Sustainability 2026: Small teams, heavy requirements, and the rise of artificial intelligence in the green transition

• Most sustainability teams have only one person, and almost all of them feel overwhelmed.
• According to a new summary from Leifer, 67 percent of companies operate with sustainability teams of three or fewer people, and 91 percent say they are motivated beyond their expertise.
• However, the pressure is not reduced. As climate shocks, disclosure mandates, and supply chain disruptions increase, companies must do more—with less.

At the same time, new patterns are emerging: smaller internal teams, smarter use of AI, and reliance on experts in specific skills such as LCA, climate risk, and scope three emissions tracking. Lever’s 2026 predictions do not signal a slowdown, but rather a sustainability review of how sustainability is sourced, reported and implemented across industries, including logistics and air cargo.

At a recent press conference hosted by Lever, the predictions for 2026 were clear: expect fewer employees, more accountability, and an acceleration of digital tools to fill the gaps.

The summary revealed that 67 percent of sustainability teams surveyed consisted of three or fewer people. more common a team Far from a lack of interest, this arrangement reflects a deliberate change.

“Some of the most successful companies we’ve seen and worked with … have leveraged a single team or strategic center, and they bring the expertise they need to a T,” said Gus Bartholomew, co-founder of Leafer. “They are some of the leaders in the space.”

It’s not a rosy picture across the board. “76% of participants also said they were not getting enough resources to achieve their goals,” he noted. “Ninety-nine percent of them have been asked to expand into areas beyond their expertise in the past year.”

As companies restructure budgets and reorganize internal structures, they increasingly rely on micro-consultants to respond to volatile market conditions.

In addition to providing resources, many aspects of sustainability remain isolated or marginal. “41% of sustainability leaders cite a lack of executive buy-in as a real problem and a real barrier to their ability to deliver,” said Bartholomew.

Reporting lines remain fragmented – in finance, operations or wherever opportunity exists. This is set to change as exposure and supply chain risks increase. “We will see more sustainability teams reporting to CFOs and CEOs,” he predicted. “Companies that take this seriously will elevate their sustainability activities to a more strategic, risk- and change-focused issue.”

While the number of sustainability professionals may be growing, the main barrier is specialization. “There’s a tremendous amount of talent,” Bartholomew said. “There is still a significant shortage of people with very specific skills… supply chain management, life cycle assessment, climate risk assessment, circular economy skills, third domain carbon accounting.”

He sees this as a turning point: “This will really be a period of change from the generalist to the specialist.” But many of these highly sought-after skills are only required in specific stages or project-based courses. “A lot of these companies don’t really want to say, ‘Okay, we need to hire a full-time LCA consultant.’ They need to have access to that particular person when they need it.

Despite the hype, AI adoption among sustainability teams remains low. Only 19 percent of surveyed teams reported that they use it regularly. “Overall, sustainability performance is definitely lagging behind when it comes to AI adoption,” Bartholomew acknowledged. Concerns include environmental impact and lack of indigenous capacity.

But early adopters are already seeing measurable gains — especially in time-consuming, repetitive tasks. “Where you’ve done that heavy lifting in terms of data collection, reporting, draft disclosures, supplier surveys … those are areas that we’ve seen can be leveraged more effectively,” he said.

It’s not about flashy AI pilots. “We need to do more, not less. Less talk and more action, less time reporting, and more time doing the things that all these big reports say every company should be doing.”

Net zero liabilities are no longer the center of gravity, especially for small businesses. “Only 11% of the companies we spoke to believe they are on track to meet their short- and long-term sustainability goals,” Bartholomew said. “There is great danger here.”

In response, many are shifting their focus to adaptation and resilience – addressing the physical risks of climate change that are already affecting operations. “What is really most important to our business? What is most important to business continuity?” That said, it is a question that many are asking now.

As Bartholomew said, “They’ve spent a lot of time doing strategic work, advertising, leadership in their business.”