Olympic athletes face increasingly unpredictable conditions due to climate change. In parallel, sustainability professionals are navigating volatile job markets, shifting regulations, and organisational challenges.
It's Week 2 of the Winter Olympics, and as well as the thrills and spills and upending of medal expectations the athletes and spectators are dealing with, the February temperatures in Cortina have been rising to uncomfortable highs for the apogee of winter sports to take place in. According to Climate Central temperatures have risen 3.6°C since the area first hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956. Planning the games is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge - researchers say warming trends are steadily shrinking the number of locations capable of reliably hosting the Winter Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee has already hinted at how serious this is, saying it could move the start date of future Winter Games to January instead of February because of rising temperatures.
Cortina appeared to be picture postcard perfect as the 2026 Winter Games began, blanketed in heavy snow, but by the first Sunday afternoon, the temperature had climbed to around 4.5°C, and for those fully clad in multiple layers of high tech ski kit, in direct sunlight it felt uncomfortably warm.
These levels of February temperatures in Cortina are now at least three times more likely because of climate change. The snow can arrive, but it may not hold the way it used to. And that changes everything from course preparation to safety calls to whether events can stay on schedule. Over the last week the avalanche risk in the French Alps hit level 5 (the maximum), culminating in the tragic deaths of 3 skiers, and a train was derailed in Switzerland. February is traditionally thought of as peak ski season with a solid stable base of snow, but this year the base is formed of a “mille-feuille" of fragile, hidden layers, meaning even a single skier could trigger massive avalanches.
For professionals in sustainability, there are clear parallels. The landscape of the work is changing constantly: funding priorities move, regulations evolve, and organisations pivot in response to global pressures. The stakes in sustainability careers can feel very high. Redundancy, shifting organisational priorities, withdrawal of budgets are common pressures. These are the professional equivalents of skating on thinning ice. One misstep can derail plans or stop them completely. We face the reality of job losses reported in the global newsfeeds, and see it happening directly around us, creating instability and uncertainty – the heat is on.
In early 2026 the Trump administration launched a massive rollback of climate efforts, rescinding the EPA’s "endangerment finding," thus eliminating the legal grounds to regulate greenhouse gases, and cancelling federal emission limits for vehicles. Key actions include withdrawing from international climate bodies including those related to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC), slashing billions of dollars in clean energy grants, and terminating initiatives like the American Climate Corps. In turn, these actions have accelerated the changes in corporate policies; sustainability as a driver appears to no longer be a priority.
But the skills honed in sustainability careers are hugely valuable, bringing expertise in regulation, supply chain, stakeholder management, strategy, and systems thinking - applicable to any sector. The key is repositioning - translating your sustainability, ESG, and impact experience into language that resonates in today’s landscape. Olympic athletes depend on coaches, trainers, and a full support team - elite performers need guidance to navigate high-stakes environments. Sustainability professionals are no different. Mentorship, peer networks, and career coaching provide critical guidance in navigating uncertainty, building resilience and ensuring adaptability, turning their flexibility and expertise into a competitive advantage.
JS Global Advisory's Founding partner Jane Stevensen works with individuals in 1:1 career mentoring and coaching to help them pivot strategically, strengthen their positioning and build resilience. We also offer bespoke training for Boards, senior leaders and operational teams.
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