- Most sustainability teams consist of just one person, and almost all of them feel overwhelmed.
- According to a new briefing from Leafr, 67 percent of companies work with sustainability teams of three or fewer people, and 91 percent say they are being pushed beyond their expertise.
- However, the pressure is not abating. 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 increasing reliance on specialists in specific skills such as LCA, climate risk, and Scope Three emissions tracking. Lever’s 2026 forecasts do not signal a decline, but rather a recalibration of how sustainability is resourced, reported and implemented across industries, including logistics and air freight.
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 like artificial intelligence to fill the gaps.
The briefing revealed that 67 percent of the sustainability teams surveyed consisted of three or fewer people. Most common? One team. Far from indicating a lack of interest, this setting reflects a deliberate shift.
“Some of the most successful companies we’ve seen and worked with… have leveraged a single team or strategic core, and they’re bringing bespoke experts to the T,” said Gus Bartholomew, co-founder of Leafr. “They are some of the leaders in the space.”
It’s not a rosy picture across the board. He noted that “76% of participants also said that they do not receive sufficient resources to be able to achieve their goals.” “Ninety-one percent of them have been asked in the past year to expand into areas beyond their expertise.”
As companies reallocate budgets and restructure internally, they increasingly rely on micro-advisors to respond to volatile market conditions.
Beyond providing resources, many strands of sustainability remain isolated or marginalized. “41% of sustainability leaders cite a lack of executive buy-in as a real problem, and a real barrier to their ability to deliver,” Bartholomew said.
Reporting lines remain fragmented – in finance, operations or wherever there is scope. This is set to change as disclosures and supply chain risks escalate. “We will see more sustainability teams reporting to CFOs and CEOs,” he predicted. “Companies that take this seriously will begin to re-elevate their sustainability functions to a more strategic, risk- and transformation-focused issue.”
While the number of sustainability professionals may be growing, the real bottleneck is specialization. “There is an enormous 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 assessments, circular economy skills, third domain carbon accounting.”
He sees this as a pivotal point: “This will really be an era of change from generalist to specialist.” But many of these high-demand capabilities are only required at certain milestones or in project-based courses. “A lot of these companies don’t actually tend to say, ‘Okay, we need to hire a full-time LCA consultant.’ They just need to have access to that specific person when they need them.”
Despite the hype, AI adoption among sustainability teams remains low. Only 19 percent of teams surveyed reported that they use it regularly. “Overall, the sustainability function is definitely lagging behind when it comes to adopting AI,” Bartholomew admitted. Concerns include environmental impact and lack of internal capabilities.
But early adopters are already seeing measurable gains — especially on time-consuming, repetitive tasks. “Where you’ve taken on that heavy lifting…in terms of data collection, reporting, drafting disclosures, supplier surveys…those are areas that we’ve seen can be leveraged most 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 a lot more time doing the things that all these great reports say every company should do.”
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 impacting operations. “What is actually most important to our business? What is most important to business continuity?” he said, is the question many are asking now.
As Bartholomew said: “They’ve spent a lot more time doing strategic work, doing evangelism, doing leadership within their business.”
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