Trellis: Sustainability Teams are Reframing Climate Goals

Corporate sustainability in 2026 is making a move towards operational resilience and cost efficiency. 

Trellis Group has published its State of the Sustainability Profession 2026 report, surveying more than 500 sustainability professionals at companies with at least US$1bn in revenue. 

According to this research, 46% of companies increased sustainability headcount and budgets over the past two years. Sustainability functions are being integrated into energy management, technology investments, supply chain operations and manufacturing as companies work to balance environmental targets with financial performance.

Marketing teams are changing how they talk about sustainability work. Data shows that 63% of companies have scaled back sustainability communications or rethought their messaging strategy.

Energy savings replace climate language

Energy projects are being marketed internally and externally around operational savings rather than climate action. Companies reported focusing on initiatives that reduce emissions while lowering costs, particularly as organisations face tariffs, inflation and pressure to demonstrate return on investment.

One sustainability director at a US technology company explained that while staff cuts were made to reinvest in AI, the company still needed "substantial investments in solar, building electrification and EV charging" because emissions continued to rise. Companies continue to pursue sustainability work tied to energy savings and business continuity.

According to Trellis data, 44% of organisations said leaders now place higher priority on making the business case for sustainability, while 41% increased focus on climate risk management. Organisations are becoming more cautious in how they communicate these initiatives publicly.

Several respondents noted that terms such as "carbon reduction" are being replaced with phrases like "energy savings" and "asset protection" to avoid political backlash while advancing environmental programmes.

"As we publish the ninth biennial Trellis State of Sustainability Profession report, we find ourselves in a much-changed world," says John Davies, President of Networks at Trellis Group, in the report. "We are operating in a highly volatile and uncertain political and economic landscape."

"Regulatory requirements are in flux and inevitably the sustainability job is too.

"As sustainability moves to the mainstream from the margins, the rules also change."

Target commitments show mixed results

Of companies that announced sustainability targets, 57% say they have maintained them, 24% have strengthened them and 16% have either weakened or abandoned them.

Technology is becoming essential for maintaining sustainability performance while budgets and staffing growth slow. Although sustainability investment remains substantial, expansion has weakened compared with previous years.

"Trellis Group's State of the Profession 2026 is the oldest and most established study of its kind, with the survey attracting more than 1,000 respondents, more than 500 of whom are in qualified corporate sustainability positions at companies with revenue more than US$1bn," writes Grant Harrison, VP Sustainable Finance & ESG at Trellis Group and Executive Director of Trellis Impact, on LinkedIn.

In 2024, 74% of companies increased sustainability staffing, but by 2026 only 50% reported adding employees, while 26% reduced headcount.

To compensate, companies are turning to automation and digital systems. A vice president of sustainability at a US building supply company reported that customer requests for sustainability data had "increased dramatically," leading the company to prioritise "productivity via automation" instead of continuously expanding teams.

Reporting demands drive tech investment

Compliance technology is becoming more important as reporting obligations grow. More than half of companies, 52%, said they are now investing more time and money into sustainability reporting than they did two years ago, 36% are investing the same and 12% have reduced resources.

"Sustainability is moving from the aspirational to the operational – less focused on bold announcements, more execution," writes Anna Timme, Global Vice President Sustainability, Data Centre Business and Schneider Electric. "The companies winning right now are the ones that always knew clean energy and decarbonisation weren't trends."

"They're infrastructure," says Anna. "They're long-term bets on how the world must be built."

Many organisations are building sustainability data systems and adding specialised compliance roles, including positions focused on third-party assurance and sustainability data control.

Functions move into operations

Sustainability responsibilities are moving away from centralised corporate teams and into operational departments such as procurement, manufacturing and logistics. Trellis data show that only 47% of professionals believe corporate sustainability offers a more attractive career path over the next five to 10 years.

Larger companies in particular are embedding sustainability expertise directly into supply chain functions, where environmental performance can influence sourcing costs, resilience and regulatory compliance. Among organisations with more than 10,000 employees, 53% embedded sustainability staff within supply chain and procurement teams, while 38% placed sustainability personnel in manufacturing, operations or facilities.

"Our report this year identifies a decline in support from CEOs for sustainability programs," says John. "That shouldn't necessarily surprise anyone as tariffs, supply chain disruptions, DEI attacks and letters from attorneys general take up a lot of headspace."

"All of this can make the day-to-day work of sustainability disheartening."

This operational shift reflects a transformation in how businesses approach sustainability messaging.

Rather than focusing primarily on aspirational goals, companies are concentrating on measurable improvements across production and value chains. One Australian travel company described the current period as a "recalibration" designed to ensure sustainability programmes are grounded in both "impact and commercial relevance."

Another executive explained that sustainability projects now survive only when they deliver both environmental and financial benefits. Supply chains remain vulnerable to political and economic disruption.

Respondents cited tariffs, shifting regulations and pressure from government agencies as factors influencing sustainability decisions. Many companies continue integrating sustainability into sourcing and manufacturing because of its connection to operational efficiency, risk management and resilience.

Even with one third of companies cutting sustainability budgets, 44% still increased spending.