For more than a decade, sustainability has held a prominent place on the global agenda. From the signing of the Paris Agreement to the rise of Fridays for Future strikes, which inspired us to start this GreenMarked blog. The world seemed to be moving steadily toward a greener, fairer future. But today, the story is more complex.

Is sustainability losing momentum, or are we seeing a quieter, deeper rooting in politics, business and everyday life?

Across Europe and beyond, signs of resistance are hard to ignore. Political leaders have scaled back or postponed important environmental commitments, often in response to public protests and pressure from industries concerned about their competitive position [1]. Targets once considered non-negotiable have been watered down or postponed. At the same time, the way business talks about sustainability has changed. Where sustainability was once praised as a source of innovation and growth, it is now often seen as an additional regulatory burden.

In the United States, Donald Trump’s renewed political influence has led to renewed resistance to environmental regulation and climate policy. This shift was also evident during the most recent shareholder meeting season, when investors did not support a single climate resolution, a clear signal that investor pressure has eased [2]. Meanwhile, global attention is focused primarily on war, energy shocks, inflation, and migration, pushing sustainability further down the political and media agenda.

The EU’s Green Deal Omnibus Regulation captures the crossroads sustainability faces. Framed as a way to streamline rules and ease business burdens, it has been widely perceived as a political compromise that weakened environmental goals [3]. It reveals both the Green Deal’s resilience and its vulnerability, not a complete withdrawal, but a recalibration, with sustainability still on the agenda, yet filtered through the lens of political feasibility and short-term economics.

Nevertheless, under the CSRD, large companies have already reported on 2024, with thousands more due from 2026 onward. In parallel, the Due Diligence Directive adds obligations on human rights and environmental risks in their supply chains, while the EU Deforestation Regulation – although controversial and subject to delays – is moving forward and set to reshape global procurement. Beyond Europe, the United States has launched record levels of clean energy investment through the Inflation Reduction Act [4], while China and India are pushing ahead with massive expansions in solar, batteries, and electric vehicles [5].