When belief isn’t enough: why CEOs are hesitant on sustainability

29 Sept

A 2025 UNGC-Accenture CEO Study reports a near-universal belief in the value of sustainability. So why aren't we making greater progress?

Nearly every CEO now agrees that sustainability is good for business. Yet many still struggle to act boldly or communicate their progress credibly.

According to the latest United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study, almost all leaders plan to maintain or expand their sustainability commitments. 88% believe the business case is stronger now than five years ago.

So why the inertia? We are in what the report calls the “era of pragmatism” where vision must give way to operational action.

Why belief isn’t translating to action

The United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study sets out five arguments for why business progress lags behind leadership rhetoric.

Follow the numbers

Long-term climate ambition still competes with quarterly earnings calls. Boards and investors talk a good game on ESG, but only a third of companies link leadership pay to sustainability performance. Until incentive structures change, CEOs will remain caught between what they know is necessary and how they are rewarded by the market.

Communication under pressure

Sustainability comms have become a reputational minefield. More than half of CEOs now feel uncomfortable discussing sustainability in public. As a result, companies risk losing control of their narrative, fueling public scepticism and accusations of greenwashing.

Technology is under-prioritised

AI, digital tracking, and supplier traceability systems all exist. CEOs see their value and yet only 27% rank them among their top priorities. Why? Because implementation is hard, budgets are tight, and sustainability tech is still seen as optional rather than essential infrastructure.

The system isn’t built for speed

Sustainability requires collective effort across supply chains, sectors and governments. But only 26% of CEOs have dedicated scenario planning teams, and too many are navigating fragmented regulations and policy backsliding. We don’t just need leadership - we need systems leadership.

Internal culture is slowly catching up

The best sustainability strategies are being driven from the inside out, not top-down. Yet, many companies still lack the internal education, metrics, and accountability frameworks to embed sustainability across their functions. You can’t deliver a net-zero strategy if your sales team sees it as someone else’s problem.

What this means for corporate communications and public relations

If strategy is set to shift from vision to delivery, the role of communications must evolve from storytelling to evidence-based communication. This is where corporate communication and public relations must step up. Here’s where practitioners can help management:

Educate the C-suite
Management teams need help understanding the reputational risk of not communicating on sustainability when the issue is high on the public agenda.
Close the culture gap
Translate sustainability goals into language and actions relevant to every organisational function.
Make progress visible
Help companies own their sustainability narrative by communicating real, measurable progress and not vague intentions.

While governments drag their feet and investors send mixed signals, businesses are uniquely positioned to lead. But to do that, they must go beyond belief and build the systems, strategies and evidence-based communication that turns sustainability from a promise into performance.