Recently, I was at a conference and someone asked me what I did. When I shared that I work for a corporate sustainability strategy and communications agency, I got a response I’ve heard a few times: “Oh, so you help companies greenwash.” The truth, of course, is the opposite — one of thinkPARALLAX’s essential services is helping companies avoid greenwashing — and greenhushing. I also understand the cynicism behind the response. Over the past five years, corporate greenwashing has been rampant.
But I think we’ve entered a new era — most companies understand the reputational and financial penalties of greenwashing are simply too high. What’s emerging in its wake is something smarter, more transparent, durable, and impactful. And the most read stories that tPX produced in 2025 reflect those trends.
1. 7 sustainability report trends transforming corporate communications in 2026
Seven critical shifts are reshaping sustainability communications:
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Generic messaging is dead, replaced by strategic, brand-consistent storytelling.
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ESRS compliance is forcing companies to separate technical disclosure from stakeholder engagement.
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Smart companies are standing firm on authentic values despite political turbulence. Materiality-first approaches prioritize business impact over moral imperatives.
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Strategic reports backed by robust data are replacing cookie-cutter approaches.
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Hyper-targeted engagement is replacing broad communications.
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Radical transparency is emerging as the path between greenwashing and greenhushing.
The companies breaking through understand that in today's environment, both overstatement and silence are losing strategies. Authentic, substantiated communications win.
2. EU reporting updates
In July 2025, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG), the organization mandated by the European Commission to draft the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), released exposure drafts simplifying the standards.
Then, a couple weeks ago, the EU agreed to slash the CSRD scope while EFRAG again simplified ESRS Standards. These ongoing regulatory changes kept sustainability professionals on their toes. We broke down all the proposed changes along the way — and how they should impact your strategy.
3. Meet the moment: How to evolve your sustainability communication strategy
A rising tide of regulation — including CSRD in Europe and climate disclosure rules in California — is rightfully directing the shift toward more rigorous, financial-grade sustainability reporting. This evolution provides a powerful opportunity for companies to get serious about their disclosures. But it also raises a critical question: If our formal report is dedicated to technical disclosure, where do highlights, case studies, and human-interest stories go?
In Part I of our Mastering Your Sustainability Story in Turbulent Times series, we explored how an effective sustainability communications strategy is actually three interconnected, essential parts. We also released our slides on the topic.
4. What to say and how to effectively say it
The communications space around sustainability is increasingly regulated and scrutinized.
Between the spread of new anti-greenwashing regulations, the use of existing consumer protection laws to regulate green claims, and the rise of civil litigation on sustainability-focused marketing, corporations must walk a tightrope to ensure responsible compliance. Yet with stakeholders continuing to expect meaningful action, staying silent is also not a viable option.
In these takeaways from our webinar in partnership with Ropes & Gray, we explored the intersection between the legal implications of anti-greenwashing legislation — and related pressures — and the continued need to communicate effectively. After the webinar, we also released a good person’s guide to not greenwashing.
5. Sustainability in 2026: 8 trends pushing the industry forward
The narrative around corporate sustainability has gotten noisy. Political rhetoric suggests companies are backing away from climate commitments. Headlines warn of “ESG backlash.” But here's what's actually happening on the ground: companies are doubling down on sustainability — not because they're being forced to, but because it's good business.
As we look ahead to 2026, here's what the current landscape tells us about where things are headed.
6. When climate goals meet reality: What should companies do when they miss the mark?
Nearly 40% of companies missed or abandoned their 2020 climate targets, yet how companies communicate these misses often causes more reputational damage than the miss itself. Coca-Cola and Amazon faced backlash not for revising goals, but for doing so quietly without explanation.
Effective goal revision requires transparency about why targets were missed, enhanced action before communication, and proactive stakeholder engagement. Google successfully framed abandoning carbon neutrality as "strategic evolution" toward net-zero, while Shell's removal of its 2035 milestone was perceived as retreat.
Companies should demonstrate increased investment and expanded commitment when revising targets, using missed goals as catalysts to double down rather than scale back climate action.
7. How to embed sustainability into your brand
Integrating sustainability throughout your business is both key to solving global challenges and a source for meaningful brand growth. Yet in a time of political turmoil and partisan ping-pong, when federal policies can whipsaw depending on who is in power, leveraging this potential without attracting blowback can be a challenge.
What does this work actually look like? Embedding sustainability into your organization means looking critically at everything you do. True sustainability shouldn’t just live within the sustainability team, marketing department, or a single corporate sustainability executive. tPX also put out our blueprint for an integrated sustainability and brand strategy.
8. Is it time to change your sustainability reporting strategy?
The most transformative companies we work with understand that sometimes the best report is the one that frees up resources to do work that actually makes an impact.
Your stakeholders don’t need another beautiful document. They need evidence that you’re serious about the challenges facing your business. Sometimes that evidence comes in the form of comprehensive reporting. Often, it comes in the form of meaningful action supported by clear communication that is targeted to your unique stakeholders.
9. California pushes SB 253 deadline and drops year-one assurance — but SB 261 hits legal roadblock
California's climate disclosure landscape shifted dramatically in November. The California Air Resources Board revealed new flexibility for SB 253 emissions reporting — extending the deadline to August 10, 2026, and eliminating first-year assurance requirements, among other changes. Then the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction freezing SB 261, the law requiring climate-related financial risk disclosures that was set to take effect January 1, 2026.
We reported on all the changes and what they mean for your strategy.
10. Materiality, not morality: How to frame sustainability work in 2026
The conversation around corporate sustainability is evolving. While ethical considerations remain important, a new era is emerging — one that prioritizes materiality over morality. Companies are increasingly focusing on sustainability issues that directly impact their bottom line and long-term success rather than solely pursuing initiatives based on ethical principles.
