The largest CEO study on sustainability ever conducted by the UN Global Compact and Accenture has found 93% of CEOs are experiencing 10 or more simultaneous challenges and warn that disruption will limit delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
While CEOs are increasingly concerned about these headwinds, nearly all agree that sustainability is core to their role, a sentiment that has grown 15% over the last 10 years of the study.
The study draws on insights from more than 2,600 CEOs across 128 countries, 18 industries, and over 130 in-depth interviews. CEOs forewarn about the impact of converging setbacks for business and society, from faltering multilateralism and socioeconomic instability to supply-chain interruptions and the immediate effects of climate change.
"In a world categorised by conflict, energy shortages, rising inflation and the threat of recession, this year's study shows CEOs do not believe the world is as resilient to crises as we may have hoped," said Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary General, CEO and Executive Director UN Global Compact.
"Businesses continue to be impacted by multiple shocks. As a result, on a broad range of issues, from runaway climate change to widening social and economic inequalities, business action right now does not match the ambition and pace needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030."
As these challenges stack up, CEOs point to global issues that traditionally lie outside the corporate sphere—such as climate change or socio-political conflicts—as reasons for worry over delivering value and impact for all stakeholders.
