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A New Era of Sustainability UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study 2010 A New Era of Sustainability CEO reflections on progress to date, challenges ahead and the impact of the journey toward a sustainable economy. Peter Lacy Tim Cooper Rob Hayward Lisa Neuberger June 2010 Contents Foreword †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 02 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 03 Acknowledgement of CEO participants †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. We will write a custom essay sample on Boeing Company or any similar topic only for you Order Now 5 Executive summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 1. Shifting gears: Sustainability is changing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 2. Making progress: From strategy to execution †¦ 32 3. Approaching a new era: The road ahead †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 40 4. Accelerating the journey and competing in a new era of sustainability †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 46 References and additional acknowledgements†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 56 1 Foreword We come together at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2010 to mark a decade of progress in advancing the corporate sustainability movement globally. It is fitting that we use this occasion to understand the opinions and experiences of the member CEOs participating in the Global Compact, and use those insights to help set the sustainability agenda for the next ten years. There has perhaps never been a better moment to contribute to the debate about how, as we look to economic recovery following one of the most tumultuous periods in our history, we can start to rebuild the global economy in a sustainable way. The timeliness of this study is matched by its breadth. Nearly 1,000 CEOs, business leaders, members of civil society and academic experts have contributed to what is the largest CEO survey on sustainability of its kind to date. The global geographic and industry coverage of contributing CEOs further provided unique insights into the challenges and opportunities of the coming decade. It is a decade that, CEOs believe, could usher in a new era where sustainability issues are fully integrated into all elements of business and market forces are truly aligned with sustainability outcomes. The survey and conversations conducted as part of this landmark study make clear that today’s CEOs are more convinced than ever of the need to embed environmental, social and corporate governance issues within core business. But they are also convinced that good performance on sustainability amounts to good business overall: The imperative to act has shifted from a moral to a business case. Furthermore, executives see significant progress in executing their plans to integrate sustainability. Many challenges must be faced, however, before market forces can truly be aligned with sustainable development. For example, CEOs see that engaging with the investor community on new terms, improving the provision of education and skills, and measuring a new concept of value within organizations are critical conditions for change. Yet we also see a strong determination on the part of CEOs to take the necessary actions to meet these challenges. We hope that this first-hand voice of Global Compact CEOs will help set the agenda for the Leaders Summit 2010, and also shape the conversation on corporate sustainability over the coming years. As business, government and civil society leaders convene in New York to mark the tenth anniversary of the Global Compact, we believe that we can, together, set out a compelling collective vision for the future of the global economy. As we look ahead, we recognize the scale of the challenges that we face—but also recognize the huge potential of the Global Compact as a unique platform for engaging the economy’s most powerful force. If that potential is unleashed, we can build the necessary foundations of a new era of sustainability. Georg Kell, Executive Director UN Global Compact Bruno Berthon, Managing Director Accenture Sustainability Services 2 Introduction The UN Global Compact and Accenture team would like to thank Jeremy Oppenheim and Sheila Bonini—with whom I worked and who led the 2007 study for McKinsey Company. This baseline has enabled us to draw important insights on how the sustainability picture has changed over the last three years. We would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of the UNGC project leads Georg Kell, Gavin Power, Carrie Hall, Matthias Stausberg and Sean Cruse as well as the Accenture coauthor team of Tim Cooper, Rob Hayward and Lisa Neuberger. There have also been many further contributions from colleagues in Accenture too numerous to mention here, but without whom our analysis would not be as compelling—Mark Foster, Bruno Berthon, Dave Abood, Lay Lim Teo, Mark Spelman, Mark Purdy, Ulf Henning, Rod Kay, Lucy Cooper, Arnaud Haines, Helen Doyle and Chris Allieri deserve particular thanks. Last—and most importantly—on behalf of the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture Sustainability Services, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the CEOs and chairpersons, business leaders and other stakeholders who have participated in the study. The project team has endeavored to understand and interpret their many ideas, reflections and case study examples in conducting the study and delivering this report. Any insights are theirs while any errors are our own. We hope that this study provides a rich, authentic and evidence-based platform to understand CEO views on the progress, challenges and implications of the journey toward a new era of sustainability. In compiling the UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study 2010, we conducted two principal strands of research. First, we conducted more than 100 in-depth interviews with global leaders. This included 50 CEOs, chairpersons and presidents of UN Global Compact member companies, across 27 countries and representing a broad spectrum of crossindustry perspectives. More than one-third of the interviews were from the Global Compact’s original founder companies. An additional 50 interviews were conducted with other senior business executives (in most cases executive board members), civil society leaders, external experts and UN Global Compact board members. This approach has enabled us to assemble a rich and diverse set of insights, allowing us to explore, test and refine emerging themes and ideas. Second, we conducted an online survey of 766 Global Compact member CEOs. Survey respondents were drawn from nearly 100 countries, across more than 25 industry sectors including automotive, communications, consumer goods and services, energy, financial services, metals mining and utilities (see Figures 1 and 2). Reflecting the global split of the Global Compact membership, 439 of the respondents were from companies primarily based in Europe; 156 of respondents are from North and Latin America; 113 are from Asia Pacific. Another 58 respondents are based in Africa and the Middle East. This coverage has helped ensure a truly global multi-polar lens on sustainability issues, acknowledging the critical role that emerging markets play in solving today’s global challenges. The survey respondents were drawn from both publicly traded and privately owned companies and represent some of the largest companies in the world. Respondents represent companies that have joined the Global Compact across the ten years of its existence, giving us a snapshot of businesses both well advanced in embedding the principles of the UNGC as well as those just embarking upon that journey. Peter Lacy UNGC-Accenture CEO Study Project Lead 2010 Managing Director, Accenture Sustainability Services Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America 3 Figure 1: CEO online survey respondents (766 total) Europe – 439 Americas – 156 Asia Pacific – 113 Africa Middle East – 58 Figure 2: CEO online survey respondents by most common industries 18% 14% 8% 7% 5% 5% 5% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% ec h s gy es ice s ice en tie in ica tio em ica cie nc vic er in i nk ui pm -t se rv rv er En ili gh m Ba Ut se ls es tio n s eq un Ch hi als es sio go od po rta ial Co m cs et m ni str M du um er Ele ct ns Co In fra str uc u re tra He alt of Pr ns ro In h lif Au na to m ot ive es ng ns ls g t s 4 Acknowledgement of CEO participants We would like to thank the following CEOs, chairpersons and presidents for their insights in shaping this study. While the views expressed in this study do not reflect the totality of opinions received from all contributing executives, their par ticipation and guidance have been critical. Ben Verwaayen, CEO, AlcatelLucent Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO, Alcoa Hirokazu Hashimoto, President Director, Anritsu Corporation Jurgen Hambrecht, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE Edemir Pinto, CEO, BMFBOVESPA Barbara Krumsiek, President and CEO, Calvert Group Ltd. Rashid Toefy, CEO, Cape Town International Convention Centre Zhongshu Zhou, President, China Minmetals Corporation Amr Sheira, CEO, CompuMe Gareth Penny, Group CEO, De Beers Rene Obermann, CEO, Deutsche Telekom AG Paul S. Walsh, Chief Executive, Diageo plc. Fulvio Conti, CEO and General Manager, Enel S. p. A. Paolo Scaroni, CEO, Eni S. p. A. Steve Lennon, Managing Director, Corporate Services Division, Eskom Holdings Ltd. Didier Lombard, Chairman, France Telecom 5 Toshio Arima, Director, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd. Andrew Witty, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline Alfredo Saenz, Second Vice Chairman and CEO, Grupo Santander Stephen Green, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc. Ignacio Galan, Chairman CEO, Iberdrola Jorge Samek, Director-General, Itaipu Binacional Hans Vestberg, CEO, LM Ericsson Martha Tilaar, Chairwoman Founder, Martha Tilaar Group Steve Holliday, Chief Executive, National Grid Sam I. Ohuabunwa, President a nd CEO, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc. Paul Bulcke, CEO, Nestle S. A. Svein Richard Brandtz? g, President and CEO, Norsk Hydro ASA Daniel Vasella, M. D. , Chairman, Novartis AG Wolfgang J. Ruttenstorfer, CEO Chairman, OMV Aktiengesellschaft Mavi S. Isibor, CEO, Poise Nigeria Limited Prida Tiasuwan, Chairman, Pranda Jewelry PCL Luiz Ernesto Gemignani, Chairman, Promon S. A. H. E. Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways YS Chi, Vice-Chair, Reed Elsevier Group plc Carlos Ghosn, Chairman CEO, Renault Nissan Alliance Adam Crozier, CEO, Royal Mail Gerard J. Kleisterlee, President CEO, Royal Philips Electronics Helmy Abouleish, Managing Director, SEKEM Group Ernst Bartschi, CEO, Sika Group Tae-won Chey, Chairman CEO, SK Idar Kreutzer, Group CEO, Storebrand ASA Sung-joo Kim, Chairperson and CEO, Sungjoo Group Yasuchika Hasegawa, President and CEO, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company PM Telang, Managing Director, Tata Motors Jamshed J. Irani, Director, Tata Steel Jeffrey Swartz, President CEO, The Timberland Company Kaspar Villiger, Chairman of the BoD, UBS AG Alessandro Profumo, CEO, UniCredit S. p. A. Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever 6 Additional Business Leader Insights We would like to thank the following business leaders for their additional input: Esra Ozer, Alcoa Larry Stone, BT Group Farouki Majeed, California Public Employees’ Retirement System Paul Hilton, Calvert Group Ltd. Weijun Xie, China Minmetals Corporation Wolfram Heger, Daimler Norbert Otten, Daimler Ole Daugbjerg, Danfoss James Suzman, De Beers Birgit Klesper, Deutsche Telekom AG Luis Neves, Deutsche Telekom AG Carolyn Panzer, Diageo plc. Dave Kepler, Dow Chemical Bo Miller, Dow Chemical Julia King, GlaxoSmithKline Duncan Learmouth, GlaxoSmithKline Marc Fox, Goldman Sachs Andrew Howard, Goldman Sachs Sean O’Neill, Heineken Susanna Wilson, HSBC Holdings plc. Nuning Barwa, Martha Tilaar Group Marcelo Cardoso, Natura Niels Christiansen, Nestle S. A. Esko Aho, Nokia Kirsten Hovi, Norsk Hydro ASA Lise Kingo, Novo Nordisk Susanne Stormer, Novo Nordisk Wolfgang Kraus, OMV Rich Delaney, PepsiCo Marcia Balisciano, Reed Elsevier Sir Brian Fall, Rio Tinto Graham Weale, RWE Soren Buttkereit, Siemens Barbara Kux, Siemens Rainer Weihofen, Sika Group David Bresch, Swiss Re Rolf Tanner, Swiss Re Anant Nadkarni, Tata Motors AS Puri, Tata Motors Sangram Tambe, Tata Motors Betsy Blaisdell, The Timberland Company Kate King, The Timberland Company Christian Leitz, UBS AG Gavin Neath, Unilever Michiel Leijnse, Unilever Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Unilever Gerhard Pratorius, Volkswagen Stakeholders Insights Although this is intended as a CEO study, in order to gather a wide set of opinions and insights we also interviewed UNGC board members and a selected group of wider stakeholders. We are very grateful to the following: UNGC board members Guillermo Carey, Carey Allende Abogados Chen Ying, Beijing Rong Zhi Institute of Corporate Social Responsibility Fernando Chico Pardo, Aeropuertos Del Sureste Juan de la Mota, Global Compact Spanish Network Charles O. Holliday, Bank of America Huguette Labelle, Transparency International Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Foundation for the Global Compact Mary Robinson, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative Jean Rozwadowski, International Chamber of Commerce Guy Ryder, International Trade Union Confederation Manfred Warda, International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Union Wider stakeholders Graham Baxter, International Business Leaders Forum Per Sandberg, World Business Council for Sustainable Development Sophia Tickell, SustainAbility Tensie Whelan, Rainforest Alliance Simon Zadek, AccountAbility Academic Advisor Prof. Dr. Gilbert Lenssen President of EABIS—The Academy of Business in Society 7 8 9 Executive summary Journey to a new era of sustainability The sustainability landscape is changing CEOs around the world are starting to see the shape of a new era of sustainability coming into view. In the face of rising global competition, technological change and the most serious economic downturn in nearly a century, corporate commitment to the principles of sustainability remains strong throughout the world: 93 percent of CEOs see sustainability as important to their company’s future success. This is one of the most significant headlines of our survey of 766 United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) member CEOs, extensive interviews with an additional 50 member CEOs and further interviews with more than 50 business and civil society leaders. The scale of this research is such that it represents the largest such study of CEOs ever conducted on the topic of sustainability. In the course of our survey and conversations with CEOs, we have witnessed a fundamental shift since the last Global Compact survey in 2007. Then, sustainability was just emerging on the periphery of business issues, an increasing concern that was beginning to reshape the rules of competition. Three years later, sustainability is truly topof-mind for CEOs around the world. While environmental, social and governance challenges continue to grow and CEOs wrestle with competing strategic priorities, sustainable business practices and products are opening up new markets and sources of demand; driving new business models and sources of innovation; changing industry cost structures; and beginning to permeate business from corporate strategy to all elements of operations. After the storm: Rebuilding trust Demonstrating a visible and authentic commitment to sustainability is especially important to CEOs because it is part of an urgent need to regain and build trust from the public and other key stakeholders, such as consumers and governments—trust that was shaken by the recent global financial crisis. Strengthening brand, trust and reputation is the strongest motivator for taking action on sustainability issues, identified by 72 percent of CEOs. However, CEOs often assume that their own company is more respected and trusted than their industry in general—leading to a real concern that executives may underestimate the extent to which mistrust in business continues to be an issue in the public mind. The drivers and approaches to sustainability are changing In 2007, education was the top development issue on the minds of CEOs. Concerns about education are still prevalent in 2010 and focused on the failure of education systems, talent pipelines and the capabilities of future leaders to manage sustainability. Seventy-two percent of executives identified education as one of the critical development issues for the future success of their business. Perhaps unsurprisingly, climate change was second at 66 percent as concern about greenhouse gas emissions continues to grow. However, in our conversations with CEOs, we found that a broader set of issues are starting to appear on the corporate 10 radar. Resource scarcity (water in particular) and health issues are of increasing concern. The ways in which CEOs are addressing sustainability issues are also changing. Our research reveals three key ways in which approaches and strategies are shifting as we move toward a new era of sustainability: Businesses will have to grapple with a new concept of value that moves beyond a focus purely on profit and incorporates nonfinancial metrics, putting a new onus on the ability to measure and communicate progress. CEOs also acknowledge that a new generation of leadership, and concerted efforts to shape a corporate culture supportive of the goals of sustainability, must underpin success in the new era. In other words, today’s business environment provides a multitude of new challenges to manage, but also significant opportunities for those who can master its dynamics. 1. The consumer is (or will be) king End consumers as well as business and government customers are increasingly driving a company’s strategy for developing sustainable products and services. CEOs identify the consumer as the most important stakeholder in influencing the way in which they will manage societal expectations over the next five years: 58 percent of survey respondents selected the consumer mong their most important stakeholders, even above employees (45 percent) and governments (39 percent). Challenges to overcome: From strategy to execution CEOs believe that execution is now the real challenge to bringing about the new era of sustainability. Confidence among business leaders about their progress toward this new era is strong, and their companies are taking concrete steps toward embedded sust ainability. Eighty-one percent of CEOs—compared to just 50 percent in 2007—stated that sustainability issues are now fully embedded into the strategy and operations of their company. For example, we saw cases of companies beginning to integrate sustainability issues into their executive compensation packages, as well as design and innovation functions, more than in 2007. However, our conversations suggest that while sustainability has clearly become part and parcel of how many businesses operate, it has yet to permeate all elements of core business—that is, into capabilities, processes and systems. In particular, the difficulty of implementation, especially across supply chains and subsidiaries, is seen by CEOs as the top barrier to the full integration of sustainability. Our research finds a significant performance gap between those CEOs who agree that sustainability should be embedded throughout their subsidiaries (91 percent) and supply chain (88 percent), and those who report their company is already doing so (59 percent and 54 percent, respectively). Furthermore, full integration of sustainability into performance management frameworks and approaches to training and development remains some way off. 2. Importance of technology and innovation CEOs are aware of the critical role that innovative, leading-edge technologies are playing in advancing the sustainability agenda—in areas such as climate change (e. . , using smart technologies such as grids and meters); and in terms of increased transparency through social media platforms. Ninety-one percent of CEOs reported that their company would employ new technologies (e. g. , renewable energy, energy efficiency, information and communications technology) to help meet their sustainability goals over the next five years. 3. Collaboration is critical Across the board, the CEOs we spoke to confirmed that partnerships and collaboration (e. g. , with suppliers, nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, etc. are now a critical element of their approach to sustainability issues. Businesses realize that today’s global challenges are too broad and too complex to go it alone. Seventy-eight percent of CEOs believe that companies should engage in industry collaborations and multi-stakeholder partnerships to address development goals. Nevertheless, while CEOs believe civil society is an essential partner in tackling these issues, they believe non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are declining in their influence on corporate sustainability agendas. Just 15 percent of CEOs identified NGOs as one of the key stakeholders influencing their approach to sustainability, down 12 percent from 2007. Ensuring the right external conditions How long will it take before the majority of companies worldwide reach this new era in which sustainability is fully integrated across their global business footprint? Fifty-four percent of CEOs surveyed feel that this tipping point is only a decade away—and 80 percent believe it will occur within 15 years—an optimistic view unthinkable in 2007 and testament to the sea-change taking place. However, CEOs see that progress toward that destination is by no means guaranteed, or irreversible, and will require them to overcome several serious challenges, both through their own actions and in collaboration with stakeholders. These challenges include: Investor uncertainty: Many CEOs believe that the investment community is not supporting corporate efforts to create value through sustainable products and services by failing to factor performance on sustainability issues into valuation models. A new sustainability era on the horizon Our survey found widespread agreement among CEOs about what the next era of sustainability will look like: It is one where sustainability is not only a separate strategic initiative, but something fully integrated into the strategy and operations of a company. As one emerging economy CEO told us, â€Å"Currently, the burning issue is how to better incorporate sustainability into daily practice. † CEOs see that a new era of sustainability will entail a number of business imperatives and change the face of competition. For example, companies will need to develop a broader sense of what value creation means to society as a whole. 1 Consumer uncertainty: The consumer may be king when it comes to driving profitable sustainability, but the CEOs surveyed are looking for clearer signals that sustainability actually drives buying behaviors. Similarly, they are unclear as to the extent to which sustainability concerns will drive purchasing decisions by businesses and governments. Regula tory uncertainty: Across the board, CEOs spoke of the need for greater clarity around the shape and scope of future regulation in response to regulatory challenges. The role of the UN Global Compact: A forum for education and sharing of best practices CEOs are more aware than ever that their ability to take the next step along the journey to integrated sustainability depends on partnerships, collaboration and joint efforts with governments and with private entities such as business schools. No one alone has all the answers. The UN Global Compact has a vital role to play in bringing different stakeholders together in dialogue and the pursuit of shared goals. This represents a significant development in 2010 compared to the last survey in 2007. Then, CEOs saw the UNGC’s role as one primarily focused on making the business case for sustainability and setting future strategic direction. While executives still see this role as important, in 2010 that role has been extended to help companies share best practices as they work to improve their ability to deliver on these critical execution challenges. Two-thirds of the CEOs we surveyed are looking to the UNGC as a forum for the sharing of best practices and emerging ideas on sustainability. Just over half are also seeking guidance from the UNGC about execution of a sustainability strategy. A similar number are looking for the UNGC to facilitate other kinds of dialogue and collaboration, such as working with business schools and educators to shape the next generation of leaders or continuing to partner with the investment community. Both of these findings are a strong reinforcement of the value of the UNGC’s pioneering work in founding the Principles for Responsible Management Education and the Principles for Responsible Investment, and a mandate to go further. These findings underscore the fact that companies are taking the long view when it comes to sustainability. There are no easy answers, and the journey will not necessarily be a short one. But, arguably, the modern era has never before seen such a high level of executive commitment to the environmental, social and corporate governance agenda. UNGC member CEOs are acutely aware of the power their companies have to change the world—but similarly conscious that they cannot go it alone. Executives are willing to step up to the challenges ahead and they recognize that—as the Global Compact celebrates its tenth anniversary—this is â€Å"the end of the beginning† and not â€Å"the beginning of the end† in the transition to a new era of sustainability. Accelerating the tipping point: Business action is needed In order to overcome these challenges and accelerate a tipping point in the integration of sustainability into core business, CEOs believe that a number of â€Å"must-have† conditions need to be put in place. Businesses need to take a leadership role to bring them about, often in collaboration with wider stakeholders such as the UN Global Compact: 1. Actively shaping consumer and customer awareness, attitudes and needs. To create a market for sustainable products and services, CEOs see the need to increase the provision of consumer information and set clear standards, as well as direct government incentives and investment in areas such as energy, transport and public infrastructure. 2. Generating new knowledge, skills and mindsets for sustainable development. Although businesses believe that formal educational institutions and business schools need to do more, CEOs also recognize the need to increase their own efforts to engender the right skills and mindsets in their managers and future leaders. 3. Leading the creation of an investment environment more favorable to sustainable business. CEOs need to be more proactive in engaging with investors to ensure that the value of sustainability activities can be demonstrated through traditional metrics such as cost reduction and revenue growth. . Embedding new concepts of value and performance at the organizational and individual levels. Businesses will need to measure both positive and negative impacts of business on society, track and manage sustainability’s impact on core business drivers and metrics, and embed sustainability in individual performance frameworks for managers across their organizations (e. g. , through remuneration packages). 5. Creating a clearer and more positive regul atory environment for sustainability. To avoid the unintended consequences of regulation, build trust and provide a more informed basis for policymaking, businesses should adopt a more proactive and collaborative approach with governments to seek out genuine opportunities for business and societal benefit. 12 CEO opinion: by the numbers 93% 93% of CEOs believe that sustainability issues will be critical to the future success of their business. 72% 72% of CEOs cite â€Å"brand, trust and reputation† as one of the top three factors driving them to take action on sustainability issues. Revenue growth and cost reduction is second with 44%. 2% 72% of CEOs see education as the global development issue most critical to address for the future success of their business. Climate change is second with 66%. 58% 58% of CEOs identify consumers as the most important stakeholder group that will impact the way they manage societal expectations. Employees were second with 45%. 91% 91% of CEOs report that their company will employ n ew technologies (e. g. , renewable energy, energy efficiency, information and communication technologies) to address sustainability issues over the next five years. 13 96% 6% of CEOs believe that sustainability issues should be fully integrated into the strategy and operations of a company (up from 72% in 2007). 49% 49% of CEOs cite complexity of implementation across functions as the most significant barrier to implementing an integrated, company-wide approach to sustainability. Competing strategic priorities is second with 48%. 88% 88% of CEOs believe that they should be integrating sustainability through their supply chain. Only 54% believe that this has been achieved within their company. An almost identical performance gap is seen for subsidiaries. 6% 86% of CEOs see â€Å"accurate valuation by investors of sustainability in longterm investments† as important to reaching a tipping point in sustainability. 64% 64% of CEOs see the most important role of the UN Global Compa ct as sharing examples of best and emerging practices on sustainability. Guidance on implementation is second with 51%. 14 15 Chapter 1 Shifting gears: Sustainability is changing CEOs’ belief in the importance of sustainability is stronger than ever, in spite of the recent economic downturn In 2010, CEO support for corporate sustainability is nearly unanimous. Ninety-three percent of the 766 CEOs responding to our online survey believe that sustainability issues will be important or very important to their future success. Corporate commitment to sustainability, according to the survey, has increased considerably since 2007. â€Å"Sustainability now has to be on everyone’s agenda, and that represents a fundamental change,† according to Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO of Alcoa, one of the largest aluminum producers in the world. This belief in sustainability is seen against the backdrop of the most challenging global economic downturn of our lifetimes—a crisis Alfredo Saenz, CEO of banking group Santander, called a â€Å"perfect storm for the industry. † The global economic downturn might have been expected to weaken the commitment to environmental, social and corporate governance issues (see sidebar, â€Å"Understanding the Scope of Sustainability†). In fact, it seems to have had the opposite effect: 80 percent of CEOs believe that the economic downturn has raised the importance of sustainability as an issue for top management. Just 12 percent of CEOs report that their company has reduced investment in sustainability as a result of the downturn— and 74 percent say that the downturn has led their company to align sustainability more closely with core business. Although some CEOs believe that the downturn has reduced the speed at which they have been able to integrate their strategies for sustainability, or slowed their philanthropic activities, the vast majority agree that the downturn has not derailed their long-term plans to drive a sustainability agenda. One reason for this continued support is that, during such a time of hardship, businesses have been forced to examine closely how their sustainability activity delivers core business value, measured in terms such as cost reduction and revenue growth. As one European business leader pointed out, â€Å"If managing a business sustainably is about using resources efficiently, then it serves the cost agenda as well. † For example, Dow Chemical has generated significant savings by reusing treated wastewater in its manufacturing plants, reducing energy consumption in its Benelux plant by 65 percent. This is the equivalent of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60,000 tons per year. 1 Deutsche Telekom has realized savings of â‚ ¬50 million (US$59. 6 million) per annum over the last ten years through increased energy efficiency and other overhead reduction measures. 2 16 Understanding the scope of sustainability Throughout this report, we use the term â€Å"sustainability† to encompass environmental, social and corporate governance issues, as embodied in the United Nations Global Compact’s Ten Principles. These ten principles, covering areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption, enjoy universal consensus and are derived from: †¢ The Universal Declaration of Human Rights †¢ The International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work †¢ The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development †¢ The United Nations Convention Against Corruption The Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, these ten principles: Labour Standards Principle 3 Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4 Principle 5 Principle 6 The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; The effective abolition of child labour; and The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment Principle 7 Principle 8 Principle 9 Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Human Rights Principle 1 Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and Principle 2 Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Anti-Corruption Principle 10 Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. 17 Also bolstering the continued commitment to sustainability during the economic downturn has been demand for sustainable products and services. Although one business leader reported increased volatility in consumer interest and spending, others have seen the downturn accelerate demand for green products and services. This growth in demand spans traditional consumer segments, but also business-tobusiness transactions and government spending decisions. For example, Siemens—a leader in providing products that allow their customers to address energy efficiency challenges—experienced strong demand for its green products throughout the downturn. Its â€Å"Environmental Portfolio† encompasses almost all relevant areas relating to the generation, transmission, distribution and use of energy as well as other environmental technologies. In 2009, Siemens generated revenues of â‚ ¬23 billion (US$28 billion) from this portfolio of products and services, an 11 percent increase from 2008 and nearly one-third of Siemens’ total annual revenues. Last year alone, Siemens helped customers cut approximately 210 million tons of CO2 emissions—the equivalent of the annual emissions of Berlin, London, Munich, New York and Tokyo combined. 3 Figure 1-1: CEOs see sustainability as critical to their future success, but this varies by region How important are sustainability issues to the future success of your business? Very Important Overall Asia Pacific Latin America Africa Europe North America Middle East North Africa 22% 48% 59% 57% 60% 45% 31% 79% 54% 57% 78% Important 39% 41% 19% 37% 93% 98% 97% 97% 93% 90% Source: United Nations Global Compact CEO Survey 2010 (based on 766 completed responses) Geographic perspectives: Belief in the relevance of sustainability differs according to region—but not always in predictable ways Large majorities of CEOs from every nation see sustainability as important or very important to the future success of their business. In the words of Hirokazu Hashimoto, President and Director of the Japanese technology company Anritsu Corporation, â€Å"Sustainability issues are critically important for our company’s future,† recognizing the role that the communications and high-technology sector will play in helping business and consumers address sustainability issues. Closer scrutiny of the geographic data, however, reveals some significant differences among CEOs in different regions of the world (see Figure 1-1). The top three regions in which businesses cite sustainability as most important to their future success are Asia Pacific, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. This may reflect what one business leader termed the â€Å"lens of proximity† of sustainability issues. That is, corporations and the public alike in these emerging economies see sustainability in very personal, local and immediate terms—e. g. , access to clean water, more direct dependence on the natural environment—and therefore perceive their future success to be more directly threatened by environmental degradation. However, in the Middle East and North Africa, only 22 percent of CEOs believe that sustainability issues will be critical to future success. As one CEO in the region told us, â€Å"Sustainability is not a common theme in our part of the world—it’s a new concept altogether. † In Latin America, 78 percent of CEOs believe that sustainability issues will be very important to the success of their business, reflecting the progressive stance taken by many Latin American companies. For example, apping into the strong concern among Brazilian consumers and society as a whole around sustainability issues, Natura Cosmeticos, a US$2. 3 billion revenue Sao Paulo-based cosmetics and beauty products company, has social and environmental issues at the core of its strategy and operations. Natura only invests in new product platforms based on the sustainable use of natural resources, with 80 percent of the materials in all their products coming from renewable plant sources. This includes its â€Å"Ekos† range, which is made with resources from the rich Brazilian biodiversity extracted in a sustainable way and through fair trade. The company has established partnerships with rural suppliers to promote sustainable research and development. It is significantly increasing its investment in its workforce, training and educating its employees on environmental issues: Spending on training rose by 44 percent between 2008 and 2009 and in 2010 the company aims to provide 100 hours of training per employee. It also encourages its direct sales force of 1 million women to take part in social programs in local communities—helping to achieve an exceptionally low level of employee turnover (7. 5 percent per year) within the industry. Placing sustainability at the core of its business strategy has given Natura a significant advantage in promoting its brand and reputation, and has helped the company to grow from a small local enterprise to become Brazil’s largest cosmetics firm. Revenues have grown by nearly 40 percent over the last three years—bottom-line growth by 44 percent over the same period. The quality of its relationships with customers and its innovative distribution channel means Natura has been able to consistently outperform its industry peers. 4 18 Industry perspectives: Belief in the importance of sustainability varies considerably by industry CEOs’ belief in the importance of sustainable business practices and products to their success is strong across all industries surveyed—though with some significant differences (see Figure 1-2). Fully 100 percent of automotive CEOs identify sustainability issues as important or very important to their future success. This finding reflects how environmental concerns present both a challenge to the industry and an opportunity to serve a new market with lowcarbon alternatives such as e-vehicles. Given the decline of some high-profile players in the automotive industry during the economic downturn, matters of long-term viability are, not surprisingly, occupying the minds of CEOs in this sector. CEOs from the energy and utilities sectors also see sustainability issues as critical to their future success. Wolfgang J. Ruttenstorfer, CEO and Chairman of European oil and gas company OMV, said, â€Å"I regard these issues as bringing competitive advantage in the long term; a transparent approach clearly oriented toward values, human rights and environmental objectives is the only right approach that will be appreciated in the long term. † To ensure OMV is aligned with this long-term positioning and future value, in 2006 it established the OMV Future Energy Fund, a wholly owned subsidiary to support projects in renewable energy. The fund holds more than â‚ ¬100 million (US$122 million) to initiate the shift from a pure oil and gas group to an energy group with renewables in its portfolio. Already numerous projects are underway in the field of biomass gasification, bioethanol, biodiesel, geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage. The aim is for the fund to reach a total of â‚ ¬500 million (US$609 million), which would constitute more than one-fifth of the company’s annual capital expenditure. 5 The importance of sustainability to industries not traditionally associated with significant environmental and social impacts is also clear from the survey. Support is especially high in the banking industry, for example: 68 percent of CEOs note that sustainability is â€Å"very important† to their success—a number matched only by the energy and utilities industries. Although the banking supply chain may be less intimately connected to the natural environment than that of an energy company, a commitment to environmental and social issues may be a prominent part of restoring brand value as the financial industry struggles to regain the trust of consumers. For banks, sustainability also presents risks and opportunities to asset values and investment portfolios. For example, Goldman Sachs’ SUSTAIN index, launched at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2007, is part of a growing trend of investment banks and financial institutions quantifying the strategic implications of sustainability trends on asset values. Other banks are looking to create advantage in financing growth markets such as the transition to a lowcarbon energy infrastructure. For example, Italian banking giant UniCredit S. p. A. has a portfolio of â‚ ¬4 billion (US$4. billion) in loans for renewable energy projects, mainly in wind farms, photovoltaic, solar thermal and biomass installations. 6 According to our survey, CEOs in the communications and electronics high-tech sectors are the least likely to identify sustainability issues as critical to their future success— just 22 percent and 31 percent of those industries’ CEOs, respectively, cite sustainability as very important to their future success. This may reflect the limited degree to which these sectors see themselves as affecting the environment in terms of their carbon footprint. However, leading companies in these sectors are beginning to think beyond the direct physical impacts of their business on sustainability issues, and are looking to shape a vision of the role that they can play in society by driving sustainable development. Some of the leading communications and hightech CEOs we spoke with, from companies such as AlcatelLucent, Deutsche Telekom, Nokia and Philips, believed that they could act as a significant part of the solution to sustainability challenges, providing companies around the world with new technologies and ways of working that will help them achieve their own environmental objectives. As Accenture’s recent study with Vodafone, â€Å"Carbon Connections,† demonstrated, growth in wireless-enabled machine-to-machine technology within smart grids, smart logistics and smart manufacturing, as well as virtual communications could save customers â‚ ¬43 billion (US$52 billion), require 1 billion new connections and save 113 million tons of carbon per year by 2020 in the European Union alone. 7 Figure 1-2: The extent to which CEOs believe sustainability will be important to their success varies significantly by industry How important are sustainability issues to the future success of your business? Very Important Overall Automotive Consumer goods services Banking Metals mining Energy Professional services Utilities Health life sciences Electronics high-tech Media entertainment Communications 22% 31% 67% 59% 50% 56% 17% 51% 68% 42% 54% 62% 63% 68% 62% 68% 42% 24% Important 39% 38% 35% 29% 34% 26% 93% 100% 98% 97% 96% 94% 93% 92% 92% 87% 84% 81% Source: United Nations Global Compact CEO Survey 2010 (based on 766 completed responses) 19 An important motivating factor: Rebuilding trust in business Far and away, the most commonly cited factor motivating CEOs to take action on sustainability issues is brand, trust and reputation, selected by an exceptionally high 72 percent of CEOs as one of their top three factors—followed by revenue growth and cost reduction (44 percent), personal motivation (42 percent) and consumer/customer demand (39 percent) (see Figure 1-3). The message from CEOs was loud and clear on the imperative of regaining and rebuilding trust. As Didier Lombard, Chairman of France Telecom, told us, â€Å"Sustainability is essential to building our brand and our trust with consumers. † Sustainability has long been viewed as one of many elements in companies’ strategies to build their market reputation. This may mean developing products and services such as micro-finance or renewable energy that directly tackle global social and environmental problems; it might mean ensuring sustainable production processes for existing product lines; or it could mean more corporate social responsibility-type initiatives designed to be seen to â€Å"give back† to society and put a human face on business. However, the economic downturn—and particularly the perception that business, and banking in particular, may have played a role in precipitating the financial crisis— has brought the issue of trust into sharper focus. In the words of the chairman of one of the world’s largest banking groups, â€Å"Trust in banks in general has been badly damaged by the events of the financial crisis and it cannot be rebuilt overnight. † Echoing this sentiment, Kaspar Villiger, Chairman of global financial services company UBS AG, told us: â€Å"We have lost trust, and we need to regain it with a culture of responsible behavior. The fallout from the global financial crisis in terms of trust is not only being felt in the financial services sector. Across the board, CEOs appear to be united in their recognition of the problem that, as one business leader in the consumer goods sector put it, â€Å"The scarcest of all the resources is trust. † There was a strong sense i n our conversations that business leaders appreciate the scale of the challenge in reestablishing confidence in the corporate community. As Steve Holliday, CEO of global utility provider National Grid, told us, â€Å"To make the transition to a new era, we need a lot of trust in the system—and we’re ot in that place right now. † As one European pharmaceutical executive told us, â€Å"In a situation where you lack trust, you simply have to change. † This sentiment is borne out by independent analysis: Edelman Trust Barometer 2009 found that public trust in business had declined to just 38 percent in the United States, down from 58 percent the year before. Similarly, two-thirds of respondents in nine European Union countries reported that they were less trusting of business in 2009 than at the same time the year before. Regaining trust is therefore critical, according to CEOs, who believe that a competitive advantage can be achieved by businesses that are a ble to effectively build and maintain trust. For example, in 2008, 91 percent of consumers said they had bought a product or service from a company they trusted, whereas 77 percent had refused to buy a product or service from a distrusted company. 9 Maintaining a strong brand and reputation based on trust is therefore a key source of competitive advantage. Figure 1-3: CEOs cite brand, trust and reputation as the primary motivation in taking action on sustainability issues Which factors have driven you, as a CEO, to take action on sustainability issues? Respondents identifying each factor in their top three choices Brand, trust and reputation Potential for revenue growth/cost reduction Personal motivation Consumer/customer demand Employee engagement and recruitment Impact of development gaps on business Governmental/regulatory environment Pressure from investors/ shareholders 12% 31% 29% 24% 44% 42% 39% 72% Source: United Nations Global Compact CEO Survey 2010 (based on 766 completed responses) Businesses are now developing more sophisticated approaches to measuring and quantifying the impact of trust across their organization, and to more accurately identifying those levers that can affect levels of trust. As they develop new metrics, CEOs are beginning to identify trust as a key element in building future value. For example, global health care company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has a vision of a different pharmaceutical industry with a much greater emphasis on building trust and tackling big questions for the sector such as access and affordability of medicines. As CEO Andrew Witty told us, â€Å"To be a successful and sustainable business, we must fulfil our social responsibilities and build trust with our stakeholders. † At GSK, this has meant fundamentally rethinking the approach to intellectual property and pooling patents for neglected tropical diseases, as well as GSK’s pricing strategy for drugs in emerging and least-developed countries, which aims to drive better access to and affordability of critical medicines. For example, in the Philippines, a 60 percent price cut in cancer vaccine Cervarix increased sales by around 600 percent. 0 This focus on building trust is also being integrated into GSK’s core business strategy and the roles and responsibilities of managers across the organization. For example, a Regional and General Manager Trust Framework is being rolled out across the business to support leaders in finding win-win solutions that benefit the business, stakeholders and patients. 20 Building trust is a significant challenge for corporations Our survey data suggests that CEOs, at an individual level, may not fully grasp the extent of the trust challenge (see Figure 1-4). Globally, 73 percent of CEOs believe that their industry is trusted by the public and other stakeholders, but 79 percent believe the same of their own company. Apart from those in Latin America, CEOs across the globe appear to believe that their companies are more trusted than their industries. For example, in North America 62 percent of CEOs believe that their industry is trusted by the public and other stakeholders, but fully 87 percent believe that their company is trusted. At the industry level, the story is perhaps more predictable. The metals and mining sector and the banking industry accounted for the lowest proportion of CEOs who believed their industry was trusted (55 percent and 66 percent, respectively). It is not yet clear, however, to what extent business leaders see their own role in rebuilding a more trusted position for business in society—or whether they feel that individual action can address a global environment that sees some stakeholders ask serious questions about the purpose of business. Figure 1-4: CEOs in most regions believe that their companies are more trusted than their industries My industry/company is trusted by public and stakeholders Respondents answering â€Å"Agree† or â€Å"Strongly Agree† Industry vs. Company Latin America Asia Africa Europe Middle East North Africa North America 89% 70% 77% 91% 71% 91% 69% 77% 65% 78% 62% 87% -19% 14% 20% 8% 13% 25% Industry Company Source: United Nations Global Compact CEO Survey 2010 (based on 766 completed responses) 21 As they move beyond the constraints of focusing solely on financial performance, CEOs envisage a future in which building stakeholder trust will sit at the heart of their companies’ strategic agenda, and will be driven by specific, measurable activities and objectives. nvested ? 1. 5 million (US$2. 2 million) globally with the goal of bringing education, technology and communication skills to children from disadvantaged backgrounds in three key growth markets for BT: Brazil, China and South Africa. 12 The second development issue identified as most critical to future business success by CEOs is climate change. Increasingly, responding to climate change is seen not only as a means of managing risk but also an opportunity for growth, capitalizing on the growing demand for products and services that address environmental concerns. For example, when Eskom Holdings Ltd. , the South African utilities company, decided to shift its energy generation mix toward renewable energy, it was responding to the pressures brought about by climate change and the future resource constraints that threaten its long-term growth. It also was acknowledging, at the same time, a significant opportunity to lead in a growth market. Traditionally a coal-dominated utility, Eskom is now shifting its strategy toward renewables with the aim of reducing the amount of coal in its generation mix from the current 88 percent to 70 percent by 2025. 3 In particular, it is investing heavily in concentrated solar power and wind farms with the help of a recent US$750 million loan from the World Bank, allocated for renewable and energy efficiency projects. 14 Figure 1-5: CEOs see education as the global development challenge most critical to the future success of their business Which of the following global development issues are the most critical to address for the future success of your business? Respondents identifying each factor in their top three choices Education Climate change Poverty Diversity and gender equality Access to clean water and sanitation Food security and hunger HIV/AIDS and other diseases Child mortality and maternal health 6% 6% 32% 26% 22% 51% 66% 72% Sustainability issues are changing: Education and climate change are top-of-mind It is clear from our conversations with CEOs that they are united in their belief in the importance of sustainability, and determined to be part of the solution—but what do they mean by â€Å"sustainability,† and which issues are uppermost in their minds? The breadth and complexity of sustainability issues are increasing and they are increasingly tied to future business success. As Gerard J. Kleisterlee, President and CEO of multinational Royal Philips Electronics, told us, â€Å"Whichever angle you come from, you try to meet a need of a community or an economy, both from an economic perspective and from a development angle. † The scope of sustainability varies significantly by industry, often driven by those environmental, social and governance issues on which the industry has greatest impact. While health may be top-of-mind for executives in the pharmaceutical industry, human rights is a particular concern for CEOs in the metals and mining industries, not least due to some of the markets in which they have to operate. For example, Norwegian aluminum and renewable energy company Norsk Hydro ensures that, when operating in countries where the right to form trade unions is restricted (such as China and Qatar), alternative forums are found to uphold employees’ rights and influence their work situation. 1 At an aggregate level, CEOs see education and climate change as the issues most critical to the future success of their businesses (see Figure 1-5). As the CEOs from our survey look to the future, the global development challenge they see as most critical to their future success is the education of citizens in sufficient numbers and with high enough quality for three purposes in particular. First, to ensure sustained economic development; second, to create a steady sup ply of talent to renew their workforce capabilities; and third, to equip current and future leaders and mployees—and those from other sectors such as government and civil society—with the ability to manage sustainability issues as part of core business. To meet this challenge requires a broad range of responses, from early-intervention programs in schools and better employee re-skilling programs, to new partnerships with governments, universities and business schools. For example, when UK telecommunications company BT Group partnered with UNICEF to launch the initiative â€Å"Inspiring Young Minds,† it was responding to the need to educate and develop skills of the next generation in key markets that would sustain the company’s future success. The program has so far Source: United Nations Global Compact CEO Survey 2010 (based on 766 completed responses) Health and resource scarcity are on the horizon Looking ahead, the future issues that CEOs highlighted in our conversations as starting to appear on the horizon were health and resource scarcity, with water in particular emerging as a concern. This broader understanding of sustainability issues will provide new battlegrounds in areas such as ecosystem services—for example, creating markets for the preservation of jointly shared global resources. 2 Already we are starting to see a growing awareness among CEOs of the global value of environmental assets and ecosystems. Jorge Samek, Director General of Brazilian hydroelectricity company Itaipu Binacional, told us: â€Å"Some countries have already driven high levels of consumption through a banquet of their resources. We have to find a balance that preserves resources as well as economic development. And in the words o f Helmy Abouleish, Chairman of North African agricultural company the SEKEM Group, which promotes organic farming practices and carbon emission reduction projects: â€Å"The only long-term sustainable way of development is in harmony with the environment and with a high level of social responsibility. † There is a growing sense among CEOs that the transition to a new era of sustainability will go far beyond carbon and climate change as an environmental issue, spanning water, waste, biodiversity and ecosystems services. Their views are corroborated by independent analysis. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study, which will be published shortly, has already concluded that business as usual is not an option if we are to safeguard natural resources: By 2050, 7. 5 million square kilometers of natural areas (11 percent of the total area in 2000) are expected to be lost as a result of conversion to agricultural land as well as the expansion of infrastructure and by climate change. 15 Figure 1-6: Consumers are increasingly driving businesses’ approach to sustainability Over the next five years, which stakeholder groups do you believe will have the greatest impact on the way you manage societal expectations? Respondents identifying each factor in their top three choices Consumers Employees Governments Communities Regulators Media Investment community Suppliers NGOs Boards Organized labor Other 7% 7% 6% 4% 2010 2007 5% 15% 14% 16% 27% 39% 39% 32% 28% 29% 26% 25% 25% 24% 22% 19% 15% 45% 58% 50% The way businesses address sustainability issues is also changing While sustainability issues have perhaps rarely been more important, an additional challenge for CEOs is in the way businesses need to address sustainability issues. This changing landscape presents increased opportunities for businesses but also further challenges that they must understand and master. Source: United Nations Global Compact CEO Survey 2010 (based on 766 completed responses). 2007 data from McKinsey UN Global Compact survey. 1. Developing new products and services: The consumer is (or will be) king Consumers are important drivers of the corporate sustainability agenda. Fifty-eight percent of the CEOs in our survey identify the consumer as one of the most important stakeholders influencing how companies will manage societal expectations over the next five years, compared to 50 percent in 2007 (see Figure 1-6). Of those who responded in the â€Å"other† category, the option of â€Å"customers† was by far the most common choice, reflecting the importance of business-to-business customers and governments as well as consumers. As one business leader from a consumergoods multinational explained, â€Å"There is a growing sense that people expect more than just a high-quality product at a good price. † As consumer awareness of sustainability issues increases, companies are being held to a higher standard, and being asked to demonstrate the wider impact of their operations. As Sung-joo Kim, Chairperson and CEO of South Korean fashion and luxury goods retailer Sungjoo Group, said, drawing on her knowledge of consumers in both emerging and developed economies, â€Å"Sustainability started as a moral obligation, but has now become a key differentiator for consumers. Growth in consumer demand for sustainable brands, products and services is spurring innovation in new-product development to meet changing consumer requirements. As the CEO of a major European electronics company told us, â€Å"Our angle on sustainability is in what our products can do for our customers to reduce their environmental impact. à ¢â‚¬  Indeed, many businesses are beginning to see significant new sources of growth in â€Å"green† products and services: As growth slows in traditional markets, CEOs are turning their attention toward new propositions that tap into new waves of demand. As one business leader from the consumer electronics industry told us, â€Å"We have clearly identified the mega-trends that will shape the next decade, and we want to make sure our customers can address these issues. † Another leading executive from the telecommunications sector told us, â€Å"We’ve been shifting our product mix towards products and services that allow our customers to address s How to cite Boeing Company, Papers