Sustainability Leaders’ Series: 2026 Predictions

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Executive Summary

Regardless of the regulatory landscape, sustainability has become an operational reality: embedded in global supply chains, demanded by customers and investors, and reinforced by the rising expectation that every claim must be traceable, transparent and verifiable.

As expectations rise, executives must juggle evolving compliance requirements while proving that their initiatives deliver real operational and financial returns. Our predictions for 2026 guide is designed to help corporate sustainability leaders navigate these expectations, offering a glimpse of what to expect in the year ahead.

About the Authors

Jessica Pransky

Jessica Pransky

Senior Manager

Jessica is a Senior Manager at Verdantix, specializing in providing insights to sustainability leaders and analysing ESG and sustainability reporting software. She advises tec...

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Priyanka Bawa

Priyanka Bawa

Principal Analyst

Priyanka is a Principal Analyst at Verdantix, where she leads research to enable sustainability leaders and services firms to analyse shifting market dynamics and evaluate inn...

Luke Gowland

Luke Gowland

Senior Analyst

Luke is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in ESG and sustainability reporting software and financial ESG. He advises both technology buyers and software vendor and s...

Callum Millard

Callum Millard

Analyst

Callum is an Analyst at Verdantix, helping firms navigate the evolving ESG, sustainability, product innovation and product stewardship landscapes, to drive value creation and ...

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Elisa Molero

Elisa Molero

Senior Analyst

Elisa is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in supply chain sustainability. Her research covers 100 vendors in the supply chain sustainability market, supporting buye...

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Jessie Wilson

Jessie Wilson

Senior Analyst

Jessie is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in sustainability assurance, due diligence and product sustainability. Her research covers both the services and software...

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Kim Knickle

Kim Knickle

Research Director

Kim Knickle is a Research Director at Verdantix, bringing more than two decades of analyst experience to the evolving world of sustainability. Her current research spans ESG a...

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