Seven in Ten People Say Companies Should Advocate for Climate and the SDGs According to Global Poll
People around the world expect companies to actively support social and environmental causes but are more divided on companies taking a stance on human rights issues, according to a global poll released at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2023.
The research, published in our new report, reveals strong public support for companies taking a stand on climate change and sustainable development as well as democracy, while opinions are divided over corporate advocacy on the rights of LGBTQ+ and women’s reproductive rights.
Key findings include:
- Seven in ten people (71%) say companies should take a stance and actively support government action on climate change. There is majority support in almost all countries and territories surveyed except for Egypt (44%). Support is strongest in Kenya (86%), Indonesia (83%), and Portugal (82%).
- Seven in ten people (69%) also want companies to speak out in support of the UN’s SDGs. Support for corporate advocacy on the SDGs is weakest in USA (53%) and strongest in Kenya (84%), Indonesia (84%), and Portugal (81%).
- Nearly two-thirds of people globally (64%) want companies to actively promote democracy. There is majority support in all countries and territories, except in Saudi Arabia (49%) and the USA (50%). Chinese people are among the most supportive of corporate advocacy to promote democracy (77%).
- Forty-three percent of people globally say companies should actively support LGBTQ+ rights, while 30 percent say companies should stay quiet and neutral, and 12 percent want companies to actively oppose. Only in Vietnam (57%), Sweden (53%), Spain (51%), and South Africa (51%) do slim majorities expect active corporate support for LGBTQ+ rights.
- Thirty-four percent of people globally say companies should actively support abortion rights, while 32 percent say companies should stay quiet and neutral, and 16 percent want companies to actively oppose. Sweden (52%) is the only country where a majority want corporate advocacy for women’s right to terminate a pregnancy.
Chris Coulter, GlobeScan CEO, reflects: “As we gather this week in Davos to discuss the global agenda during a time of great volatility and polarization, it is instructive to understand how clearly the global public wants companies to support policy action on climate change, the SDGs, democracy, and human rights issues. While there is an ongoing debate about ESG and so-called ‘wokeism,’ it is clear that society broadly sees a progressive role for business going forward.”
Methodology Summary
The GlobeScan Radar survey is a global survey conducted online among samples of 1,000 adults in each of 31 countries and territories (1,500 in USA, 500 each in Hong Kong, Kenya, Nigeria, and Singapore, and 850 in Egypt), weighted to reflect general population census data. The research was conducted during June and July of 2022 with a total of 29,293 participants.
Participating countries and territories include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam.
For more information, please contact:
Robin Miller, Manager, Communications & Digital Media , GlobeScan, Tel: +1 647-528-2767, robin.miller@globescan.com
