Nearly all chief executives (99%) intend to maintain or expand their sustainability commitments, according to the 2025 CEO Study published by the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture. The report highlights a shift from ambition to activation, even as fewer than 15% of leaders feel fully prepared to address global challenges such as inflation, trade disruption and climate change.
The study, “Turning the Key: Unlocking the Next Era of Sustainability Leadership”, was released as the UN Global Compact marks its 25th anniversary. It comes at a pivotal moment, following 2024’s breach of the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming threshold. A large majority of respondents (88%) said the business case for sustainability is stronger today than it was five years ago.
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and executive director of the UN Global Compact, said sustainability had moved “from moral imperative to business fundamental”, urging firms to embed it into strategy, scale innovation and work with regulators. She stressed the need to close the “execution gap” at a time when a $4.3 trillion annual shortfall in financing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is leaving billions of people in countries spending more on interest payments than on health or education.
The survey identifies five “keys” to driving momentum at scale: collaborating on regulation, harnessing consumer demand, expanding access to technology, upskilling the workforce, and leading with credibility and purpose. Already, 92% of CEOs view strong global governance as critical, 95% rank regulatory compliance as a leading priority, and 84% believe they are prepared to meet upcoming sustainability rules.
Consumer pressure is also a growing force, with 98% of executives saying businesses can accelerate progress through sustainable products and services, and 96% advising successors to embed sustainability in corporate vision and culture. However, gaps remain in digital tracking tools and scenario planning: just 27% of CEOs are exploring digital solutions to measure sustainability performance, and only 26% report having dedicated scenario-planning teams.
Stephanie Jamison, Accenture’s global sustainability services lead, noted that business leaders recognise technology, data and AI as essential to hitting sustainability targets but still face challenges moving from isolated initiatives to systemic transformation. She said companies need “a multigenerational approach that compounds learnings, accelerates delivery and reduces cost”, positioning sustainability as central to long-term growth.
