Some 70% of corporate sustainability leaders felt they personally had the necessary skills to get on with the job at hand, but 75% reported their teams were under-resourced, according to a state of sustainability report by Leafr, a platform for independent consultants.
And 50% of respondents to the survey supporting the research believed business leaders were aware of the sustainability team’s efforts, but 89% said leaders were not aware of potential fines and risks their organisations face through non-compliance in this space.
The research – which was developed based on in-depth interviews and an accompanying more extensive survey with sustainability bosses in retail, manufacturing, and multiple other industries – suggested the lack of awareness at the top level is leading to “last-minute panics and unrealistic expectations, undermining the effectiveness of sustainability strategies”.
Other key findings from the state of sustainability report include:
- 75% of respondents doubted their companies would hit net zero targets
- 40% believe sustainability initiatives will be driven forward more effectively by the new Labour government in the UK, compared to 7% who felt it would have been better under the Conservatives
- Nearly 80% feel their companies are genuinely committed to sustainability
- Only 11% of survey respondents feel their sustainability initiatives are fully aligned with business objectives.
The report said: “Companies with board-level sustainability representation are ahead in their initiatives and have greater internal knowledge and resources.
“These companies view sustainability as a business enabler rather than a hindrance and are making a success of it. Companies making the most progress in sustainability are those that successfully align their initiatives with commercial success.”
Survey respondents for the state of sustainability report were asked to signal the skills gaps holding them up in their mission to make progress. And the areas most in need of resource were: sustainable supply chain management (48%); biodiversity (42%); circular economy practices (39%), climate risk assessment (39%); social impact assessment (35%); and life cycle assessments (31%).
This highlights the challenge of dealing with Scope 3 carbon emissions, and this won’t be helped by the references made in Leafr’s sustainability boss interviews to senior executives dismissing ESG initiatives. The title of CASO (chief anti-sustainability officer) was apparently mentioned multiple times in reference to senior individuals providing significant resistance to the various initiatives being implemented.
Reporting lines for sustainability leads are often blurred, according to state of sustainability research, which found 39% of the bosses reported directly to the CEO or board. Roles that heads of sustainability report into vary from head of HR and director of corporate affairs, to CFO, CMO, and COO.
According to the study, there was less pressing demand for expertise in energy efficiency, waste management, green building design, regulatory/compliance, carbon offsets, and renewable energy, where sustainability bosses typically appear to have suitable resource.
Read more about corporate sustainability initiatives on Green Retail World
[image credit: Green Retail World]
