Organizations are stepping up efforts to achieve sustainability goals despite geopolitical challenges

• 69% of executives say anticipating stricter future regulations is a key driver for sustainability initiatives, up from 57% last year
• Nearly two-thirds say geopolitics is slowing their sustainability investments
• Six in ten respondents are concerned that their organization’s sustainability efforts are perceived as unfair to the public, up from 11% in 2023.

Paris, September 23, 2024 – Organizations continue to make progress in their sustainability initiatives despite geopolitical challenges. Regulation and technology are proving to be a key part of this progress, with two-thirds of executives agreeing that their organization will never be able to achieve its sustainability goals without climate technology, according to the latest report from the Capgemini Research Institute, ‘A world in balance 2024: Accelerating sustainability amid geopolitical challenges‘, which tracks progress in environmental and social sustainability of organisations over the past three years. The third edition of the report highlights clear improvements in circularity, sustainable design, measurement, water management, biodiversity and sustainability capabilities, despite shortcomings in addressing Scope 3 emissions and consumer scepticism.

Collectively, organizations are stepping up their efforts to meet their sustainability goals, and their maturity in adopting sustainable practices has increased steadily since 2022. This year, 84% of executives say their organization is on track to meet its carbon emissions targets; less than a tenth say they are behind. As organizations look to minimize their environmental impact, progress is most evident in the areas of circularity, sustainable product design, measurement, and water stewardship. For example, nearly three-quarters of executives say recycling products is a core aspect of their manufacturing strategy, up from 53% in 2022, while more than two-thirds said they were redesigning products to eliminate fossil fuel sources, up from less than half in 2022. Additionally, three-quarters of executives have implemented a water stewardship program, up from 55% in 2022.