Sustainability appears to be losing its lustre among chief executives in the United States, with 38% saying that sustainability investments in 2026 are ‘not a priority’ for their business, a new study by The Conference Board has found.
This compares to 20% of global CEOs that said the same, it noted.
Where US CEOs are investing in sustainability, 17% are focusing on circular economy initiatives, followed by the sustainable use of key inputs and the transition to renewable energy sources, the study found.
Tackling uncertainty
The Conference Board‘s study, C-Suite Outlook 2026: Uncertainty and Opportunity, found that uncertainty was the biggest concern for CEOs in the US as they head into 2026 – 43% of US CEOs deem uncertainty a top worry, compared to 29% of CEOs globally.
“Heading into 2026, CEOs are navigating converging pressures that are weighing on profits and growth,” commented Dana M. Peterson, chief economist, The Conference Board. “At the same time, these forces are spurring innovation, with most CEOs worldwide focused on revamping their business models.”
Respondents also ranked the need to ensure return on investment from artificial intelligence as a top priority, with 46% of US CEOs stating that their top AI priority for 2026 is to improve data quality and quantity to measure ROI, compared to 33% of global CEOs.
More than half (54%) of CEOs in the US cite the risk of cyberattacks as a top threat for 2026, compared to 47% of global CEOs.
Elsewhere, CEOs across the US, Europe, and Japan rank mental health as one of the top three social issues they will prioritise in 2026, cited by 24% of CEOs. This ranks ahead of other workforce-related issues such as working conditions (19%) and gender equality (17%).
Growth expectations
Despite these pressures, CEOs are confident of achieving growth in 2026, due to changes to business models, AI investment, and financial planning.
Improving financial planning is the top financial priority for CEOs globally at 48%, while also being cited by 47% of US CEOs. Read more here and here.
