8 Predictions for 2026: What's Next for Sustainable IT Services, AI Data Centers, Managed Energy Services, ITAD and More

How will the sustainable IT services market evolve in 2026? Thanks for asking. This blog, updated regularly through the end of 2025, tracks sustainability predictions from key executives, market research firms, industry influencers and our own content team.

Here's the 2026 sustainability market forecast so far:

8. AI Data Center Energy Debate: MSPs and IT service providers will need to carefully navigate energy consumption debates -- especially as price-sensitive consumers push back against power-hungry AIO data centers that push up energy costs and utility bills. The opportunity? Savvy MSPs will help consumers and businesses to monitor, optimize and reduce their own energy consumption. Source: Sustainable Tech Partner

7. IT Asset Disposition: Private equity firms will continue to buy, merge and grow ITAD service providers -- especially ITAD companies that specialize in data center infrastructure. Source: Sustainable Tech Partner

6. Public Clouds Providers Will Sharpen Their Sustainability Tools: Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, AWS, Google Cloud and Salesforce Net Zero Cloud (apparently rebranded as Agentforce Net Zero) will continue to roll out additional carbon monitoring, energy management and circular economy capabilities. The big question: Will cloud providers aggressively market those tools, or quietly offer them only to inquiring sources? Source: Sustainable Tech Partner

5. MSPs and Energy Monitoring Dashboards: MSPs (managed IT service providers) already monitor IT infrastructure, endpoints, data, applications, cloud services and plenty more. Some leading MSPs will begin to add carbon monitoring, energy monitoring and energy management to their dashboards. First-movers include Logicalis, a major IT service provider that provides CIOs and customers with "the insights they need to improve both the environmental and business impact of their digital ecosystem." Another key leader is NTT Data. Source: Sustainable Tech Partner

4. CSOs and AI: By 2026, 60% of large organizations' Chief Sustainability Officers will help drive AI deployment for procurement to scrutinize supply chains end-to-end for social, environmental and governance criteria. Source: IDC

3. Compliance Mandates And Standards Groups Will Bottom Out: Geopolitical headwinds in 2025 toppled the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), pressured and weakened CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive). Legal threats from the United States could further pressure CSRD and CSDDD mandates. At some point in 2026, we will reach a "market bottom," where sustainability regulations finally settle on weakened requirements. Source: Sustainable Tech Partner

2. Chief Sustainability Officers Will Evolve or Fade Away: Amid geopolitical headwinds, fewer organizations announced CSO positions in 2025 compared to 2024, according to our anecdotal reporting. In some cases, businesses are quietly eliminating the dedicated CSO role. Dig deeper, and you'll see HR, communications, legal or finance executives quietly taking on some or all sustainability responsibilities. Amid that backdrop, CSOs must further reinvent their roles from compliance-centric to efficiency-centric. Instead of emphasizing ever-shifting compliance regulations, CSOs will target energy management, IT automation and other opportunities that help businesses to improve profit margins. Source: Sustainable Tech Partner

1. What's Your Prediction? Email me the details (Joe@MentoreVentures.com). I'll give it a read and potentially share your thoughts in this blog.