For OEMs and dealer groups navigating US market realities in 2026, sustainability is being measured, disclosed, and audited — but the picture is more nuanced than headline federal policy suggests.
At the federal level, the SEC's climate-related disclosure rules — adopted in March 2024 — have been stayed in litigation and are now proposed for rescission. The federal disclosure regime that many companies were preparing for is unlikely to take effect.
But state-level disclosure requirements continue advancing. California's SB 253 and SB 261, the state's own climate disclosure laws, are moving through implementation with CARB rulemaking. Because California-scale disclosure applies to any large company doing business in the state, the practical reach extends well beyond California borders. Institutional investors, S&P Global sustainability ratings, and international disclosure frameworks continue to make ESG performance material regardless of federal rulemaking direction.
For publicly traded dealer groups — Lithia, AutoNation, Penske, Group 1 Automotive, Sonic, and Asbury — sustainability reporting remains part of routine operations, driven by investor expectations and state-level requirements.
For OEMs, sustainability commitments cascade into brand standards regardless of federal disclosure policy. Every OEM launching or refreshing a dealer standard now considers sustainability requirements as part of the specification — because customer expectations, corporate net-zero commitments, and state regulations all point the same direction.
Sustainability at the dealership level shows up in specific design decisions.
Energy performance. LED lighting, high-efficiency HVAC systems, solar-ready roof structures, insulation and envelope performance. Design decisions that used to be about cost are increasingly about carbon.
Material specification. Low-embodied-carbon materials, regionally sourced products, recycled content requirements, and certifications like Cradle to Cradle and Declare are appearing more frequently in updated brand manuals.
Water and waste systems. Rainwater capture, greywater reuse in service bay applications, and integrated waste management systems appear in current-generation dealership standards.
Certification pathways. LEED, WELL, and LEED for Retail certifications continue to gain adoption in commercial retail — including automotive dealerships pursuing brand-differentiating environmental credentials.
EV infrastructure. Charging infrastructure, battery service capabilities, and EV-appropriate service bay configurations are sustainability infrastructure that also represents commercial capability.
For dealer groups, the question is not whether to invest in sustainability infrastructure — the direction of both regulation and customer expectations makes it necessary. The question is how to invest strategically: which certifications are worth pursuing, what upgrades pay back operationally, and which design decisions position the dealership for the standards that will exist in five years, not just the ones that exist today.
For OEMs, the question is how to write sustainability into brand standards in ways that are specific enough to enforce, flexible enough to adapt as materials and regulations evolve, and durable enough to hold value across shifting political cycles.
At VC ONE, sustainable design has been embedded in our practice since the beginning — not as a marketing angle but as a design discipline. The dealerships we design today are engineered to meet sustainability standards being written now, and to remain compliant with the standards that will be written next.
