The most critical issue for the world moving towards 2030 is that sustainability is no longer just an environmental policy, but a competitive strategy. In the coming years, carbon management, digitalization, energy transformation, circular economy, and supply chain compliance will be the main axes determining the performance of companies. Therefore, industrialists need to focus on three elements in particular in their roadmap: proper data management, transparent reporting, and medium-term investment planning. As time to achieve the 2030 targets is running out, businesses that start the transformation today will both maintain their market share and be among the winners in the new market conditions. Those who fail to adapt will face customs barriers, high carbon costs, and supply chain losses. In short, 2030 is not an end for the business world; rather, it marks the beginning of a new era where the rules are being written.
Tightening money markets, uncertain exchange rates, global wars, changing customer demands, the never-ending power struggles between world powers, and the negative impact of these struggles on the markets have made it increasingly difficult for industrialists to stay afloat, produce, and make a profit. Industrialists face such intense and complex tasks that when it comes to business sustainability, the process often becomes even more complicated. However, the tightening of regulations in this area worldwide has made it a necessity rather than a choice.
Industrialists who want to stay in the game must now adopt sustainable policies, reduce their carbon footprint, reshape all their processes from production to distribution with this perspective in mind, be transparent producers, and pay attention to green supply chains. Otherwise, survival is hardly possible. Because they will be evaluated under these headings at every step. Those who fail to comply with the new order will see their goods stuck at border crossings, face high tax penalties, and find themselves on the list of brands avoided by consumers who are becoming increasingly conscious of sustainability. Of course, companies that play by the rules will be rewarded with support and incentives.
By 2025, the desired levels of sustainability, a highly critical issue, have not been achieved
So, when we list all these topics one after another and consider the many goals set by countries around the world, what does the world’s report card for 2025 look like? As we rapidly move towards the 2030 goals, has the to-do list been implemented correctly? Unfortunately, in 2025, the desired levels of sustainability, a very critical topic, have not been achieved. Although sustainability has moved from being a side policy to a main strategy for companies in many countries, the reality is that things have not progressed as imagined. The targeted reduction in global emissions has not been achieved, and the anticipated momentum in energy transition has not been captured. Renewable energy investments increased in many economies, but this increase was not enough to offset the continued use of fossil fuels. Although progress has been made in corporate sustainability reporting, less than half of large companies worldwide have published comprehensive and verifiable sustainability reports. The global average for supply chain traceability, circular economy practices, and carbon reduction projects is still well below the ideal level. This picture clearly shows that the pace required to meet the 2030 targets was not achieved in 2025, creating stronger pressure for transformation, especially for producer countries.
There is a significant gap between the current trajectory and the target
The COP summits, which set the framework for global climate policies, provide the clearest picture of how far countries have come in achieving their 2030 targets. In particular, there is a significant gap between countries’ emission reduction commitments and the current trajectory. It has become clear that nationally determined contributions need to be revised in terms of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2025, increasing energy efficiency, and accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels. For industrialists, this means that as the world moves closer to 2030, regulations will become even stricter and climate commitments will continue to exert direct pressure on production processes.
Industrialists’ agendas should focus on environmental, digital, and governance-oriented transformation
Although 2025 did not quite deliver the expected momentum for the 2030 goals on a global scale, it was a period when some strategies were reviewed and many countries revised their roadmaps. However, despite all these fluctuations, the world is gradually approaching 2030, and time is running out. In this process, it is critically important that the concept of sustainability is not limited to financial obligations or mandatory regulations, but becomes a natural part of corporate culture. Therefore, as we move towards the 2030 targets, industrialists’ agendas must prioritize strategic topics that support environmental, digital, and governance-focused transformation. Electrification, energy storage solutions, and renewable energy-based production infrastructures are among the topics that will most affect the industry over the next five years. In addition, AI-supported production, machine learning-based decision mechanisms, and real-time data management will fundamentally transform how factories operate. Due to natural disasters triggered by the climate crisis, the concept of “climate-resilient production facilities” will rise to the top of the agenda. Making both machines and processes more resilient and flexible will become a necessity for industrialists.
Key considerations for industrialists as they work toward their 2030 goals
As industrialists progress toward their 2030 goals, they face a landscape characterized by tighter regulations, sustainability becoming a competitive advantage, and digitalization taking center stage in production. Therefore, the critical issues that require attention can be grouped under several main headings:
Carbon Management and Climate Risks
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy investments
- Managing supply chain emissions
Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Security
- Automation in production, sensor technologies, AI-supported decision-making
- Cybersecurity and data management
- Real-time monitoring of production
Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency
- Waste recovery
- Efficiency in water and energy use
- Circularity in product design
Green Deal and Foreign Trade Compliance Processes
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
- Sustainability requirements for EU supply chains
- International certification requirements
Human Resources, Talent Management, and Occupational Health
- Green skills
- Digital competencies
- Safe, inclusive, and sustainable work environment
Supply Chain Resilience
- Diversified supply structure
- Risk analysis and crisis scenarios
- Local and regional production strategies
Sanction risks will increase for the wood, machinery, and furniture sectors
The European Union’s sustainability requirements, which will come into force in 2026, will mark a critical period, particularly for the machinery, wood, and furniture sectors. The transition to the financial obligation phase of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the expansion of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive to include more businesses in the reporting obligation, and the widespread adoption of digital product passports will require industrialists to provide transparent data and ensure that all links in the supply chain operate in line with sustainability criteria. In addition, the EU Deforestation Regulation will now make traceability, certificates of origin, risk mapping, and sustainable resource use standard requirements in the wood and furniture sectors. This process will accelerate investments in energy-efficient designs, low-carbon production, and the use of smart technologies in the machinery sector, while making sustainable material management, product composition transparency, and recyclability fundamental conditions for export access for wood and furniture manufacturers. In short, in the new period after 2026, these three sectors will not only have to comply with the EU’s tightening regulations, but will also have to transform sustainability criteria into a strategy that determines their competitive strength.
