Megatrends 2026: the Green transition and business opportunities

One of the megatrends most likely to reshape society in the long term is climate change and the environmental crisis. Sitra has named one of its megatrends for 2026 "The environmental crisis demands adaptation and renewal."

Nine planetary boundaries define the limits for safe life on Earth, and for business. Finland is a frontrunner in the Green transition, and in 2025, investment in renewable energy and related business in Finland totalled €8 billion..

As it progresses, the Green transition is not only transforming Finland's energy system but also opening up entirely new business opportunities. In addition, the circular economy's significance as part of business is growing, as the availability of virgin raw materials declines and prices rise.

Renewable energy as an opportunity

Fingrid Fingrid forecasts that by 2040, Finland's energy consumption and production could more than triple to 267 TWh a year. Already today, 57 % of Finland's energy production is renewable, primarily wind power. In the short term, an increasingly electrified Finland is an attractive location for energy-intensive data centres. In the long term, the real prize is green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy. The green transition offers business opportunities not only at industrial scale, but also in consumer services.

• Services and infrastructure related to the production, storage and distribution of green hydrogen.
• Services for the electrification of transport, and new types of service hubs.
• Smart home services: solutions that adjust and optimise heating, charging and energy consumption.
• Battery systems that balance reserve capacity.
• New types of electricity contracts that smooth out consumption.
• Household appliances that run automatically when electricity is cheap.

From consumption to the circular economy

Ten years ago Finland published the world's first circular economy roadmap. Although the world's attention is currently focused on security and geopolitics, it is clear that the sufficiency of raw materials and resources will challenge business in the future. Construction in particular consumes natural resources and causes a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions..

According to economic theory, demand shifts to alternative resources as prices rise. Over time, as technology develops and virgin materials become more expensive, the circular economy will become an increasingly attractive option for business.

• Renovation and repair construction, reuse of building materials.
• Platforms and professional trading for second-hand goods.
• Repair, customisation and refurbishment services for consumer goods and clothing.
• Reducing waste in industry and retail.
• Sharing platforms that connect owners and users.
• Innovations that reduce food waste: shelf life and production at the point of consumption.
• Reusable and refillable packaging.

The Green transition and the circular economy are examples of a slow but certain trend. The companies that succeed will be those that bring their services to market at exactly the right time.