When Amazon’s MGM Studios filmed the second season of the Prime Video series “Fallout,” it substituted the diesel generators traditionally used to electrify movie and television productions with a network of solar-powered trailers.

The technology, called Solar Ring, from GreenLite Trailers, provided 4,952 kilowatt-hours of electricity to 14 trailers in the production’s central basecamp over a 20-week trial. Elsewhere in the U.K., Amazon uses hydrogen fuel technology to charge mobile batteries on sets, reducing the need for diesel generators in places where the Solar Ring wouldn’t make sense.

“Film productions can’t plug all of their lights and equipment into house power if they are filming in the middle of a city, and we film in areas that have no power whatsoever, so we basically bring our own little power plants everywhere we go,” said Katherine Braver, global production sustainability project manager at Amazon, in a blog about the “Fallout” pilot. “Historically, these power plants are diesel-running generators.”   

The heavy weight of diesel

Diesel generators are typically the heaviest emission source on studio production sets, contributing an estimated 15 percent of a production’s carbon footprint, according to estimates by major studios. These generators support a wide range of on-set equipment including cameras and lights, sound stages, catering and base camp operations.  

Amazon, Disney and Netflix are all piloting alternatives that produce less emissions and local air pollutants. Many of the technologies are also quieter, which means they can be placed closer to production sets and aren’t as disruptive in locations where many people live or do business.

Amazon uses an internal research and development fund and plans future investments through its climate-tech financing arm, while Disney and Netflix co-sponsored a two-year-long accelerator program called the Clean Mobile Power Initiative that covered 10 startups that received investments from Third Derivative, which backs early-stage climate-tech entrepreneurs.

Amazon didn’t disclose how much the Solar Ring system cut production emissions for “Fallout” through its recent trial. 

Netflix uses clean mobile power on all of the productions under its direct control — although not necessarily to power all operations; in 2024, the company cut its generator fuel by 20 percent on half of its productions. 

Disney doesn’t break its progress out as specifically, but says it has reduced emissions from its operations and energy use by 38 percent since 2019. 

While the applications that these companies are testing are specific to Hollywood, the technologies are all suitable for other industries that rely heavily on diesel generators: live events, construction and disaster relief, islanded microgrids and commercial building backup power, particularly for data centers and hospitals, which often have reliability requirements to meet.

“We’ve validated that this technology can be dropped pretty much everywhere,” said Caroline Winslow, manager of clean energy technology at Third Derivative. “It’s not a matter of will this work, it’s the use case for the technology.”

Source: Clean Mobile Power Initiative

Big lesson: Solar alone doesn’t cut it

The mission of the Clean Mobile Power Initiative was to test portable energy storage systems: small enough to fit into a 9-foot-by-18-foot parking space and capable of providing 140-220 kilowatts of three-phase power for up to 14 hours. 

Often these systems are powered by solar panels, but that’s not feasible in every location. In some places, for example, they’re hooked up to a centralized grid for recharging or even connected to diesel generators. “Our belief is that there is not a single solution,” Winslow said.

The 10 participating companies sell a mix of lithium-ion battery energy storage and hydrogen-fueled equipment: Allye, Ampd Energy, Electric Fish, H2 Portable Power, Hone, Instagrid, Joule Case, Lex Products, RIC Electronics and Sesame Solar. Most of these companies aren’t specifically focused on Hollywood.

Battery energy storage systems were the most cost-effective alternative to diesel generators studied by Disney and Netflix, according to an RMI analysis outlining the findings of their tests. On the other hand, hydrogen units allow for batteries to be recharged more quickly.

For context, power and utility bills represent about 0.8 percent of a typical film or TV production’s total budget. The Clean Mobile Power Initiative estimates that if solar and batteries were used instead, it would boost that budget by 2.4 percent; if hydrogen systems are used, it would result in a 3.2 percent increase.

Amazon, Disney and Netflix don’t typically own the power equipment on production sets: it’s generally provided by rental companies such as MBS Group, Sunbelt Rentals and Quixote by Sunset Studios, all of which participated in the Clean Mobile Power Initiative.

If clean mobile power is to become a reality, studios must establish procurement policies and financial incentives that convince rental companies and equipment suppliers to invest in more clean power units, Winslow said.

For example, if a studio would agree to rent a particular piece of equipment over several years rather than just for a single production — similar to the purchase agreements many corporations sign for renewable power — it would help lower the risk of a rental company’s investment. Special insurance policies are also needed to cover the equipment in case performance issues arise, the RMI analysis notes. 

“We are hearing more and more from the studios that we worked with, and adjacent ones, that there is a demand for more of this power,” Winslow said. “We need alignment on this message, not only across studios but also with the suppliers that are the asset owners.”

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Below is our annual roundup of Trellis’ most-read sustainability stories of the year. Our coverage spans corporate climate progress, regulatory changes, methane breakthroughs, hot climate-tech startups and more. 

It includes timely deep dives into SBTi’s net-zero overhaul, Google’s record-setting biochar carbon-removal deal and a data-driven look at corporate progress toward 2030 climate goals. Plus: the year’s 25 climate-tech startups to watch.

The ranking, starting with No. 10, is based on readership — article views, time spent and interaction depth — as well as our own editorial judgment. Read through to No. 1 for the Trellis article that got the most attention this year.

Like this post? Share it with your colleagues and invite them to subscribe to Trellis Briefing, where this annual ranking first appeared and where we write about the themes shaping the future of sustainability.

And sign up to attend GreenBiz 26 on Feb. 17-19 in Phoenix, where we bring corporate sustainability leaders together to discuss insights like these, or Trellis Impact 26, June 23-25 in San Francisco, where the focus is on innovation that’s driving the clean economy forward.

And now, the top 10: 

10.  Inside Patagonia’s comprehensive plan to counter rising emissions

Trellis Editor at Large Heather Clancy examines an uncomfortable reality: Even values-driven companies like Patagonia are struggling to reduce emissions fast enough. Her inside look shows how Patagonia is confronting rising emissions tied to growth, materials and supply chains.

This is a candid case study of a challenge many sustainability leaders now face: reconciling climate ambition with operational complexity in a decisive decade.

9. Trump is trying to kill the renewable energy industry. Here’s how to fight back

Jigar Shah, former director of the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Offices, and Arnab Pal, founder of a non-profit working on U.S. clean energy deployment, write about actions that companies, investors and state regulators can take to get renewable deployment on track, even during the Trump administration.

The article covers how state-level clean energy standards, corporate procurement deals and long-term power contracts can blunt federal disruption, plus what industry groups are preparing for in 2026.

8. How Google and an Indian startup struck the largest biochar carbon removal deal ever

Google signed a landmark offtake agreement to buy 100,000 tons of carbon removal from Varaha’s biochar project in Gujarat — the largest-ever industrial biochar deal to date, writes carbon markets expert Margaret Morales. 

The deal signals growing corporate investment in alternative carbon-removal pathways and stands out as a test case for whether large-scale carbon removal can move beyond niche pilots to industrial-scale deployment.

7. SBTi proposes more flexibility in 132-page net-zero overhaul

The Science Based Targets initiative released a sweeping draft update to its Corporate Net-Zero Standard, proposing more flexibility for companies while tightening rules around validation and verification. 

In this article, Heather Clancy explains how the revision would reshape the way companies set near- and long-term targets and address residual emissions. 

6. Trump era chaos: A timeline of government climate moves since Jan. 20

Our ongoing tracker maps the shifting landscape of U.S. federal energy and climate policy under the Trump administration — and what it meant for the business of sustainability — in 2025. 

On the timeline: a cascade of federal rollbacks on fuel economy, emissions rules and clean energy programs that have reshaped U.S. climate policy, and how legal pushback and state actions have emerged as counterweights to those moves.

5. Meet the Trellis 30 Under 30 climate leaders of 2025

The 10th annual Trellis 30 Under 30 spotlights young professionals who are driving real climate progress inside major companies across sectors like supply-chain decarbonization, circular economy, data infrastructure and sustainable finance. Companies they work for include Expedia, Kohler, Patagonia and UPS.

This was also among the most shared and commented on stories when it was posted on LinkedIn. 

4. Companies behind dairy industry’s first methane targets show early success

Danone announced it has cut methane emissions from its fresh-milk supply by 25 percent since 2020, putting it on track to meet its target of a 30 percent reduction by 2030 under the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, writes Trellis Editor at Large Jim Giles. 

Key takeaways: Better manure management and improved nutrition have helped reduce methane emissions. Other tools are still needed to reach the 30% across-the-globe target.

3. Chasing Net Zero: A case-by-case look at corporate progress on 2030 climate goals

Launched in 2025, our Chasing Net Zero series is a case-by-case look at corporate progress toward 2030 climate commitments. 

Authors Jim Giles, Heather Clancy and Saul Hansell covered how Nestlé is progressing toward halving emissions, ArcelorMittal’s struggle to reach 2030 climate goals and how AI pushed Salesforce to reset its targets.

Taken together, the series is among our most read reports this year. The team will continue producing case studies of corporate net-zero strategies and useful management takeaways in 2026.

2. 25 climate tech startups to watch in 2025

This list, compiled by Trellis Director of Climate Innovation Jake Mitchell, highlights 25 promising early-stage companies innovating across five sectors: land use and carbon, energy, transport, industry and nature. 

Among them: DexMat, which creates a lighter, stronger and more flexible alternative to metal with a far lower footprint, was voted the top climate startup of 2025 by the audience attending the pitch competition at Trellis Impact in San Jose in October.

1. 64 sustainability certifications to advance your career in 2025 

Whether you’re looking to deepen your expertise or stand out as a job candidate, consider this updated list of 64 professional certifications. It’s geared to practitioners, across 10 areas of sustainability, and was compiled by Trellis contributor and sustainability consultant Trish Kenlon.

In a similar vein, Kenlon’s 16 fellowships to advance your career in 2025 was also among the most-read this year. 

Do  your colleagues need sustainability coverage like this? Invite them to subscribe to Trellis Briefing, where these posts first appeared.

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It’s a tough time for corporate sustainability. Budgets are tighter, teams are smaller and many companies are more reluctant to speak publicly about the work they’re doing. The focus has shifted from bold vision to practical results. 

A pattern has emerged in conversations that my colleagues and I at Trellis have had over the past year with sustainability leaders across industries, from manufacturing and tech to retail and infrastructure. The companies staying the course with sustainability efforts in 2026 are not necessarily the loudest or most aspirational. They are quietly executing.

That pattern shows up in three ways that are reshaping the corporate sustainability landscape: steady leadership; integration with business systems; and data-driven narratives. 

These are also the through lines that will shape the program that Katie Ryan, Nico McCrossan and I are building out for GreenBiz 26, where we will convene thousands of sustainable business leaders Feb. 17-19, 2026, in Phoenix.

Calm, steady leadership in a critical moment

Sustainability leaders face more politicized and scrutinized environments than existed a few years ago. Many are being asked to do more with less: budget; authority; and certainty.

The leaders who are still advancing their companies’ sustainability work in measurable ways share a common trait: steadiness. They focus on what they can control, advance work incrementally, build trust internally and stay aligned with core business priorities, even when sustainability is not the loudest voice in the room.

CSO jobs continue to mature, with sustainability leaders playing central roles in finance, operations, product and risk conversations. Their influence increasingly comes from credibility, relationships and clear communication, rather than formal mandates alone.

In 2026, leadership in sustainability will be less about bold declarations and more about steady competence.

GreenBiz 26 sessions such as Executive Influence When You’re Not in the C-Suite will explore how leaders maintain steady influence and advance meaningful work amidst uncertainty and constraints. 

From sustainability strategies to business systems

Sustainability is moving from separate initiatives to those that are integrated into business systems.

Decarbonization efforts now link climate goals to real metrics, shared ownership and operational decision-making, rather than distant targets. Circularity is following a similar path, with extended producer responsibility, reuse and materials transitions moving from pilot programs into day-to-day operations.

Digital infrastructure is drawing major scrutiny as data centers expand. Companies are considering energy use, carbon, embodied emissions, circular hardware, capacity planning and water strategy. These are core operational questions, not bolt-on initiatives.

Transition planning also reflects this systems mindset. Effective sustainability leaders are ensuring that climate goals influence fundamental business decisions, from budgets and procurement to risk and board oversight.

In the GreenBiz 26 session Tension Management: The ROI of Sustainability we’ll focus on how companies navigate difficult tradeoffs and ground sustainability decisions in operational and financial realities.

What helps? Communications, data and technology

As scrutiny has risen, sustainability leaders are communicating more precisely. Grand promises and gauzy visions are giving way to grounded narratives focused on outcomes and business value.

Data and technology are essential enablers. Companies are investing in better supplier data, stronger lifecycle assessment frameworks and systems that make sustainability information useful across the organization.

AI and digital tools help teams analyze complex data, automate reporting and make faster decisions, with governance and guardrails in place. What matters most is practicality: tools that cut manual work, reduce errors and help sustainability insights actually travel across the business. This often includes AI-assisted lifecycle assessment tools for faster impact modeling, customized AI agents and data platforms to standardize supplier emissions data and automated systems that pull and prepare sustainability data for reporting. 

Internal influence is equally critical. Aligning executives, guiding cross-functional teams and empowering people across the enterprise are core sustainability skills.

Sessions such as The AI Tech Stack: What’s Actually Helping You Do Your Job? will explore which tools are genuinely reducing friction for sustainability teams.

Sign up to attend GreenBiz 26 to experience these conversations firsthand.

The post Grace under pressure: What will define sustainability in 2026 appeared first on Trellis.

The opinions expressed here by Trellis expert contributors are their own, not those of Trellis.​

Climate leadership has changed a lot in recent years. In the U.S., there are fewer flashy announcements. Instead, many companies are evolving their programs to meet increased demands for precision, detail and pragmatism. They’re updating targets to address the reality of changing baselines in sectors where “business as usual” means something different every month (hello, AI). And importantly, they’re bolstering internal credibility so that potential high-impact investments will receive executive approval when the time is right. 

All of this work happens quietly. No big announcements. No fanfare. But without it, high-impact climate work in the next few decades will slow considerably. 

Foundational standards for greenhouse gas measurement and accompanying claims are undergoing significant revisions. At the same time, expectations for accuracy and precision are higher than ever before. The intensifying scrutiny and legal exposure from attorneys general is a double-edged sword. Increased accountability? Excellent. Criticizing companies when their flashy announcements of yesteryear are replaced by less shiny — but much more rigorous — impact statements? Unhelpful, unrealistic and fundamentally missing the point of corporate climate action in 2025. 

An evolution of commitments and communication

Ten years ago, companies were celebrated for bold, ambitious climate commitments. But public pledges often preceded detailed implementation plans. Headlines came first and details came later — or sometimes never at all. For practitioners, big commitments would often drive internal pressure to secure the resources necessary to actually achieve those lofty goals. 

Today, audacious commitments without accompanying plans to achieve them simply don’t fly. That’s a good thing. Holding companies accountable for actually doing meaningful climate work is important. Do corporate commitments seem less exciting today? Sometimes, yes. But this isn’t a surprise. The rules of the game are changing in real time, making it especially tricky to make grand statements in this era of intense scrutiny. When a company makes fewer big announcements, that doesn’t necessarily mean their ambition has stalled. 

For companies that are established sustainability leaders, this era necessitates an especially complex dance. Will strategies and commitments set five years ago remain relevant? Will they still reflect the most accurate and effective way to frame the companies’ work? 

Almost certainly not. And yet, all too often critics seem thrilled to point a finger at companies that are increasing the candor and detail of their disclosures. In this moment of increased accountability and honesty, candor should be rewarded. 

Where to channel criticism

At the same time, some corporate voices are conspicuously absent. This is an especially complex time to execute sustainability work, but that certainly doesn’t mean that companies should get a free pass for doing nothing. In this time of rapid change, critics should focus their attention on the companies with no climate programs — or those actively backpedaling. Companies that have no public climate disclosures and no commitments. Companies that make claims without transparency or substantiation. Companies that are downsizing their teams and backing out of partnerships. Increase the pressure to get these laggards into — or back into — the boat while climate leaders navigate the choppy waters and conflicting currents of this murky and jagged GHG accounting maelstrom.

Many corporate sustainability leaders are quietly considering more impactful investments than ever before. But the guidance that will allow them to credibly account for the impact of these investments — and to make claims against them — is still in the process of being written. Without a clear way to reputably take credit for such investments, companies are understandably hesitant to fully commit. When these companies get dragged through the mud for perceived incrementalism in the meantime, their sustainability teams’ ability to make the case for game-changing investments, or even for continuing the work they’re doing today, is significantly undermined.

Moving through this messy moment

So how do we move through this messy moment? How do we speed toward the kind of clarity that will unleash large-scale corporate investment and the accompanying absolute decarbonization that’s so desperately needed? Accounting and claims guidance that incentivizes the highest impact investments — both inside companies’ value chains and beyond — must be finalized as quickly as possible. That’s because today’s ambiguity is diminishing tomorrow’s climate impacts.

But there’s another reason that’s even more important: There has been a continued focus on inside value chain decarbonization, to the exclusion of beyond value chain investment. Without adding the power of markets into the mix, we won’t achieve global decarbonization at the necessary speed and scale.

Companies must continue decarbonizing their value chains with a focus on maximizing absolute reductions. Programs focused on direct and supply chain decarbonization are table stakes at this point. But some of the highest impact investments that companies can make will never be traceable back to their supply chains. For example, a company might have an opportunity to invest in a project in a sector not related to their value chain that results in a total reduction of GHG emissions that’s higher than any intervention they can execute in their own supply chain. The impact of such an investment should not be reflected in their inventory, of course, but it certainly makes sense for the company to be able to reputably quantify and communicate its impact separately.

Normalizing the necessity of high-credibility, third-party assurable beyond value chain investments — and their associated claims — is critical. Both GHGP and SBTi are conducting consultations that could reshape how companies frame these investments. And newer guidance from The Task Force for Corporate Action Transparency (TCAT) and the Center for Green Market Activation’s AIM Platform provides detailed ways to leverage the power of markets while also maintaining the necessary foundation of direct decarbonization.

To address the climate crisis, we need everything, everywhere all at once. More companies need to be taking action and companies that already have climate programs must be incentivized to take more impactful action. Criticizing and undermining the work happening now, in this fractious moment, is a dangerous game. Let’s hold companies accountable to the kind of leadership that tomorrow will need, not to the expectations of the past.

The post Corporate climate leadership has moved on. The critics haven’t appeared first on Trellis.

When soccer parents in Evanston, Illinois, need new cleats or shin guards, many frequent Play It Again Sports for a secondhand bargain.

The store is part of Winmark Corporation, which operates five brick-and-mortar resale brands, including clothing (Plato’s Closet, Style Encore) and children’s gear (Once Upon a Child). The Minneapolis-based company reported $31.7 million in net income for the first nine months of 2025, a 4 percent increase from 2024. That’s steady performance, although modest next to recent bullish projections for online resale.

Lately, the sports-goods franchise has seen more competition from digital portals for athletes, in addition to eBay, Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp, where athletic items already trade heavily.

That dynamic is playing out across more product categories, thanks to inflation, tariffs and shifting consumer sentiment. Seventy-five percent of resale is not in fashion, according to the OfferUp 2025 Recommerce Report. It projects secondhand’s portion to approach 8 percent of all retail sales, growing by 34 percent by 2030 to $306.5 billion. Another estimate forecasts 12.5 percent annual growth through 2029.

And as returns are expected to hit 15.8 percent of new-product sales in 2025, off-price retail is projected to grow 8.7 percent annually through 2032. That’s motivating brands and retailers to partner with portals to sell open-box products.

Circular economies have traditionally been the domain of independent shops, nonprofits and informal community networks. Lately, reverse-logistics software and AI are bringing new efficiencies and centralization of distributed goods.

‘A growing economic engine’

“Recommerce is more than a trend,” stated California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove. “It’s a growing economic engine that provides consumers with affordable, high-quality goods and gives entrepreneurs, small businesses and resellers access to trusted, thriving marketplaces.”

This summer, the Democrat joined bipartisan members of Congress to form the Recommerce Caucus. eBay, Poshmark, Etsy, OfferUp and Depop expressed support.

Recommerce is mainstream, reflecting “a broad movement propelled not just by affordability, but by sustainability, self-expression and community values,” said eBay Chief Sustainability Officer Renée Morin.

In November, eBay’s 2025 Recommerce Report showed that 81 percent of its customers were motivated by cost savings, while 68 percent felt good about “giving items a second life.”

Collectibles led eBay’s third-quarter sales, followed by motor parts, luxury goods, refurbished items, clothing and sneakers. Dedicated portals for children’s toys, sports gear, furniture and kitchenware are also growing.

Clothing

New online circular economies echo the path of apparel, where brick-and-mortar retailers generally fail to transition online. For example, Goodwill Industries shut down its GoodwillFinds fixed-price website in March. Yet younger digital brands like ThredUp, Vinted and Poshmark are bridging the gap to move clothes from consumers’ closets to virtual shopping carts. Reverse logistics companies Archive, Trove and Tersus are finding new collection-and-sorting efficiencies with AI.

Secondhand fashion sales will grow more than twice as fast as new sales, reaching $367 billion globally by 2029, according to ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report. More than half of those buyers are online.

Furniture

Sourcing items for her online shop the Curio Collectress has become harder, Michele Cicatello says. “Now thrift stores are cool,” she adds. IKEA created Pre-Loved online sales in 2024, and Humanscale launched branded online sales. Chairish and 1stDibs cater to vintage buyers. Everyday pieces are still resold via charities or P2P services.

Office furniture has created B2B opportunities. Rheaply moves furniture and lab equipment, transferring 158,000 items in 2024. Reseat helps companies decommission furniture, saving 40 to 50 percent and meeting sustainability goals, using digital product passports.

Children’s gear

Small shops like Chloe’s Closet in San Francisco and Nesting House in Philadelphia serve parents buying pre-owned kids’ gear. Startups are expanding consignment models for strollers, baby slings and toys.

GoodBuy Gear works with brands like Graco and Baby Jogger to sell returned items. Kidsy partners with Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Target. Baby gear marketplace RebelStork rebranded as Rebel in 2025 after 300 percent sales growth, raising $25 million in Series B funding. It expanded in 2025 to kitchenware, housewares and furniture.

Sports gear

As Rebel also plans to start selling athletic and outdoor equipment, it faces several rivals. SidelineSwap counts 2 million participants; eBay Ventures invested. GearTrade saw 80 percent growth in 2024 for outdoor gear. 2ndSwing Golf specializes in used golf merchandise.

Kitchenware

Kitchen bric-a-brac is a staple of thrift shops and tag sales. B2B marketplaces have long distributed unsold or returned kitchenware in bulk from retailers. What’s new is a direct-to-consumer focus, with Rebel and others seeing an opening. Kitchen Switchen launched in 2024 as a peer-driven “Poshmark for kitchenware.”

Electronics

Circular electronics markets are booming, aided by manufacturers and retailers. Refurbished electronics sales are projected to grow 10.2 percent annually through 2032, from $61.8 billion to $121.9 billion.

BackMarket is running a Manhattan pop-up to grow consumer confidence in refurbished merchandise. It predicts $3.5 billion in 2025 sales after counting 25 percent growth in 2024. Rival Refurbed had double-digit growth in 2024, reaching $294 million. Meanwhile, peer-to-peer listings for smartphones and laptops abound on Mercari, Swappa and OfferUp.

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