Ipsos Transatlantic Pulse: Europeans more likely than Americans to say companies should help solve societal problems

For years things were heading one way, now some companies are reversing course.

In recent decades corporate leaders across the Western world rolled out an increasing number of ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs and policies. 

Now, after headline-making backlash and U.S. President Donald Trump’s “war on woke” corporations around the world are rolling back, or completely cancelling, these efforts.

But, is this what most people want? It depends.

Opinion: Protecting DEI as a key part of Europe’s economic future Opinion: Building Trust & Navigating the New America

Purpose vs. Profit

The new Ipsos Transatlantic Pulse finds there are divides between how Europeans across seven countries (Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden) and Americans feel about the role of businesses. 

Just over two in three (76% on average across Europe) think a company should also solve societal problems, versus 54% of Americans who agree.

And slightly more than two in five (42%) people across the U.S. think a company’s sole focus should be to make money, compared to 24% of Europeans.
 

Staying True?

At the same time, the majority of people in both Europe (77%) and the U.S. (65%) think companies should stay true to their values despite the political context and pressure to alter their initiatives and commitments.

And digging deeper into the details only a small proportion of those in Europe (13%) and American (8%) strongly agree that companies should end environmental and sustainability programs. 

There’s a slightly bigger appetite for the end of DEI initiatives with just over one-quarter (27%) of those in the U.S. and 18% (on average across the European countries) strongly agreeing that “companies should end diversity, equity and inclusion programs.”
 

Other recent global Ipsos polling reveals there’s tension when it comes to diversity at work.

The Ipsos LGBT+ Pride 2025 Report finds 38%, on average across 26 countries, agree with employers having programs/policies that explicitly support/celebrate LGBT+ employees, while 24% disagree with these workplace initiatives. 

Interestingly, despite the perception that there’s been a gigantic “wokelash” against corporations in America rolling out marketing for Pride Month almost two in five (39%) people in the U.S. support companies/brands actively promoting equality for LGBT people, in line with the 41% global average, while 28% of Americans (and 23% globally) oppose these marketing moves. 

Meanwhile, the Ipsos Populism Report 2025 reveals 42%, on average across 31 countries, think immigrants take jobs away from real citizens of their country. 

And the Ipsos’ annual International Women’s Day survey shows 44%, on average across 30 countries, agree “we have gone so far in promoting women's equality that we are discriminating against men”, with younger men (57%) the most likely to agree with this.

Generational views

Those early in their careers have grown up with companies taking stances both internally and externally on a range of social issues, while those later in their careers have had to adapt to evolving thinking on what the role of businesses is in our world today.

Looking at beliefs about companies by age groups reveals some interesting insights. 

Almost one in three older people (32%, ages 45-74 on average across America) are 11 percentage points more likely than younger people (21%, ages 18-44) to strongly agree that companies should end DEI programs.

In Europe, there’s less support across ages and stages for getting rid of DEI programs, with 20% of older people (on average) and 14% of younger people in strong support of this.

There’s more regional and generational agreement when it comes to ESG initiatives.

Only 8% of both younger and older people in America strongly support companies ending environmental and sustainability programs. While 8% of younger people in Europe strongly support this vs. 16% of those ages 45-74.

Older Europeans (46%) are eleven points more likely than younger ones (35%) to strongly agree companies should stay true to their values despite the political context and pressure to alter their initiatives and commitments. In the U.S., older people (38%) are also a bit more likely than younger people (31%) to strongly agree companies should stay true to their values.

There’s more consensus about the role of companies in society across age groups, but there are once again regional differences. 

About three in four older (77%) and younger (75%) Europeans agree a company should also solve societal problems, compared to 50% of older Americans and 58% of younger people in the U.S. 

And almost half of older people in the U.S. (47%) and 37% of younger American think the sole focus of a company should be to make money; that’s significantly higher than the proportion of younger (25%) and older (23%) Europeans who think the same.

Of course, no cohort is a monolith and the Ipsos Generations Report 2025 delves deeper into the differences and similarities between everyone from Generation Zers to Baby Boomers across the globe.

The Ipsos Transatlantic Pulse highlights the complexities to consider, driven by data, for company leaders on either side of the ocean when considering whether to reverse or stay the course when it comes to DEI and ESG issues in these tumultuous times.

Protecting DEI as a key part of Europe’s economic future

By: Christine Tresignie

Recent data from the Ipsos Transatlantic Pulse shows that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are under growing pressure, not just in the U.S., but across Europe too. Despite the challenges, the European Union (EU) needs to stay committed to DEI, recognising it as a key driver of innovation, talent retention and global competitiveness.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen summed it up well when she talked about science, an important pillar for economic growth: “Science has no passport, no gender, no ethnicity, no political party… We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It… must be protected.” Her message goes beyond business; it’s about the broader value of diversity in driving progress and resilience.

To keep DEI at the heart of a strong and modern European economy, the EU should focus on two things:

• Enforcing current diversity reporting rules and holding organisations accountable.
• Supporting inclusive leadership that reflects the people of Europe, both in workplaces and across society.

Europe’s broader approach to corporate responsibility, as our polling points out, shows that inclusion isn’t a nice-to-have, it needs to be a core value. Making DEI a non-negotiable part of how companies operate fits with the EU’s wider mission to protect diversity as a pillar of both its economy and society.

Building Trust & Navigating the New America

By: John Boerstler

Some Americans may perceive DEI and other purpose-driven initiatives as misaligned with values such as fairness and individual responsibility - not necessarily because they oppose diversity, but due to differing views of how these values are best upheld in practice. 

Ipsos’ Know the New America & Beyond, and Transatlantic Pulse public opinion insights show that brands attempting to please everyone risk appearing inauthentic — vanilla in tone and disconnected in impact. To succeed, organizations must anchor themselves in the values that unite people, while understanding how words like “equity” or “inclusion” may be interpreted differently across audiences.

Recent insights reveal:

• Distrust in institutions is widespread, according to weekly trust and approval tracking.
• Americans are nuanced, not binary; many hold contradictory views on technology, society, and government.
• Language matters more than ever: terms like “freedom” and “fairness” resonate more broadly than “equity” or “inclusion,” which can be politically loaded.

To thrive in this fragmented environment, companies need more than just a strategy — they need moral clarity. Staying relevant means respecting deeply held beliefs about fairness, transparency and trust.

About this Study

These findings are based on data from the first wave of the TransAtlantic Pulse, conducted April 11th to 22nd 2025, using nationally representative probability samples from KnowledgePanel®. 

The results are based on interviews of over 7,000 adults aged 18+ y.o. in Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden and the United States. The study was conducted in the official language of each country. Two reminder emails were sent for this study. No prenotification was sent for this study prior to fieldwork.

For each country, the data were weighted to adjust for unequal probabilities of selection. Additionally, calibration weights were applied to match the profile of the respective country population. For the Europe average, data were weighted to the population size of the respective countries included. 

All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.