The Sustainability Survey: Experts Read the Runes

We’ve just completed our latest – bigger and better – annual study of experts in sustainability around the globe. Every year, we ask a senior sample of thinkers and doers working within companies, academic departments, NGOs, consultancies and government to read the runes and tell us which way they think the sustainable tide is flowing, and what the major issues are that will preoccupy us in the next twelve months. Over the years, they’ve proved to be remarkably prescient – anticipating the spike in concern on climate change and water as a resource, for instance.

One thing is clear from this year’s study (which we're now working with SustainAbility to deliver) – even if business is starting to embrace a sustainable agenda, it’s not yet leading the charge. The sustainability experts we spoke to rate corporate leaders far behind NGOs in terms of the job they’re doing in advancing the sustainability agenda. In fact, the only group felt to be performing worse than corporate leaders are nationally elected government leaders – the Copenhagen climate summit will demonstrate whether this downbeat assessment is fair. But this hardly bodes well for progress over the next few years, given that those are the two are those that actually have the power to effect change through their own actions, rather than by exerting pressure on others.

This isn’t to say that the picture is entirely gloomy, and what’s notable is that a new generation of corporate leaders in sustainability appears to be emerging. We ask experts to tell us which companies they regard as leaders in sustainability, going beyond what’s required of them by law, pursuing the agenda aggressively and integrating it into their strategy. Companies like Shell, BP and Interface have topped the list for a number of years and continue to do well, but new names are emerging, including Marks & Spencer, Walmart and GE, and companies criticized in the past such as Nike.

They’re a diverse bunch, but what they appear to have in common is a strong, often consumer-facing brand. They’re used to communicating in a compelling way and distilling what they have to say into a theme that really connects with their various audiences – making their sustainability commitments an integral part of their brand, rather than an afterthought.