Global businesses are accelerating plans to electrify their operations and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, with a new international survey suggesting that energy security, competitiveness, and economic resilience are now driving the ‘green’ transition as much as climate ambition.
Research released by E3G, We Mean Business Coalition and the Global Renewables Alliance found overwhelming support among business leaders for moving towards economies powered predominantly by renewable electricity, with many warning that governments and electricity infrastructure are failing to keep pace.
The survey of nearly 2,000 senior executives across 18 countries found that 90% expect their operations to be largely electrified by 2035, while almost three-quarters anticipate reaching that point by 2030.
The findings come at a moment of heightened geopolitical uncertainty and continued volatility in fossil fuel markets. Against that backdrop, 91% of business leaders surveyed said electrification would improve energy security, while 79% said recent instability has made their own transition more urgent.
For retailers and consumer-facing businesses – sectors increasingly exposed to energy costs, supply chain disruption and investor scrutiny – the message is notable. Electrification is being viewed not simply as a decarbonisation strategy, but as an operational and commercial advantage.
Nearly nine in ten respondents said electrification would improve business competitiveness, while 84% expect lower long-term operating costs and 80% believe the transition will create jobs within their organisations.
The concept extends well beyond switching electricity suppliers. Clean electrification involves replacing fossil fuel-powered systems across transport, buildings and operations with electric alternatives powered increasingly by renewable energy – from EV fleets and warehouse equipment to heat pumps and electrified industrial processes.
The survey suggests businesses see this transition as closely linked to growth. Nine in ten respondents said a renewables-based electricity system would strengthen national economic performance, while 82% want their countries powered mainly by renewable electricity.
Yet the strongest signal from the research may be directed at policymakers.
More than seven in ten business leaders said government action on electrification is moving too slowly to support the pace companies require. Concerns centred on insufficient incentives, inadequate grid investment, policy uncertainty and slow permitting processes.
Grid infrastructure emerged as the single biggest constraint.
Almost 90% of respondents supported expanding and modernising electricity networks, while more than half said insufficient grid capacity is already limiting their ability to electrify. Nearly seven in ten argued businesses are moving faster than governments are preparing power systems.
That gap is beginning to influence investment decisions. More than six in ten executives said they would consider relocating operations if government support for electrification remained inadequate.
The pressure is not confined to advanced economies. Businesses across emerging markets showed some of the strongest ambition levels, with companies in Indonesia, Nigeria, India and the Philippines among the most likely to expect electrification within the next decade.
The findings point to a notable shift in the business narrative around climate and energy. Rather than treating decarbonisation as a compliance exercise, companies increasingly appear to see clean electrification as core infrastructure for future growth.
For governments seeking investment, resilience and industrial competitiveness, the message from business is increasingly clear: build the grids, provide policy certainty and accelerate the transition – because the market is already moving.
Read more about retailers’ move away from fossil fuels on Green Retail World
[image credit: Green Retail World]
