Introduction

The 2026 State of the Sustainability Profession is Trellis Group’s ninth biennial survey of professionals at companies with at least $1 billion in revenue. Most large businesses are maintaining sustainability commitments despite a volatile political landscape, though the pace of investment has slowed. Companies fall into three clusters: 46% are increasing resources, 25% have cut them, and the remainder are keeping investment flat or shifting allocation (p. 7).

The critical role of the CEO

CEO engagement has fallen to its lowest level in the study’s history. Some 67% of professionals view their chief executive as at least modestly positive toward sustainability, down from a peak of 86% four years ago; 20% now hold a negative view (p. 10). CEO attitude closely tracks company sustainability spending, staffing decisions and employee wellbeing.

Pressure on the largest companies

Midsize companies ($1B–$10B revenue) were more committed: 51% increased resources versus 20% decreasing. At companies over $10B, 41% increased and 31% decreased resources (p. 13). Professionals at large companies are less satisfied, with 49% reporting their careers are less fulfilling than two years ago (p. 14).

Priorities: Shifting to regulation

Sustainability priorities have moved firmly toward compliance and risk management, with 58% of companies placing a higher priority on compliance; 53% say social issues are now less important (p. 17).

Communication: Talk less, smile more

Some 63% of companies have scaled back or rethought sustainability communications (p. 18), rising to 80% among companies with more than $10 billion in revenue. Many professionals described shifting to less politically sensitive language, replacing terms such as “carbon reduction” with “energy savings” and “resilience” with “asset protection.”

Public commitments: Holding steady

Of companies with existing sustainability commitments, 57% kept them unchanged, 24% strengthened them, 14% weakened them and 2% dropped them entirely (p. 20). Technology companies and those outside North America were more likely to strengthen commitments; finance companies were more likely to scale back.

Organisation

Sustainability teams reporting to the CEO fell from 30% in 2024 to 18% in 2026, while those reporting to finance doubled from 7% to 14% (p. 22). In 2026, 80% of companies have sustainability workers embedded outside the core team, down from 86% in 2024 (p. 23).

Staffing and budget levels

Headcount growth slowed sharply: 74% of companies increased sustainability staff in 2024 versus only 50% in 2026, while 26% reduced headcount (p. 28). On budgets, 33% of companies cut spending — the highest proportion in the study’s history, up from only 9% two years ago — while 44% increased spending (p. 30).

How professionals cope with shifting priorities

For 38% of professionals, achieving sustainability goals has become harder (p. 32). More than half (52%) of companies are devoting more resources to sustainability reporting (p. 33). Coping strategies cited include linking sustainability to financial returns, leveraging technology for productivity and ruthlessly prioritising high-value initiatives.

Compensation

Salary growth has slowed significantly. Manager base salaries averaged $149,000, up 6%; director salaries averaged $208,341, up 8%; and VP/SVP/CSO salaries averaged $287,000, down 1% (p. 38). Total compensation for senior executives fell 4% (p. 40).

Expectations

Nearly half (44%) of professionals do not expect a raise in 2026, compared with 76% who anticipated an increase in 2024 (p. 41).

How professionals see the profession

“Discouraged” was the most common feeling reported (41%), though 36% were “optimistic” and the same number “resolved” (p. 42). Some 44% said their careers are less fulfilling than two years ago, while 33% are more fulfilled (p. 43). Only 47% see corporate sustainability as the most appealing career path over the next five to ten years (p. 45).

Professionals who left sustainability jobs

Of 58 respondents who had left corporate sustainability roles, most had been laid off, citing the political environment, tariff-related cost pressures and resource reallocation as contributing factors (p. 47).

Looking forward

Most professionals remain determined to continue, with emerging strategies centred on tying sustainability to financial objectives, persuading sceptical stakeholders and maintaining focus on material environmental impact (p. 48–49).