GENEVA, 16th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) said that 63 percent of chief sustainability officers (CSOs) expect global sustainability progress to hold steady or accelerate over the next 12 months, driven by commercial and technological momentum despite significant geopolitical and economic challenges.
The findings were published in the inaugural Chief Sustainability Officers Outlook, based on a survey of 103 sustainability leaders across five continents conducted between 10th February and 18th March 2026.
The report showed that three in four expect companies’ transition-related investment to hold steady or increase, driven by a clear economic argument, cited by 64 percent, and increasingly applicable technologies, cited by 56 percent.
It said the global green economy, now worth more than US$5 trillion annually, is on track to top US$7 trillion by 2030 and remains among the fastest-growing segments of the world economy.
Meanwhile, 78 percent of CSOs expect geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds, from conflict to inconsistent policy and weakening multilateralism, to weigh on progress over the coming year. This is contributing to what the report describes as a “green divergence”, with some sectors and markets pulling ahead on the strength of clear economics while others stall under policy uncertainty.
The report also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence, with 73 percent of CSOs expecting AI to meaningfully accelerate sustainability progress over the next year, particularly in measurement, reporting, efficiency and risk modelling.
At the same time, 77 percent of CSOs flagged the energy and resource intensity of AI infrastructure itself as its most significant negative impact, as data centres already account for roughly 1.5 percent of global electricity demand.
Sebastian Buckup, Managing Director, World Economic Forum, said, “Chief sustainability officers are telling us the transition is no longer a question of ambition, it's a question of execution.”
“As companies deliberately anchor sustainability strategies in growth, security and resilience needs, execution speed and priorities increasingly diverge across regions and sectors,” he added.
On climate adaptation, 85 percent of CSOs expect adaptation to become a bigger global priority over the next three years, while 77 percent said private-sector investment will be decisive to scaling it. Meanwhile, 62 percent cited uncertain cost-benefit assessments as the main barrier to investment.
The report said businesses actively managing supply-chain risk have generated US$13.6 billion in savings to date, with a further US$165 billion in potential financial benefits still on the table.
It also noted that insurers had paid US$22.4 billion in claims from the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires by early 2026, while new analysis suggests that rebuilding affected communities to wildfire-resilience standards could cut projected future losses by around one-third.
The Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2026 (SDIM26) will take place in New York from 21st to 24th September, bringing together senior leaders from across sectors and regions to advance solutions to shared opportunities and challenges, with a particular focus on long-term impact and building momentum before the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2027.