Chief Sustainability Officers Globally Feel Ambitions Outpace Action on ESG

Consumer Goods

45% of Ipsos ESG Council members say they spend more time on reporting requirements than on delivering actual ESG priorities.

 

Ipsos, one of the world's leading market research companies, releases today the latest edition of its ESG Council Report, highlighting a concerning disconnect between ambition and action regarding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters.

It reveals that while ESG is increasingly integrated into corporate strategy, significant hurdles, including implementation, reporting, and political polarization, are barriers to ensuring ESG's long-term viability and impact. Translating ambition into action remains a critical challenge, with more than half of Council Members (55%) believing that some leaders are diluting their ESG commitments due to political and shareholder backlash, particularly in the US.

Sue Phillips, Global ESG Lead at Ipsos, declared:

A genuine commitment to ESG is a fundamental driver of long-term value creation, resilience, and trust. However, many companies grapple with demonstrating clear Return on Investment and navigating the fragmented reporting landscape. Our findings underscore the urgent need for greater transparency, standardized metrics, and a renewed focus on embedding ESG principles into the core of business operations. Our Ipsos ESG Council 2025 report offers a critical roadmap for businesses seeking to navigate the complex ESG landscape and demonstrates how organizations can overcome hurdles to turn their ESG ambitions into tangible results.

Key findings: 

  • 90% of Council Members recognize ESG's importance and its integration into core strategies
  • 90% of Ipsos ESG Council Members affirm that ESG is fundamentally changing business operations. However, it appears that quantifying the financial benefits of these initiatives remains complex. 
  • 45% of Council members say they spend more time on reporting requirements than on delivering actual ESG priorities.
  • The report identifies Artificial Intelligence’s potential to accelerate progress by revolutionizing data analysis.

About the Ipsos ESG council: 

Established in 2023, the Ipsos ESG Council brings together senior level executives with
responsibility for sustainability and the development of ESG best practice from some of the most respected corporations in the world. The Ipsos ESG Council’s mission is to increase the understanding of the key issues in the field of ESG and sustainability management within the corporate environment and provide a forum where senior executives can cross-fertilise thinking and ideas to tackle the strategic issues and challenges that they face.

The Ipsos ESG Council includes representatives from the following organisations:

  • Ad Council
  • Ageas
  • Anglo American plc
  • Aston Martin
  • BNP Paribas
  • BT Group
  • Citrosuco
  • Colgate-Palmolive
  • Credicorp
  • Diageo
  • Eni
  • Ferrexpo
  • Fondazione Milano-Cortina
  • Globo
  • Groupe SEB
  • Grupo UNACEM
  • Gruppo FS
  • ICADE
  • Intercorp
  • International SOS
  • ITV
  • JCDecaux
  • Kier
  • Kruger Products
  • L’Oreal 
  • Legal&General
  • Lenovo
  • Mars
  • Mitchell & Butlers
  • Mitie
  • Mundys
  • NATS
  • Nespresso
  • Nestlé
  • NIPPN
  • Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
  • Optus
  • PepsiCo
  • Plenitude
  • Public Inc
  • Punch Pubs
  • Sage Group
  • Sisal
  • Spin Master
  • Sura
  • Sysco
  • Trenord
  • Udemy
  • Unilevr
  • WSH

For the full report, please click here. 

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