Per this article, here are 10 things that should be on your 2026 to-do list:

• Corporate sustainability reporting moves into delivery mode – The EU’s CSRD becomes reality. If you operate in the EU, the time has come.
• UK sustainability reporting and climate risk integration – The UK SRS final version is expected in a few weeks. If so, the time has come in the UK also.
• Climate transition plans move from ‘nice to have’ to critical – Even where not regulated, climate transition plans are now expected by regulators, investors, customers, lenders and potential employees.
• Strengthening supply chain environmental due diligence – If you are a vendor, expect the call. If you are a client procurement officer, expect the internal memo to make the call.
• Carbon pricing and CBAM reshape trade and procurement – As a supplier, including emissions data in your product/service offering will become mandatory. Having a certified position that you can validate will become essential.
• Packaging, products, and circular economy rules accelerate – In August 2026 the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) kicks in. The EU Circular Economy Act is also expected this year.  Be warned.
• Nature and biodiversity move to mainstream – Including nature as an asset and incorporating it into the strategic plan/execution will grow.
• Green claims and litigation risk intensify – As the above demands grow, more pressure mounts for companies to make green claims. Many of those claims will not be attached, and 3^rd party verified, to a legitimate environmental standard.  Without same, the door is open for activists and governments to take legal action, with a 67% success rate.
• From commitments to real net zero delivery – 2026 is expected to be the year when organizations that have been promising action, start to show progress toward net zero goals. This will require certification and 3^rd party verification.
• Chemical regulation compliance as a strategic business risk – You don’t have to be a chemical manufacturer to be at risk of chemical regulations. If you are a user of chemicals in your business, you are at risk.  Developing a documented plan with a 3^rd party advisor is critical if you use chemicals in your business.

If you want some help with the above, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

Per this article, here are five things you might want to pay attention to in 2026:

Addressing the energy impact of AI: 

• Every time you choose to use AI by clicking on ChatGPT or one of the other LLM tools, the energy used to produce that answer is 8x – 10x the energy used by a Google search.
• This year, the electrical consumption of data centers is expected to be 1,050 terawatts, or #5 in global demand (China is #1, USA is #2, India is #3 and the EU is #4).
• Besides the errors, privacy rights violations, reduced quality, and dumbing down of your employees, the energy demand growth is not sustainable.
• What are you doing about it in your company?

Resurgence in local action and community resilience:

• Local and regional organization efforts on climate and environmental sustainability will continue to grow.
• This will provide a greater opportunity for companies to take a leadership role in their communities.
• Is your company leading, following or ignoring this opportunity?

Physical risk from climate change is expected to increase:

• The cost (insurance and recovery) of climate change damage to your company will continue to grow.
• Are you budgeting for climate change risks?
• Are you helping to reduce this risk or just waiting for it to come?

The realization that nature is an asset is growing:

• The first line of climate change defense for your company and family is nature. The weaker it is, the weaker we are.
• What is your company doing to protect its main defensive ally?

Continued evolution of carbon markets and transparency:

• Quality carbon credits are critical for the short-term balancing of the AI demand surge. A move by many companies from carbon neutral to net negative, to help us get to an overall net zero, will occur.
• Demand for transparency in claims (ie, are you certified sustainable or not?) will make greenwashing harder.
• Is your company pursuing net negative, net zero or carbon neutral? If not, why not?
• Is your company making green claims without being certified sustainable? If so, why?

If you want to get in front of the above, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

This article in the New York Post reports on this study and is consistent with other studies we have reported.  Key points

• Almost two-thirds of respondents stated they were more likely to apply to a job for a company that committed to sustainable practices.
• Three out of five respondents said they avoid employers they perceive as having a negative impact on the environment.
• 54% of respondents said that sustainability played a role in their motivation to work remotely.

Simple math – If you are looking to hire and 60% of the possible candidates will avoid you if they perceive your company is a negative impact on the environment, your hiring effort will be negatively impacted.

Sure, you can mask it.  But once they learn the truth, and they quit, the cost to you will be greater than had they not taken the position in the first place.

The Under 40 worker wants to work for a company that can prove it cares about the environment.  The Under 26 worker has an even higher expectation of same.

Those are the workers that are the future of your company.

If you want to improve your ability to hire and retain talent, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

Consistent with our prior discussions on this point, this Forbes article explains that society has changed dramatically in the past 20 years

• “…the new reality in which corporations must operate (includes) a laundry list of sustainability-related vulnerabilities they have to account for.”
• Specific to hiring, it is expected there will soon be 85 million unfilled jobs due to the lack of skilled people.

Your ability to hire and retain talent at a price you can afford will directly influence your ability to remain in business.

Consider this:

• Your future work force is Millennials and Gen Z – The people in this picture.  They have different needs and expectations than prior generations
• More than 40% of Millennials and Gen Z plan to change jobs due to climate concerns – Net, if you are not able to prove you are sustainable and have a legitimate and actionable sustainability / climate program, expect to struggle with hiring and retention
• +76% of Millennials consider environmental / sustainability / ESG commitments when deciding where to work – Net, if you are not able to prove you are sustainable and have a legitimate environmental program, your ability to attract and retain quality talent will be solely driven by your willingness to over-pay. And, even then, expect them to leave when they find a certified sustainable company

If you want to beat your peers at hiring and retaining top talent, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

Per this report from Berkeley Earth, 2025 was the third warmest year on record:

• 2025 was 1.44°C above the 1850 – 1900 average (we want to remain below 1.5°C)
• 2024 was hottest year; 2023 was second and 2025 was third
• As the chart shows, we have been progressively warming for over 150 years
• 2026 is expected to be similar to 2025

Per this article by Wellness Magazine, the best program to fight cognitive decline is the program offered at Gym for the Brain, incorporating Best You Can Be supplements and specific targeted modalities.

If you know someone not willing to accept cognitive decline without a fight, have them contact Gym for the Brain.

As we reported previously, and as this article explains, there is a rise in consumer class action ‘greenwashing’ lawsuits in California.

This is consistent with the rise in greenwashing lawsuits worldwide.

Takeaway:

• If you are not an environmentally certified sustainable company and are making environmental claims, there are some US states, like California, New York and Washington, and countries, like Canada, Japan and Australia, and unions, like the EU, where the risk for you is very high, due to the laws already in place. Other states, countries and unions are not far behind.  The problem, of course, is – how do you cost-effectively do different packaging and promotion in the high-risk areas versus the lower risk areas?  Simply stated, becoming certified sustainable would be far less expensive than the gyrations needed to dodge the evolving laws around the world.
• If you have no interest in becoming certified sustainable, it would be best to remove all environmental mentions.
• On the other hand, if you are promoting your company and/or products as green, that suggests you believe there is value in doing it. If so, you might as well legitimize your claims.

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

Can you find your country in the picture?

This is the 2026 Earth Overshoot Day by Country.

Earth Overshoot Day by Country marks the date when humanity’s annual demand for ecological resources exceeds what Earth could regenerate in that year if everyone consumed like the residents of a particular country.

For instance, the 2026 Earth Overshoot Day for Qatar is February 4.  If everyone on the planet consumed like they do in Qatar, we would need 10 Earths.

We have been exceeding Earth’s regeneration capacity since 1971(45 years)!  We are at a global consumption capacity that requires 1.8 Earths.

Next time you are at the store and feel prices keep going up, remember this chart.

Welcome to 2026!

If your company has chosen to ignore the environmental drum beat and plans to prove your sustainability commitment only when forced, things will get progressively harder this year.

In the United States, even with non-proactive federal environmental policies, the following continues to occur:

• 48 states have climate action plans.
• 24 states and the District of Columbia have greenhouse gas reduction programs.
• 40% of the US GDP comes from states with laws requiring reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
• 13 states have laws directly regulating business emissions.
• 5 states have laws requiring large companies to report their emissions.
• Starting January 1, 2026, New York became the 3^rd state (joining California and Washington) to implement greenhouse gas reporting requirements for its general business community). These three states account for 26% of the US GDP.
• Like it or not, your business will be impacted.

Globally, we see the following: 

• 92% of global GDP is via countries that have national net-zero pledges.
• 46% of global GDP is from countries who are reducing their emissions.
• By the end of 2026, over 50% of the world’s GDP will be from countries that are reducing their emissions.
• If you continue to ignore, it will be progressively harder to do business.

How about consumer trends?

• 85% of consumers have changed their buying loyalties to sustainable companies.
• 80% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products.
• 73% of consumers globally are willing to leave you if they find a sustainable company doing what you do.
• Net, you are swimming up stream against a pretty strong current.

Yeah, but what about actual performance?

• As previously reported, using 640 studies over 10 years, no matter what financial metric you want to look at – profit, sales, growth, margin, et cetera – you are falling further behind the certified sustainable competitor down the street.
• The gap will continue to widen.
• If you missed your Plan in 2025 and you do not become certified sustainable in early 2026, odds are, you will continue to miss your Plan.

What does this mean for your company?

• You snooze; you lose!

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

Here are six big predictions for 2026 from Rory Burghes of Capgemini Invent.

Let’s look at them as ideas for your company.

The era of authenticity

Performative messaging is out, radical transparency is in.  In effect, it is ok to admit you are not perfect, but you need to show progress – real, measurable sustainability steps.

Question: Is your company capable of showing its sustainability commitment?

Sustainability as a business imperative

The business case for sustainability will continue to progress from moral obligation to strategic fundamental value creation – profitability, efficiency, and cost savings.

Question: Is your 2026 Plan using sustainability for value creation?

The shift towards greener data centers

AI’s environmental footprint will prompt greater caution in 2026 and finding ways to lessen the damage caused by these data centers will be a key focus and opportunity.

Question: Does your company have an opportunity to contribute to this?

Adaptation becomes the norm

As climate volatility creates more insurance exposure and financial risk, climate adaptation will shift from a contingency plan to a core business strategy in 2026.

Question: Does your 2026 budget include climate-related costs and actions?

Sustainability becomes a growth strategy

In 2026, sustainability will no longer be viewed as a cost center – it will be recognized as a driver of business value.

Question: Does your 2026 Plan have CapEx investment for sustainability growth projects?

Designing AI with sustainability in mind

Given the huge energy consumption and environmental damage of AI, businesses will be looking to move from reactive mitigation to proactive integration of sustainability principles when they come to develop AI.

Question: If your company is a user of AI, will you be hiring a sustainability consultant to help you design your AI process to be environmentally friendly?

Question: If you are an AI provider, will you find a sustainability consultant to partner with, allowing you to enhance your offering?