First Look: Highlights from the Third Annual Sustainability Global Executive Survey
This is the third year that MIT Sloan Management Review has teamed up with the Boston Consulting Group on their Sustainability and Innovation Global Executive survey, to which more than 4,700 executives, managers and thought leaders from around the world responded.
Results from this year's survey--conducted during June and July of 2011--indicate a growing interest in sustainability on the part of businesses. More respondents this year than last believe that sustainability- related strategies are necessary to be competitive. Respondents said their organizations are committing more money and attention to sustainability--and anticipate a continuing commitment in the coming year. The authors suggest that these findings indicate that sustainability is becoming an element on the agenda of top management. However, in the short run, sustainability is often eclipsed by other pressing business issues: Most survey respondents do not consider sustainability-related topics to be one of the top three business challenges their company faces in the next two years.
The charts in this preview article represent the answers to just seven of the survey's 27 questions. The full report will be published this winter.
Results from this year's survey--conducted during June and July of 2011--indicate a growing interest in sustainability on the part of businesses. More respondents this year than last believe that sustainability- related strategies are necessary to be competitive. Respondents said their organizations are committing more money and attention to sustainability--and anticipate a continuing commitment in the coming year. The authors suggest that these findings indicate that sustainability is becoming an element on the agenda of top management. However, in the short run, sustainability is often eclipsed by other pressing business issues: Most survey respondents do not consider sustainability-related topics to be one of the top three business challenges their company faces in the next two years.
The charts in this preview article represent the answers to just seven of the survey's 27 questions. The full report will be published this winter.