Health Profits and Prophesies: Examining 2026 Predictions through a Climate Lens

You may not have made a New Year’s resolution, but you’ve probably clicked on someone’s list of predictions for 2026.

Welcome to our new blog series, where we dive into the top healthcare predictions for 2026—but with a twist. Instead of just examining what’s on the horizon for the health sector, we’ll consider these trends through the lens of climate change and sustainability.

Starting with some mainstream healthcare forecasts—like those from Forbes, McKinsey, Deloitte (full disclosure- I am a consultant for Deloitte), we’ll ask: how do these trends and predictions intersect with the urgent need for sustainability and climate resilience in healthcare?

For topics on multiple lists, like continued AI integration, consumer focus, telehealth expansion, and supply chain resilience, among others, we’ll do a deeper dive into critical considerations.

According to Deloitte’s survey, only 11% of U.S. healthcare CEOs say sustainability will be a strategic priority in 2026. While that may reflect their current mindset, sustainability can often be an integral component of what they do identify as strategic priorities. And in addition, sustainability thought leaders may be thinking about the health sector. So, we’ll also look at predictions from the sustainability and climate resilience side.

Over the coming posts, we’ll connect these predictions to real-world examples and show how the healthcare industry can become more innovative, resilient, and sustainable, even in a politically chaotic time. Stay tuned.