According to the World Economic Forum's report "Chief Sustainability Officers’ Outlook, September 2026," the sustainable development agenda maintains its relevance despite global economic and geopolitical uncertainties. However, the key drivers of the transition are shifting. Environmental issues are increasingly influencing companies' decisions regarding investment, production, technology, financing, and risk management.

Prepared for the first time by the World Economic Forum, the report is based on a survey conducted among 103 members of the organization's Community of Chief Sustainability Officers. Sixty-three percent of respondents expect the pace of progress toward sustainable development to either maintain its current trajectory or accelerate over the next year. Specifically, 39 percent believe progress will remain at its current level, while 24 percent expect it to accelerate.

Rashad Najafli, Deputy Head of the Economic Analysis Department at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), stated that sustainability is no longer merely a matter of environmental obligation and corporate reporting, but an integral part of the business model. Where companies establish production facilities, what technologies they apply, which suppliers they work with, and into which projects they direct capital directly affect their long-term costs, resource utilization, and resilience against various risks.

Sixty-four percent of respondents consider that forming a clearer business case for sustainable development initiatives over the next three years will be one of the primary drivers of the green transition. More affordable and practical technologies ranked second at 56 percent, while expanding collaboration among companies ranked as the third key factor at 50 percent.

On the other hand, policy and regulatory uncertainty was identified by 68 percent of respondents as the primary obstacle to sustainable development. Companies prioritizing short-term financial returns was cited by 61 percent, and international and geopolitical tensions by 54 percent as major constraining factors.

This situation leads to the emergence of "green divergence" across countries, markets, and sectors. They are not adapting to the green transition at the same pace, resulting in more pronounced disparities in sustainability. Sixty-four percent of respondents believe that emerging markets will play a greater role in the global sustainable development agenda in the future.

The World Economic Forum's findings also align with the indicators presented in Bain & Company's 2026 report, "The Visionary CEO’s Guide to Sustainability." According to Bain's calculations, approximately 17 trillion US dollars have been invested in sustainable technologies globally over the past 10 years. This figure is roughly 4 trillion dollars higher than the forecast made in 2015. In 2025 alone, investments in sustainable technologies reached a record high of 2.4 trillion dollars.

In the World Economic Forum report, artificial intelligence is assessed as one of the critical enablers of the sustainable transition. Approximately three-quarters of respondents anticipate that artificial intelligence and other digital technologies will contribute to sustainable development through risk modeling, enhancing energy and resource efficiency, and improving measurement and reporting.

Alongside this, 77 percent of respondents view the high energy and resource demands of AI infrastructure as the technology's most serious adverse impact on sustainability. For this reason, it is essential to evaluate the implementation of artificial intelligence not merely as an indicator of digitalization, but on the basis of its energy consumption, resource use, and the measurable economic and environmental outcomes it generates.

Rashad Najafli noted that although a separate indicator for Azerbaijan is not presented in the "Chief Sustainability Officers’ Outlook" report, the survey findings can also be viewed through the lens of Azerbaijan's national development priorities. Sustainability is becoming an economic category that impacts investment efficiency, energy and water security, production continuity, and companies' long-term competitiveness. Announcing targets is not sufficient; they must be translated into concrete projects, measurable indicators, justified investment decisions, and continuous monitoring mechanisms.

According to him, solar and wind energy, energy storage systems, power grid modernization, green energy corridors, smart irrigation, energy-efficient buildings, methane leak detection and abatement, as well as digital monitoring systems, hold particular significance for Azerbaijan.

The monitoring of green transition projects should not be limited solely to allocated funds and completed works. Outcome indicators such as the volume of clean energy produced, energy and water savings, emission reductions, private investment mobilized, economic value created, and climate risk mitigation must also be taken into account.

The core message of the World Economic Forum report is that future competitive advantage will be determined not merely by sustainability commitments, but by the ability to transform these commitments into economic value, technological solutions, and measurable results.