# The Politics of Sustainability Have Changed. The Business Case Hasn’t.

Research Highlights

— October 7, 2026

By Tensie Whelan

As seen in: Harvard Business Review

![Tensie Whelan](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/Whelan%20Article.jpg?itok=XEKEqv-d)

Corporate sustainability appears to be in a bit of a slump. ESG has become a political liability, sustainability teams are shrinking, and many executives have shifted their attention to AI, economic uncertainty, and regulatory fragmentation.

So why are private equity firms—investors with little patience for initiatives that do not pay—still putting money behind sustainability?

Why are corporate decarbonization commitments continuing to grow, with 82% of companies keeping or even accelerating their commitments, according to PwC’s State of Decarbonization Report?

Read the full [*Harvard Business Review* article](https://hbr.org/2026/10/the-politics-of-sustainability-have-changed-the-business-case-hasnt).
\_\_\_\_
*Tensie Whelan is Distinguished Professor of Practice Emerita and Founding Director of the Center for Sustainable Business.*

## More from Tensie Whelan

- [Demystifying the ‘Say-Do’ Gap in Sustainable Product Purchases.](/experience-stern/faculty-research/opinion/demystifying-say-do-gap-sustainable-product-purchases)
- [How LPs Can Better Assess Sustainability-Linked Value Creation.](/experience-stern/faculty-research/opinion/how-lps-can-better-assess-sustainability-linked-value-creation)
- [Lessons From a Decade of Teaching Sustainability at B-School.](/experience-stern/faculty-research/lessons-decade-teaching-sustainability-b-school)
- [ESG Reporting Needs a Refresh. Here’s How to Fix It.](/experience-stern/faculty-research/esg-reporting-needs-refresh-heres-how-fix-it)
- [The B2B Opportunity in Corporate Sustainability.](/experience-stern/faculty-research/b2b-opportunity-corporate-sustainability)