Study reveals gap between sustainability concerns and actions
New York City An overwhelming majority of corporate executives believe that sustainability-related issues are having, or will soon have, a material impact on their business. Yet relatively few companies are taking decisive action to address such issues, according to a new study by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group.
The study, “The Business of Sustainability,” is based on a global survey of more than 1,500 corporate executives. The five companies cited most often by survey respondents as "world class" in addressing sustainability were General Electric, Toyota, IBM, Royal Dutch Shell, and Wal-Mart Stores.
Although 92% of the survey respondents said that they were trying to address the issue of sustainability, most said their companies were either not taking bold action on the issue or falling short on execution. To date, the majority of sustainability actions undertaken appear to be limited to those necessary to meet regulatory requirements. Less than a third of survey respondents said that their company has developed a clear business case for addressing sustainability.