People around the world are demanding more progress on sustainability and social efforts and are looking to businesses to step up, according to a new study by Oracle and Pamela Rucker, CIO Advisor and Instructor for Harvard Professional Development. The No Planet B study of more than 11,000 consumers and business leaders across 15 countries found that people are fed up with the lack of progress society is making towards sustainability and social initiatives, want businesses to turn talk into action and believe technology can help businesses succeed where people have failed.
“It’s never been more critical for businesses to invest in sustainability and ESG initiatives, as people don’t just want to hear about it – they’re looking for decisive action and are demanding more transparency and tangible results,” said Juergen Lindner, Senior Vice President and CMO, Global Marketing SaaS, Oracle.
People from Asia-Pacific and Japan (JAPAC) want businesses to step up sustainability and social efforts
The events of the past two years have put a spotlight on sustainability and social efforts, with people worldwide disappointed with the lack of progress and calling for businesses to step up.
The majority of people (95%) believe sustainability and social factors are more important than ever and 81% said the events over the past two years have caused them to change their actions.
Many respondents (94%) believe society has not made enough progress. Only 40% attribute the lack of progress to people being too busy with other priorities and 43% believe it is the result of more emphasis on short-term profits over long-term benefits; with 37% believing people are too lazy or selfish to help save the planet.
Half of the respondents (50%) believe businesses can make more meaningful changes on sustainability and social factors than individuals or governments alone. With three-quarters (75%) stating they are frustrated and fed up with the lack of progress by businesses to date, and 91% believe it’s not enough for businesses to say they’re prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – they need to see action and proof.
Meanwhile, 89% believe businesses would make more progress towards sustainability and social goals with the help of AI, and 66% even believe bots will succeed where humans have failed.
“The events of the past two years have put sustainability and social initiatives under the microscope and people are demanding material change. While there are challenges to tackling these issues, businesses have an immense opportunity to change the world for the better,” added Pamela Rucker, CIO Advisor and Instructor for Harvard Professional Development. ”The results show that people are more likely to do business with and work for organisations that act responsibly toward our society and the environment.”