5 Sustainability Topics Trending in 2026
By Chloe Correia
As climate risks intensify and strategies for sustainable design become more powerful, while federal policy slackens and local mandates become more stringent, 2026 will be a year of balancing. Companies and communities will need both visionary strategy and practical execution to navigate new technical innovations and evolving policy landscapes.
Below, we explore five major trends we’re seeing in the sustainability community as we dive into the new year.
1. Rewilding
One of our core values at Verdical Group is to shape a world where humans and nature co-exist. The concept of rewilding (restoring ecosystems and natural habitats to support biodiversity and climate resilience) is gaining momentum globally, and for good reason — rewilding is a mechanism to improve ecosystem health, reduce heat stress, enhance stormwater management, and create more liveable communities. Biodiversity loss is increasingly recognized as a material issue for enterprise risk.
Urban rewilding initiatives integrate green corridors, wetland restoration, and native vegetation planning that boost biodiversity outcomes and human wellbeing. We hope to see more of these strategies integrated into our clients’ designs in 2026.
2. Rebuilding, Risk-Planning & Resilience
This one hit especially close to home for Verdical Group this year, with our headquarters based in Los Angeles and many of our employees personally affected by the fires that impacted our county early this year.
The rebuilding effort in Los Angeles has offered an opportunity to “build back better,” with the U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA) launching their California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide, owners of resilient homes sharing which strategies protected them, and sustainable designers offering their expertise.
But wildfires are not the only climate-related weather event, and Los Angeles has not been the only county impacted. With intensifying climate risks such as coastal flooding, heat waves, droughts, storms, and more, organizations and cities alike must adopt resilience frameworks to protect assets and communities.
One result we forecast is that City-level Climate Risk Assessments (CRAs) will continue to become increasingly popular. CRAs identify a city’s key climate hazards and their potential impact on people, infrastructure, and the local economy. They assess vulnerability to pinpoint risks, guiding cities in developing proactive policies and actions.
Climate adaptation and resilience planning are no longer abstract goals, but priorities that we’re discussing with our clients on a regular basis.
3. AI, Sustainably
AI is a powerful tool for all businesses, including our own — with one study showing that a multi-layered AI system reduced computational energy by 25% and enhanced waste‑sorting accuracy by 20%, while cutting transport emissions by 30%, it’s unquestionable that artificial intelligence is an important tool for sustainability.
However, as AI’s usefulness grows, so does its environmental footprint. While there is limited data available on the exact environmental impact of AI, one way to mitigate its contribution is to start at operational level. Training and operating AI models requires vast computing power, driving increased electricity demand from data centers. Clean energy sourcing, energy modeling, proper Commissioning, water efficiency in cooling systems, and other strategies required for certifications like LEED can reduce the operational carbon associated with these buildings.
At the organizational level, we’ve also outlined best practices for responsible AI use in our team member handbook. The key here is to balance AI’s advantages with its risks, and that is something we hope to find more of in 2026.
4. Building Code Changes
California’s updated Energy Code (Building Energy Efficiency Standards, Title 24, Part 6) will take effect on January 1, 2026. With a stronger emphasis on decarbonization, electrification, and whole-lifecycle energy thinking, California is firmly advancing its mission toward net zero and a carbon-neutral future in 2045.
The new code introduces embodied carbon reduction requirements for a significant portion of commercial buildings (learn more from our Director of Energy & Carbon Sara Motamedi here). It also tightens electrification requirements, replaces the established energy metric of Time Dependent Value “TDV” with Long-Term System Cost “LSC,” includes new requirements for photo-voltaic combined with battery energy storage systems, and enforces smarter controls. You can review the most impactful changes in this USGBC-CA blog post authored by Rudy De La O, a Commissioning Associate at Verdical Group, and learn more about navigating the new code at the Energy Code Ace conference our events team is supporting this March.
While many consider California to be leading the way, many cities in the U.S. and abroad, such as Seattle, New York, and Washington, D.C., are also adopting codes that mandate or prepare for all-electric new construction and limit fossil fuel infrastructure, meaning buildings must be constructed without gas systems and rely on electric systems for heating, cooling, and appliances.
5. Organization-Driven ESG
In contrast to the many building codes becoming more stringent in 2026, many parts of the country are seeing sustainability deprioritized under the current federal administration. The federal government’s “drill, baby, drill!” mentality could set us back years in terms of mitigating climate change and protecting communities from climate-related health challenges and natural disasters.
However, many companies have already poured millions into their ESG efforts — and have started seeing the ROI in these efforts. They’re unlikely to shut efforts down now, when initial investments have been made, goals have been set, and requirements may return in the next cycle. In 2026, we will continue to see a shift from mandated ESG-related efforts to voluntary action.
Last year, I wrote about the “Sustainability Tension Management (STM)” mindset, a framework that encourages focusing on tangible outcomes rather than broad ideas, building relationships with stakeholders and likeminded allies, and avoiding the ‘maelstrom’ of political drama — essentially, keep your head down and boots on the ground.
That’s what we’re primed to do here at Verdical Group, too:
- Simply looking to build a more sustainable project? Our team provides a variety of services, from certification management to technical offerings like energy modeling and building Commissioning.
- Are you interested in climate risk mitigation? We are ESG experts who can determine a baseline and help you to set metrics and goals for improvement.
- Is your city or state adopting new code changes? We can provide guidance on how new developments might impact your project and support your compliance efforts.
Let’s collaborate to make a difference in 2026! Contact us to learn how we can support your team.
