A stat in the recent Trellis State of the Sustainability Profession 2026 report caught our eye: half of companies surveyed are spending more time and money on sustainability reporting, yet 67% feel it’s had no clear effect on their sustainability efforts or is actively diverting resources from higher-impact work. This suggests that many companies’ sustainability data have yet to stretch beyond the silo of reporting to empower smarter business decisions through integration into capital planning cycles and investment strategy, which is where the real magic happens.

This year we’re diving deep into the business case for sustainability so you can invest wisely, clearly communicate impact, and bring others along on the journey.

Let’s say you’re a portfolio manager for a real estate owner with a diversified portfolio. A key challenge we see many in your role facing is: Does proactive decarbonization and planned investment deliver better risk-adjusted returns than reactive compliance and unplanned spending?