, executives shared their greatest concerns about climate change after another year of significant climate disasters ranging from wildfires and droughts to record-setting blizzards and floods.“This past year has shown us how external factors, like a pandemic, can negatively impact sustainability efforts,” says Kathy Alsegaf, Deloitte Global internal sustainability leader.
The survey shows that environmental sustainability initiatives are primarily being driven by stakeholder pressure. Investor demands became the top motivating factor for these efforts, up five percentage points from last year’s survey. “What does the organization see as a priority, where are the overlaps with stakeholders’ priorities and where are the differences?” she asks. “Where stakeholders are demanding action that does not appear on the organization’s list of priorities, it may be helpful to understand why those differences exist and if it is an early warning signal of change in societal expectations or potential activism. It may also be helpful to understand what risks those differences might indicate.
Executives also noted improvements in employee recruitment and morale, which indicates that environmental sustainability efforts are becoming core tenets of organizational culture and brand identity.