2026 Sustainability Trends Every Facility Manager Needs to Know

Discover the top 5 sustainability trends facility managers need to know in 2026—from performance standards to IAQ, refrigerants, and more.

Ava Montini

Jan 20, 2026

Written by

Published on

A new year, new pressures

For facility and energy managers, 2026 is not just another lap around the operations cycle. The stakes are rising across the built environment: carbon targets are evolving from voluntary goals to enforceable standards, utility grids are growing more dynamic, and your systems are being asked to deliver more than comfort—they’re being asked to demonstrate climate performance.

This change comes at a moment when global energy demand is accelerating. In 2024, energy demand rose 2.2% globally (faster than the decade-long average), while electricity demand jumped 4.3%, driven by electrification, extreme weather, and digital growth. IEA In the buildings sector alone, electricity use increased by over 600 TWh (5%), accounting for nearly 60% of total growth in global electricity use. IEA Blob Storage And forecasts suggest this upward trend will continue: the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that global energy consumption will grow through 2050, outpacing efficiency gains unless stronger policies intervene. EIA

The challenge is that these changes don’t arrive all at once or in obvious ways. They show up gradually—through updated codes, shifting tariffs, new equipment standards, and increasing expectations from tenants and investors. The upside is that facility and energy managers, once working mostly behind the scenes, are now central to turning sustainability commitments into measurable results.

Here are five sustainability trends shaping 2026, and why each matters for the decisions you’ll make in your mechanical rooms, dashboards, and boardrooms.

1. Building Performance Standards move from paper to practice

A decade ago, sustainability reporting was a quarterly or annual exercise filed internally or sent to corporate. Today, Building Performance Standards (BPS) are shifting that paradigm: they tie a building’s actual energy use and emissions to regulatory thresholds, making performance more than just a nice-to-have.

Across the U.S., BPS and similar mandates now exist in nine localities and three states, with penalties or compliance mechanisms for underperforming buildings. (ACEEE) In Canada, cities like Vancouver have already adopted performance standards, and other municipalities are actively exploring similar rules. (Efficiency Canada) Natural Resources Canada also recognizes that BPS policies enable jurisdictions to regulate energy or emissions in existing buildings. (Natural Resources Canada)

Europe is several steps ahead. Through the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, member states are required to set minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings and align them with long-term decarbonization goals. That trajectory suggests North America is likely to follow a similar path, with more cities and provinces phasing in binding performance requirements over the next decade.

For facility teams, this is a shift in mindset: hitting a design target isn’t enough. What matters now is day-to-day performance. Keeping HVAC systems tuned, filters low-pressure, ventilation right-sized, and carbon data tracked continuously.

Treat compliance not as a one-off capital project, but as a persistent operations program. Teams that build strong discipline in data, trending, and low-cost O&M measures (filter swaps, economizer tuning, drift checks) will free up budget (and carbon headroom) to take on higher-stakes retrofits later.

2. Grid-interactive buildings become the norm

The grid you’re tied into is no longer a fixed backdrop. It’s dynamic. As renewables rise, carbon intensity swings hour by hour. In many regions, the grid’s carbon intensity can vary by over 1,000 g CO₂/kWh between low and high hours. EnergyTag

This variability is why hourly accounting, not annual averages, is becoming the standard: studies find that relying solely on yearly emission factors can bias carbon inventories by as much as 35 %, especially in areas with high grid variability. itspubs.ucdavis.edu

For facility managers, your job isn’t just to reduce consumption, but rather to shift it. Running air handlers or pushing large loads at 3 p.m. on a carbon-intensive grid can erase much of the value of your efficiency gains. But shifting that same load to cleaner hours can multiply your CO₂e savings.

Buildings that provide demand flexibility (the ability to curtail, shift, or modulate loads) not only ease grid stress but also help integrate renewables and reduce emissions. ScienceDirect The U.S. DOE’s Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) initiative explicitly frames buildings as potential distributed energy resources (DERs) that can respond to grid signals. The Department of Energy's Energy

Facilities that align their systems with grid conditions will capture more carbon value, reduce costs, and position themselves for utility incentives and grid services.

3. Indoor Air Quality and Energy are no longer trade-offs

The pandemic showed that “just add more outside air” is not a sustainable strategy. It drove home the fact that healthier air doesn’t have to mean higher energy bills. In 2023, ASHRAE Standard 241 introduced the concept of Equivalent Clean Airflow (ECAi): a performance-based framework that lets you meet air quality targets with the right combination of ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning instead of defaulting to maximum outdoor air. (ASHRAE)

This matters even more in 2026 because the carbon penalty of over-ventilation is steep. Conditioning excess outside air can account for a significant share of building energy use, especially in regions with temperature or humidity extremes. U.S. EPA modelling has shown that raising outdoor air rates from 5 to 20 cfm per person can sharply increase HVAC energy costs, depending on the climate and system type. (EPA)

The opportunity is to deliver the same (or better) air quality at a lower energy cost. Low-pressure, high-efficiency filtration plays a central role here. Studies show that filter design, not just MERV rating, dictates pressure drop and energy impact. Well-engineered filters with optimized media and geometry can deliver higher capture efficiency at lower resistance than standard pleated filters, reducing fan energy while still supporting ASHRAE 241 clean-air goals. (ScienceDirect)

The play in 2026: pair low-pressure filtration with calibrated demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) and proven air cleaning technologies. Together, they provide safe indoor air with the lowest possible energy penalty. IAQ and carbon goals don’t have to compete. They can reinforce each other when filtration efficiency and system pressure are managed by design.

4. Refrigerant rules shift the replacement playbook

If you’re spec’ing new HVAC or refrigeration equipment in 2026, refrigerant selection matters just as much as capacity. Under the U.S. AIM Act, the EPA is phasing down production and consumption of high-GWP HFCs—aiming to cut them to just 15% of historic baseline levels by mid-2030s. US EPA That transition is pushing the market toward A2L (mildly flammable, low-GWP) alternatives like R-32 and R-454B. Energy Codes

For facility teams, two priorities stand out:

(1) Safety, training & codes readiness

A2L refrigerants bring new safety nuances. Contractors and service teams must be trained, and local codes (leak detection, ventilation, charge limits) must be understood and enforced. Manufacturers are already shifting product lines to A2Ls to align with the 2025 compliance timelines. Energy Codes

(2) Leak management as carbon strategy

Refrigerant emissions are Scope 1 emissions—direct, onsite greenhouse gas releases that come from leaks, servicing losses, or disposal. ASHE Because many HFCs have very high global warming potentials (GWP) (often hundreds to thousands of times higher than CO₂)a pound of refrigerant lost can translate into a large carbon penalty. GHG Protocol

Legacy systems may lose 20–30% of their refrigerant charge over time without an obvious performance impact. U.S. General Services Administration These silent leaks are hidden carbon drains, often overlooked in efficiency planning.

5. From Projects to Performance

Retrofitting systems may win attention, but the real win in 2026 is locking in performance over time. Field studies and commissioning guides show that, without sustained monitoring and correction, buildings can lose 10–30 % of their efficiency gains within a few years, due to drift, sensor faults, coil fouling, or control logic degradation.

Enter Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) and Fault Detection & Diagnostics (FDD). These aren’t big capital projects—they’re everyday practices that keep systems efficient. Research from ASME shows that automated fault detection in RTUs and HVAC systems can cut significant energy waste.

In one office building study, trend analytics flagged simultaneous heating and cooling, broken economizers, and poor control sequencing. Once fixed, the building’s energy use dropped by 10%. The takeaway is simple: continuous monitoring finds waste fast, and fixing it pays off immediately.

What this means for facility leaders in 2026:

Move away from treating projects as one-and-done.
Build dashboards that track energy, ventilation, fan motor indices, and carbon in parallel.
Use automated alerts to flag deviations in real time.
Make MBCx + FDD the standard part of your operations budget—not a side project.

Utility bills stay low, carbon footprints shrink, and your buildings stay compliant and efficient—without waiting for the next big retrofit.

2026 rewards operators

In 2026, sustainability progress will come from strong day-to-day operations. Facility and energy managers who focus on performance standards, grid-smart scheduling, healthy air, refrigerant planning, and continuous monitoring will find they already have the tools to deliver real results.

The equipment in your building doesn’t need to change overnight. What matters is how it’s managed. Every optimized filter, tuned control, and well-timed ventilation cycle adds up, lowering carbon, controlling costs, and building resilience.

This is the year where facility operations show their true strength: turning routine decisions into measurable sustainability gains.

What is Green Finance? And How it Can Benefit Your Business

Jennifer Crowley
Aug 2, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Jul 19, 2024

Leaf cutting growing from a pile of coins atop a wooden table — Green financing broadens access to environmentally-friendly goods and services for individuals and enterprises, equalizing the transition to a low-carbon society and resulting in more socially inclusive growth.

Green finance is a loan or investment that promotes environmentally-positive activities, such as purchasing ecologically-friendly goods and services or constructing green infrastructure. As the hazards connected to ecologically destructive products and services rise, green finance is becoming a mainstream phenomenon.

What is the Benefit of Green Financing?

Green financing broadens access to environmentally-friendly goods and services for individuals and enterprises, equalizing the transition to a low-carbon society and resulting in more socially inclusive growth. This results in a ‘great green multiplier’ effect in which both the economy and the environment gain, making it a win-win situation for everyone.

Environmental Impact

a. Climate Change Mitigation: Green financing plays a crucial role in funding projects that help mitigate climate change, such as renewable energy generation, energy-efficient technologies, and carbon capture and storage. By supporting these initiatives, green financing contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

b. Conservation of Natural Resources: Green financing supports projects aimed at preserving and restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and promoting sustainable agriculture and forestry. These initiatives help conserve natural resources, enhance biodiversity, and promote sustainable land and water management practices.

c. Transition to a Circular Economy: Green financing encourages projects that promote the principles of a circular economy, such as recycling, waste reduction, and sustainable production practices. This shift from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a circular approach helps reduce resource consumption, minimize waste generation, and promote sustainable consumption patterns.

Economic Advantages

a. Market Opportunities: Green financing creates new market opportunities by supporting the development and deployment of clean technologies and sustainable infrastructure. This can drive economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness, particularly in sectors such as renewable energy, green construction, and sustainable transportation.

b. Risk Mitigation: Green financing can help mitigate financial risks associated with climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental regulations. By supporting projects that promote sustainability, financial institutions and investors can reduce exposure to stranded assets, regulatory penalties, and reputational risks.

c. Cost Savings: Green financing promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, leading to cost savings for businesses and households in the long run. Energy-efficient buildings, for example, have lower operating costs, reduced energy consumption, and increased asset value.

Social Implications

a. Job Creation: Green financing can stimulate the growth of green industries such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable infrastructure. This can lead to the creation of new job opportunities, both directly and indirectly, contributing to economic development and reducing unemployment rates.

b. Health Benefits: Green financing promotes projects that aim to reduce pollution and improve environmental conditions. This can have positive effects on public health by decreasing air and water pollution, thereby reducing the incidence of respiratory and other environmentally-related diseases.

c. Community Development: Green financing supports projects that enhance community resilience, such as sustainable housing, clean transportation, and access to renewable energy. These initiatives can improve living conditions and promote social equity by providing affordable and sustainable solutions to communities, including those that are traditionally underserved.

Types of Green Financing

Now that we have an understanding of what green finance is, let’s explore its different types:

Green Mortgages

Lenders provide better terms to home purchasers of properties with a high environmental sustainability rating or if the buyer agrees to invest in enhancing the environmental performance of a property.

Green Loans

Green loans are used to support environmental initiatives such as household solar panels, electric automobiles, energy efficiency projects, and more.

Green Credit Cards

Often considered to be a type of credit card that donates a portion of your eligible purchases to an organization that invests in climate action and/or partners with carbon mitigation programs to help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Green credit cards such as Aspirations’ Zero card plant a tree every time a customer makes a purchase. They enable customers to direct their expenditure toward green finance to have a lasting environmental impact.

Green Banks

Green banks employ public funds to spur private investment in renewable energy and other environmentally friendly initiatives. According to a 2020 research, the number of green banks in the US increased from one to 20 between 2011 and 2020, investing $7 billion in renewable energy.

Green Bonds

Green bonds account for the vast bulk of green funding. They include bond investments, the earnings from which are used to support various green initiatives such as renewable energy, clean transportation, and conservation, among others.

Green Financing vs Sustainable Financing

Green finance is a loan or investment that promotes environmentally-positive activities, such as the purchase of ecologically-friendly goods and services or the construction of green infrastructure.

Sustainable finance is an improvement of green finance, aiming to increase long-term investments in sustainable economic activities and projects but also taking into consideration environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and risks.

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