CEOs call for a new era of pragmatic execution that embeds sustainability in strategy and culture (96%), but warn of capability gaps in technology and communications.
NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2025 -- United Nations -- CEOs shift from ambition to activation on sustainability, with nearly all (99%) stating their intent to maintain or expand their commitments, according to the 2025 edition of the CEO Study from the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture. Despite only a small percentage (fewer than 15%) feeling well prepared for major global challenges, including inflation, trade and climate change, a majority (88%) of CEOs say the business case for sustainability is stronger than it was five years ago.
"Turning the Key: Unlocking the Next Era of Sustainability Leadership" comes at a critical time, as 2024 marks the first calendar year to exceed the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C threshold. The report offers one of the most comprehensive longitudinal views of CEO sentiment on sustainability, published as the UN Global Compact celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Commenting on the study's findings, Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact said: "CEOs are crystal clear: sustainability has moved from moral imperative to business fundamental. This study sets out a pragmatic playbook: work with regulators, meet fast-rising consumer expectations, invest in technology and skills, and communicate progress credibly. As the world breached the 1.5°C threshold and with a $4.3 trillion annual SDG financing gap leaving 3.4 billion people in countries spending more on interest than on health or education, the private sector must close the execution gap—embedding sustainability into strategy and culture, scaling innovation across value chains, and partnering to shape rules that reward long-term business value. Companies that act on these findings will build resilience, unlock growth, grow industries, stimulate economies and accelerate delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals."
The 2025 CEO Study distills five "keys" to unlock momentum at scale: collaborate on regulation; harness consumer demand; expand access to technology; upskill for the future; and lead with credibility and purpose. CEOs are already preparing for a more regulated future—92% say strong global governance and unified policy are important or critical; 95% report regulatory compliance is a leading organizational priority; and 84% believe their companies are ready to meet upcoming sustainability regulations.
At the same time, consumer influence is gaining ground, alongside that of governments, employees and even investors. Ninety-eight per cent agree the private sector can drive progress through sustainable products and services, and 96% of CEOs advise their successors to embed sustainability in the company vision and culture. But gaps persist, particularly around digital tools to track and measure sustainability performance across value chains, which can limit how fully companies are able to respond to rising demand.
The report further finds that governance and technology-based skills for forward-looking risk capabilities are also lagging: only one in four (26%) CEOs report having dedicated scenario-planning teams and even less (fewer than 15%) feel well-prepared for major macroeconomic and sustainability challenges. And while 96% of CEOs say innovation and technology are essential to achieving global sustainability goals, 27% are considering leveraging digital tools for sustainability tracking and measurement.
"Business leaders know that technology, data and AI are critical to meeting their sustainability targets, yet gaps persist as they move from ambition to execution," said Stephanie Jamison, Global Resources Industry Practice Chair and Global Sustainability Services Lead at Accenture. "Across industries and geographies, our clients are eager to move away from isolated projects toward adopting a multigenerational approach that compounds learnings, accelerates delivery and reduces cost. This can be a blueprint for growth that pairs sustainability commitments with bold, AI-driven reinvention that is built-in, not bolted on."
Notes to Editors
About the CEO Study Program
The CEO Study Program, developed by the UN Global Compact in collaboration with Accenture, is one of the largest global studies of CEO sentiment on sustainability. Through a quantitative assessment of nearly 2,000 CEOs and in-depth one-to-one interviews with CEOs, chairpersons and presidents of UN Global Compact member companies, this research coalesces perspectives to analyze key developments and emerging trends in sustainability. The CEO Study report is an extensive review of the advancing corporate sustainability movement aimed at accelerating progress for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
About the UN Global Compact
The ambition of the UN Global Compact is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the SDGs through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 20,000 participating companies, 5 Regional Hubs, 64 Country Networks covering 85 countries and 9 Country Managers establishing Networks in 16 other countries, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative—one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 791,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.
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