True business sustainability means more than just selling ‘eco-friendly’ products and reducing emissions. Sustainable businesses operate with purpose, so they have business models that value social and environmental impact as much as financial profit.Since corporate sustainability has never been more important than it is today, we’ve put together this collection of statistics on the latest sustainability trends. They should give you a good idea about the importance of sustainable development in business, and offer insight into how you can improve your company’s sustainability strategy.
How is business leadership thinking about sustainability?
- 45% of C-suite executives now identify climate change and sustainability as a top-three business challenge ( Deloitte )
- 83% of executives reported increasing their sustainability investments in the last year ( Deloitte )
- More than half of leaders acknowledged that their organization's increased investments in sustainability were encouraged by employee activism on the matter. ( Deloitte )
- Over 80% of companies have a Chief Sustainability Officer in place. ( Forbes )
- Companies with a CSO in place are 27% more confident about the positive impact of their sustainability initiatives than companies without a CSO. ( Forbes )
- 65% of CxOs admitted that the regulatory environment was a driver in their choosing to invest in climate change matters. ( Deloitte )
- Organizations ranked climate change as the second most significant concern (42%) for businesses in 2024, following closely behind the economic outlook (44%). ( Deloitte )
- 84% of CxOs agreed or strongly agreed that it was possible to achieve global economic growth while also reaching sustainability goals. ( Deloitte )
Why is sustainability important in business?
- According to the EU’s C3S, 2024 was officially the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures now exceeding 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures. ( Reuters ) .
- In recent decades, as the global population has grown, economies have improved, and demand/production of goods and services has increased, energy demand has soared, along with our collective carbon footprint. The increased combustion of fossil fuels to meet this demand has seen annual global greenhouse gas emissions increase by 50% over the past 30 years. ( Statista )
- China is responsible for about 31% of global fossil fuel CO₂ emissions in 2022, making it the largest carbon polluter in the world. ( Statista )
- Global plastic production reached approximately 430.9 million metric tons in 2024. ( Statista )
- However, it is estimated that current commitments made by governments and industries will only reduce the annual volume of plastic flowing into the ocean by 8% by 2040. ( WED )
- By the end of 2023, the social and economic costs of plastic pollution were US$600 billion. ( WEB )
- A global shift to a circular economy, which refers to using resources efficiently, reducing waste, and recycling, by 2040 could create savings of more than US$4.5 trillion. ( WEB )
- Each year, between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste seep into aquatic ecosystems, contaminating lakes, rivers, and oceans. That’s the equivalent of about 2,000 garbage trucks per day. ( United Nations Environment Program )
- The world is losing around 10.9 million hectares of forest every year due to deforestation. ( UN )
- Agriculture is the main driver of deforestation in all regions except Europe. Urbanization, climate changes, and over-utilization of resources are other leading causes. ( European Parliament )
- 61% of CEOs are now confident in meeting their net-zero targets by 2030, up from 51% in 2024. ( KPMG )
:format(webp))
Customers care about sustainability issues
- The global green technology and sustainability market was valued at USD 20.90 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 25.44 billion in 2025 to USD 105.26 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 22.39% ( Fortune Business Insights )
- In 2023, there was an increase in eco-active (22%) and eco-considerer (40%) consumers compared to the previous year. Eco-actives are highly concerned about the environment and plastic waste, and eco-considerers are worried about the environment and plastic waste. ( Kantar )
- In 2025, 61% of global consumers still care about climate change and try to have a positive impact on the environment, yet only 51% believe individual choices drive real change ( Euromonitor International )
- More than 6/10 adults globally worry about climate change in 2025, while almost half feel personally impacted, though many are held back from action by cost and uncertainty about the impact of their efforts ( PwC )
- American consumers are willing to pay, on average, 11% more for sustainable products. However, companies charge, on average, 28% more for such products. ( Bain & Company )
- 79% of consumers in rapidly expanding markets such as China, India, and Indonesia showed concern for environmental sustainability, whereas only 55% in developed markets, like the US and Europe, shared similar sentiments. ( Bain & Company )
- 58% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, with Millennials (60%) and Gen Z (58%) leading adoption ( PwC )
- Buyers say that by 2028, sustainability will be the second-most important purchasing criterion for B2B buyers, just after quality ( Bain & Company )
- However, global consumers face many barriers when it comes to shopping sustainably. 61% said sustainable purchases were too expensive, while others said they didn’t know how to find sustainable choices (48%) or that sustainable products were hard to find (42%). ( Kantar )
- 49% of B2B companies are already buying more from their more sustainable suppliers, up from 39% last year — and half plan to drop suppliers that don't meet sustainability criteria over the next three years ( Bain & Company )
- 68% of consumers said they strive to eliminate waste “in all areas of their life.” ( Kantar )
How does sustainability benefit a business?
Finances and the bottom-line
- 71% of C-suite executives now agree or strongly agree that ESG investment provides a competitive advantage, a significant increase from 60% in the previous year ( Sustainable Directory )
- 87% of US executives report they are either maintaining or increasing investments in business sustainability in 2025, with only 7% cutting back ( ESG Today )
- Mandatory sustainability reporting arrived in force in 2025 as thousands of companies published their first statements under the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ( PwC )
- Financially successful companies that incorporated environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) priorities into their business strategies were twice as likely as their peers to generate a 10% increase in revenue. ( McKinsey )
- Industries worldwide could save $437 billion per year by 2030 through improved energy efficiency. ( Reuters )
- In 2025, 11% to 15% of U.S. investment managers will put 40% of their portfolios in ESG investments. ( Investors )
On our journey to Net Zero, precise, granular emissions data is really helpful to Aesop —because before we can act, we need to know what to focus on. Working with Perk has enabled us to understand our travel emission hotspots much better and map out the changes we can make that will have the biggest impact. Rebecca Lawson, Aesop Sustainability Manager, Climate
Employee engagement and retention
- 69% of employed adults expressed a desire for their companies to invest in sustainability efforts such as carbon reduction, renewable energy usage, and waste reduction. This sentiment was particularly strong among respondents aged 18 to 34. ( Deloitte )
- 27% of respondents indicated they would factor a potential employer's stance on sustainability into their decision to accept a job offer. ( Deloitte )
- 67% of employees would be more willing to apply for or accept a job with an environmentally sustainable company. ( Great Place to Work )
- Nearly 90% of Gen Z and Millennials say that a sense of purpose in the workplace is crucial to their overall job satisfaction. ( Deloitte )
- Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennial respondents have already put pressure on their employers to adopt green policies, and some have switched jobs in search of a more eco-conscious workplace ( Deloitte )
- After salary, environmental and societal impact and policies were the most important considerations for employees when choosing or staying with an employer. ( PwC )
- 80% of C-suite leaders reported that their employees’ activism had positively impacted their sustainability plans. ( Deloitte )
- However, only 38% of employees surveyed agreed that their employer “was doing enough to address climate change and sustainability.” ( Deloitte )
- 93% of those working in environmentally friendly workplaces felt happier in their jobs—compared to 55% who were happy in environmentally unfriendly offices. ( Reworked )
- 3% of workers would ideally like a job that contributes to energy transition or climate adaptation — rising to 5 in 10 millennials and 6 in 10 Gen Z respondents ( LinkedIn )
- 54% of Gen Z and 48% of millennials were "pushing" their employers to start sustainability practices. ( Deloitte )
:format(webp))
Make your company more sustainable with Green Trip
With Green Trip, you can:
- Automatically calculate your carbon footprint
- Invest in VERRA-certified carbon offset projects that make an impact
- See travel options that will reduce carbon emissions, such as taking rail journeys for shorter distances instead of flying
- Offset 100% of your business travel CO2 emissions
- Get 100% transparent reports
:format(webp))
:format(webp))
:format(webp))
:format(webp))
:format(webp))