People around the world are demanding more progress on sustainability and social efforts and are looking to businesses to step up, according to a new study by Oracle and Pamela Rucker, CIO Advisor, Instructor for Harvard Professional Development. The “No Planet B” study surveyed more than 11,000 consumers and business leaders across 15 countries and found that people are fed up with the lack of progress society is making towards sustainability and social initiatives, want businesses to turn talk into action, and believe technology can help businesses succeed where people have failed.
People want businesses to step up sustainability and social efforts
The events of the past two years have put a spotlight on sustainability and social efforts with people worldwide fed up with the lack of progress and calling for businesses to step up. Below are some key findings:
- 93 percent of global respondents believe sustainability and social factors are more important than ever and 80 percent said the events over the past two years have caused them to change their actions. In India, 97 percent of people believe sustainability and social factors are more important than ever and 95% said the events over the past two years have caused them to change their actions.
- 94 percent believe society has not made enough progress. 42 percent attribute the lack of progress to people being too busy with other priorities, 39 percent believe it is the result of more emphasis on short-term profits over long-term benefits, and 37 percent believe people are too lazy or selfish to help save the planet. In comparison, 96 percent of respondents from India believe society has not made enough progress. 42 percent attribute the lack of progress to people being too busy with other priorities, 44 percent believe it is the result of more emphasis on short-term profits over long-term benefits, and 43 percent believe people are too lazy or selfish to help save the planet.
- 45 percent globally and 54 percent in India believe businesses can make more meaningful changes to sustainability and social factors than individuals or governments alone
- 78 percent globally and 82 percent in India are frustrated and fed up with the lack of progress by businesses to-date, and 89 percent globally and 93 percent in India believe it’s not enough for businesses to say they’re prioritizing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) – they need to see action and proof.
- 84 percent globally and 96 percent in India believe businesses would make more progress towards sustainability and social goals with the help of AI. 61 percent globally while 83 percent in India even believe bots will succeed where humans have failed.
Pamela Rucker, CIO Advisor and Instructor for Harvard Professional Development, said, “The events of the past two years have put sustainability and social initiatives under the microscope and people are demanding material change. While there are challenges to tackling these issues, businesses have an immense opportunity to change the world for the better,” “The results show that people are more likely to do business with and work for organizations that act responsibly toward our society and the environment. This is an opportune moment. While thinking has evolved, technology has as well, and it can play a key role in overcoming many of the obstacles that have held progress back.”
Juergen Lindner, senior vice president and CMO, Global Marketing SaaS, Oracle, said, “It’s never been more critical for businesses to invest in sustainability and ESG initiatives, as people don’t just want to hear about it – they’re looking for decisive action and are demanding more transparency and tangible results,” “Business leaders understand the importance, yet often have the erroneous assumption that they need to prioritize either profits or sustainability. The truth is this is not a zero-sum game. The technology that can eliminate all the obstacles to ESG efforts is now available, and organizations that get this right can not only support their communities and the environment, but also realize significant revenue gains, cost savings, and other benefits that impact the bottom line.”
Read More News: https://www.enterpriseitworld.com/news/ I Watch CIOtv: https://ciotv.live/ I Read IT Partner News: https://www.smechannels.com/
