Cost of inaction grows for your brand every year, warns Kantar in its latest sustainability report

For years, sustainability has been the most repeated mantra in the fashion industry. Most of the time, however, this discourse has remained superficial. It has consisted of vague promises, green campaigns and commitments without clear metrics. Today, there is no longer any room for ambiguity.

Sustainability has become a matter of business survival. This is the warning from global consultancy Kantar in its report, “2026 Planning for Growth Through Sustainable Marketing”. The report outlines a roadmap for transforming sustainability into a genuine growth strategy.

Although the study is not exclusively aimed at fashion brands, its content is highly applicable to the sector. It starts from a clear premise: sustainability is no longer an added value, but a requirement for business resilience and competitiveness in the coming years.

10 percent of brand value

The report highlights that sustainability contributes up to 10 percent of the total brand value among the one hundred largest global companies analysed by BrandZ. According to Kantar's projections, if brands “get it right” with their sustainable strategy, this factor could represent up to 2.7 trillion dollars in additional value by 2040.

However, the consultancy warns of a gap between intention and action. 83 percent of brands have a negative perception regarding sustainability, and 60 percent of consumers believe companies use green messaging for purely commercial purposes.

This lack of credibility and coherence remains one of the main obstacles to growth. “If consumers do not believe in your sustainability story, they will not buy it,” the report states. It directly links trust in sustainable practices with purchasing propensity and customer loyalty.

Three strategic levers for 2026

Kantar identifies three strategic keys to drive growth through sustainable marketing:

1. Build a proprietary business case for growth. Sustainability must be conceived as a driver of profitability, not as a cost.

2. Master category dynamics. Corporate ESG strategies do not always align with consumer expectations. The Sustainability Sector Index helps identify the most relevant issues for each sector and country, facilitating alignment between corporate strategy and public perception.

3. Define a brand-specific growth path. The consultancy proposes an evidence-based model that combines emotional and functional metrics to guide innovation, communication and commercial activation.

From intention to impact

“The cost of inaction grows every year: loss of trust, relevance and opportunity,” summarises Karine Trinquetel, global director of the Sustainable Transformation practice.

In a context where consumers demand coherence and transparency, Kantar urges companies to “measure what matters” and plan rigorously to transform sustainability into a genuine driver of growth.

Kantar concludes that 2026 will be a turning point to move “from intention to impact”. Brands that successfully link sustainability with tangible growth will not only increase their economic value but also their resilience to crises and structural changes.

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