Global businesses say they are already counting the cost of climate change but there are glaring holes in their strategies to combat it.

A new report by Sweep and Capgemini, Sustainability in Action 2026, polled 1,000 senior business leaders across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the DACH region and the Nordics. It followed the firms’ 2024 research which assessed business confidence in sustainability data, with the newest findings revealing a significant decline over the past two years.

What it found was 94% of senior business leaders say climate-related disruption has caused financial losses for their company over the past two years, with 30% reporting setbacks of over $1 million.

However, more than three quarters (79%) said their sustainability data is insufficient to accurately inform wider business strategy as it hasn’t yet been properly integrated across the organisation. At the same time, AI is emerging as a powerful enabler, helping companies make sustainability data more reliable, actionable, and strategically valuable.

The 2026 report showed that climate disruption is already having a direct commercial impact on most companies, while the data required to understand and address issues head-on remains siloed in business systems, left incomplete or lacking standardisation. With only one in five reporting minimal financial impact below $100,000, it’s clear how much businesses are battling against the ramifications of climate change, exacerbated by a challenging geopolitical environment.

“Sustainability has not fallen off the business agenda, in fact the opposite is true,” said Rachel Delacour, co-founder and CEO of Sweep. “There is a growing risk to companies as climate disruption and geopolitical tensions continue to impact supply chains, costs and investment decisions faster than the data systems built to help manage them.”

Despite these challenges, companies remain convinced that sustainability is commercially important. 85% of respondents say their business must transform for the low-carbon economy, and 86% view that transition as a growth opportunity rather than an inhibitor.

However, the quality of the sustainability data underpinning those decisions is degrading. In 2024, over half (53%) of respondents claimed their data lacked the reliability needed to inform business strategy, compared to 79% this year.

The report findings come at a time when companies are increasingly using sustainability data to make decisions on cost, risk mitigation, supply chains, procurement and investment strategy.

AI has rapidly emerged as a way to support these decisions effectively, making data more reliable, actionable and relevant. Eight in ten (79%) respondents say AI adoption has increased investment in sustainability, with benefits including greater access to investment, improved data accuracy and audit-readiness, and reduced time spent on data collection and processing.
“Resilience is no longer just about managing risk,” said Cyril Garcia, global head of sustainability services, corporate responsibility and member of the Group Executive Board at Capgemini. “It is about anticipating disruption and acting with confidence. Trusted, connected data across the value chain is the foundation that enables AI to improve supply chain performance, advance sustainability outcomes, and create sustained competitive advantage for organisations.”

“Business leaders are under pressure to respond to the huge financial losses fuelled by geopolitical changes, extreme weather events and uncertain economic conditions,” added Delacour. “Sustainability data is an answer to all of that, as it provides insights on where these risks are hitting the business, what it is costing them, and where to act first.”