Almost six in ten sustainability professionals (59%) believe the current approach to sustainability should be radically revised, according to new global research from the ERM Sustainability Institute, GlobeScan, and Volans. Overall, 95 percent support some form of change to the sustainability agenda, up from 93 percent in 2025.  

The Sustainability at a Crossroads 2026 report, based on a survey of 600+ sustainability experts across 57 countries, finds the sustainability community is increasingly questioning whether current approaches are delivering change at the scale and pace required to address today's challenges. While 52 percent of experts believe the business case for sustainability is very strong, only five percent strongly believe companies will meet their 2030 climate commitments.  

Many respondents believe sustainability has become overly focused on disclosure, compliance, and incremental improvements, while underlying economic incentives remain largely unchanged. Nearly half (49%) also think the agenda overemphasizes environmental issues at the expense of social and economic priorities.  

Experts call for stronger incentives and deeper integration  

Respondents most frequently highlight stronger regulation and enforcement, political leadership, and reforms to economic incentives as the highest potential pathways for accelerating sustainability progress. Experts also recommend embedding sustainability into core business strategy, finance, and decision-making, and reframing the narrative around resilience, risk and business value to broaden support. Among corporate respondents, the integration of sustainability within companies is viewed as the top intervention required to enhance sustainability outcomes (70% in 2026 vs. 64% in 2025). 

Respondents see growing potential for corporate action 

While many respondents expressed concerns about the effectiveness of current approaches, experts are increasingly optimistic about the feasibility of several corporate actions. Ratings and rankings of corporate sustainability performance saw the largest increase in perceived feasibility, rising 13 percentage points from 2025, followed by stakeholder engagement (+11 points), and compliance with mandatory sustainability and reporting requirements (+10 points). 

Academia, NGOs, and government experts lead the call for change 

While support for change is widespread, the intensity varies across stakeholder groups. More than three-quarters (77%) of respondents from academia and research say the sustainability agenda should be radically revised, followed by NGOs (69%), government (65%), and service and media organizations (63%). Corporate respondents are more divided, with 49 percent favoring fundamental revision and 44 percent supporting more modest change, suggesting greater confidence in improving existing approaches rather than redesigning them entirely. 

Mark Lee, Global Director of Thought Leadership at ERM, said: “This year’s findings point to a sustainability community that is increasingly focused on effectiveness and impact. 

“Many respondents are looking beyond reporting and disclosure and asking whether current approaches are influencing the decisions, incentives, and systems that ultimately determine outcomes. The growing emphasis on accountability, economic incentives, and integration into core business decision-making highlights the importance of connecting sustainability more directly to competitiveness, resilience, and long-term value creation.” 

Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan, said: "The sustainability community is sending a clear message: belief in the value of sustainability remains strong, but confidence in the current approach is fading. Experts see a growing gap between ambition and impact and are increasingly questioning whether today's sustainability agenda is delivering change at the scale and pace required. This is not a rejection of sustainability. Rather, it reflects a growing desire to rethink how progress is achieved and how greater impact can be delivered in an increasingly complex world." 

Volans founder John Elkington commented: “Who in 2020 could have imagined COVID-19, let alone today’s world, where rare earths, oil and gas, and finance have all been politically weaponized? Is it deglobalization or reglobalization? Yet the 2026 results show evidence of a rebound in corporate sustainability. I conclude that parts of this agenda will come back harder and faster than most expect, and, above all, different.” 

Notes to editors 

The Sustainability at a Crossroads 2026 survey captures the views of sustainability professionals across sectors and regions on the future of the sustainability agenda. A total of 610 sustainability experts across 57 countries completed the survey from June 9th to August 9th, 2026. Their responses provide a snapshot of how the sustainability community views progress made to date, emerging challenges, and priorities for future impact. 

About the ERM Sustainability Institute   

The Sustainability Institute is ERM’s primary platform for thought leadership. The purpose of the Institute is to define, accelerate, and scale sustainability performance by developing actionable insight for business. We provide an independent and authoritative voice to decode complexities. The Institute identifies innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges built on ERM’s experience, expertise, and commitment to transformational change.   

About ERM 

Sustainability is our business.

As the world’s largest sustainability consultancy, ERM combines integrated expertise and implementation capabilities, powered by AI and technology, to help clients turn sustainability into measurable business value.  

With more than 50 years of experience, ERM’s diverse team of 8000+ experts in 40 countries and territories helps clients create innovative solutions to their sustainability challenges, unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations. Learn more here.