droughts in some areas and flooding in other areas, while adding more damage to coral reefs and fish populations.

Net, we can expect 2027 will bring more damage to food production and housing.

Don’t expect this end.  The scientific community believes the human-driven component of global temperature increases will slow/stop approximately ten years after the world reaches net-zero carbon emissions.  However, given that we are nowhere close to that, and given that carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, high temperatures will continue for centuries, even after emissions stop.  Further, with polar ice/snow melting, our ability to reflect the Sun is reduced.

Net, its only going to get worse.

Which side of this do you and your company want to be on?  Do you want to remain part of the problem or become part of the solution?  +70% of consumers will move their business if they find a company they believe is taking action to be part of the solution (which is why there is so much greenwashing from companies trying to cash in without becoming certified/verified).

Since 1971 we have been consuming more than the Earth can produce each year.  

To make matters worse, our consumption has been increasing.

This year, Earth Overshoot Day is July 30.

On this date we have consumed all the Earth can produce for this year.  For the rest of this year, we consume from future years.

We are currently consuming 1.8 Earths every year.  

We have been over-consuming for 55 years.

How does that math work for you?

This report is a summary of 640 studies over 10 years.  That’s a LOT of data. 

You already know most of what it says.  Some of the numbers below might be a bit different than what you were expecting, but the overall message, which is that companies that can prove their environmental sustainability commitment are doing much better than their peers; and the value is far, far, far greater than the cost of becoming, maintaining and promoting your sustainability commitment (ie, certification and verification).

Further, the gap between certified sustainable companies and their non-certified peers continues to widen.  As government compliance, Scope 3 mandates, consumer demand, corporate demand, lender demand, investor demand, and employee demand grow, you are falling further behind every year if you are not certified.

You have budgeted money for a variety of things for your business in 2026.  None of them will deliver the combined ROI numbers you see below.

As you go through the bullets, think about what these performance numbers would mean for your company in 2026 and future years.

As to Performance against the stock market, environmentally sustainable companies:

• Outperformed the stock market by 206% – 1,681% over the ten-year period

As to Growth, environmentally sustainable companies enjoyed:

• 2x – 5x growth versus their competitors
• (Poor sustainability performance drives a loss in revenues by as much as 10% annually)

As to Products, environmental sustainability products:

• Grew 6x faster than their non-sustainable competitive peers

As to having a Sustainability Label or Badge, it can:

• Increase consumer demand 13 – 14% immediately after you start promoting it

As to what consumers are willing to spend, consumers are Paying (not just saying they will pay):

• 10% – 150% more for products from sustainable companies

Procurement managers will Pay:

• A 15% premium for sustainable products or services

Environmentally sustainable companies have a Cost of Debt that is:

• 42% lower than their non-sustainable competitive peers

Companies that can prove their sustainability claims enjoy a Cost of Equity that is:

• 29% lower than their non-sustainable peers

As to the cost associated with Negative Events, a company with a strong sustainability brand:

• Will lose an average of $1.14 billion less in market value when faced with a negative brand event than a peer that does not have a strong sustainability brand

As to using environmental sustainability as a Branding Tool to take business away from competitors, here is the annual dollar amount being taken by sustainability companies from their non-sustainable competitive peers:

• $9.4 billion annually switching in the food and grocery industry
• $8.4 billion annually switching in the general insurance industry
• $6.2 billion annually switching in the pension fund industry
• $3.9 billion annually switching in the retail grocery industry
• $3.6 billion annually in the energy provider industry
• $2.6 billion annually in the banking industry
• $2.6 billion annually in the automotive industry
• $2.5 billion annually in the telecom industry
• $1.9 billion in the fashion and retail industry
• $1.9 billion annually in the quick service restaurant industry
• $1.0 billion annually in the liquor industry
• $0.5 billion in the airline industry

As to Firm Value, environmentally sustainable companies saw a boost of:

• Enterprise value of 36% – 180%

As to a company’s Financial Performance, sustainability has the potential to boost:

• Profitability by as much as 21%
• Shareholder return by as much as 6%

As to a company’s Sales and Revenues, sustainability can increase:

• B2B sales by as much as 20%
• B2C sales by as much as 20%

As a Vendor, being sustainability can:

• Boost your sales by over 2.2x
• Increase share price by as much as 5.62%
• Increase profitability by as much as 3%
• Increase trade credit by as much as 17.6%

As to Risk and Financing Costs, sustainability can:

• Reduce the risk of investing in an asset by +30%
• Reduce the risk that impacts your company by 71% if you advertise
• Reduce the cost of equity by +14%
• Reduce the cost of debt by +10%
• Improve your credit rating by 4.5% per unit of improvement on your sustainability rating
• Reduce your loan default rates by as much as 0.3% for each unit increase in sustainability performance

As to Human Resources, sustainability can:

• Improve talent attraction by as much as 69%
• Decrease employee turnover by as much as 57%
• Improve employee morale by as much as 55%
• Boost employee productivity by as much as 21%
• Reduce employee wage costs by as much as 12.4%

As to Cost Reduction, sustainability can:

• Reduce operating costs by as much as 45%
• Reduce supply chain management by as much as 16%
• Lower overall COGS by 2.6%
• Lowers overall SG&A

Each of the above bullets, on its own, is greater than the cost of having your company become and maintain its sustainability certification.  Added up, nothing you will do in 2026 will deliver more value. 

Oh, and it helps the environment and future generations too!

So, will you continue to ignore the data, or will you act?

If you decide to act, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

Genergy ( https://genergy.com/ ) provides AI-powered sub-metering energy management solutions for property managers and businesses.  Genergy’s founders have been in the Energy Management business for over 35 years, positioning the company to national prominence in the industry. The company has continued its environmental sustainability commitment by renewing and extending its Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification through 2026.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.   Edenark Group also helps clients pursue carbon neutrality and ESG compliance, using the Edenark Group ISO 14001 as a foundation for long term compliance.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment and current and future generations.

“We are a leader in our space and our innovative approach to infrastructure management helps commercial real estate owners set and achieve their sustainability goals,” says Dario Gristina, Chairman/CEO of Genergy.  “We are passionate about all businesses and buildings, no matter what their size, having a profitable sustainability program.  We also recognize the impact Scope 3 and other regulations will have on organizations; and are a solution for our clients who, as part of their own sustainability programs, need their vendors to also be certified sustainable.”

“In 2026, our team is working on 25 projects that positively impact energy, emissions, supplies, waste, vendor actions and community service,” added Gristina.

“Genergy is a wonderful example of what the world needs more of – an organization that produces a superior product, supports its current stakeholders, shows it cares about future generations via its commitment to sustainability certification, ensures that it is ahead of the compliance curve for the benefit of its clients, and makes more money due to its sustainability programs,” said David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “When an organization executes the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, as Genergy is doing, it not only benefits the environment, but it also benefits its own operation,” added Goodman.

Genergy (https://genergy.com/) can be reached at +1.212.664.7600

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257

United Tech Employee Management, a Palm Beach, Florida-based, family-owned, employee leasing, payroll, workers’ comp, and unemployment administration company, has renewed its Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification through 2026.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment. It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement. Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment.

“We have deep desire to help improve our community; serving people and protecting future generations is at the core of our culture. We are choosing to be part of the solution,” said Kristina Smith, President of United Tech Employee Management. “Our model allows our services to scale and grow as our clients grow. We like the fact that the Edenark Group ISO 14001 program follows the same philosophy of progressive improvement, allowing us to continue to grow and improve in our sustainability effort every year,” added Smith.

“Sustainability is not a one-and-done event. It is a process of continual improvement. Any organization that claims to be sustainable and does not have an annual certification via a globally-recognized program with 3rd party verification is greenwashing; they are not willing to have their actions validated. When an organization attains and renews the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are not just doing it to see their costs go down and revenues and profits go up; they are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a signal to all those around them,” says David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group. “They are agreeing to adhere to the world’s Gold standard for sustainability certification; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution, not the problem; and are joining an elite fraternity of over 300,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improve in every way.”

United Tech Employee Management can be reached at +1 561.594.4892

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257

The 2026 Earth Overshoot Day is July 30.

In preparation for that, let’s look at the chart on this post which is the 2026 Earth Overshoot Date if everyone on the planet would consume as your country consumes.

As you can see from the chart, some countries are worse than others, but none are net-negative.

So, back to the global date of July 30 – What are you doing in honor of it, other than ignoring it?