Key Takeaways
- Global South momentum: Corporate Affairs professionals in Africa and Latin America report that political pressure is reinforcing ESG commitments, with over half seeing increased engagement in both regions.
- Polarization in the Global North: In stark contrast, North America shows significant ESG retrenchment, with half reporting reduced commitment due to political pressure. Europe also shows signs of pullback, though less pronounced.
- Fragmented ESG landscape: These regional divergences signal a growing need for companies to tailor their ESG strategies to local political climates and reinforce the business case for ESG in markets facing headwinds.
The Corporate Affairs Academy at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and GlobeScan have been partnering since 2019 to deliver enhanced insight into the roles, responsibilities, challenges, opportunities, and themes facing leading global Corporate Affairs professionals around the world through its annual Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs Survey report.
The research reveals that there are stark regional differences in how Corporate Affairs professionals say political pressure has been influencing ESG commitments over the last 12 months. In Africa and Latin America, a majority report increased ESG commitment (58% and 55%, respectively), suggesting that political dynamics in these regions are reinforcing sustainability agendas. Asia-Pacific shows a more mixed picture, with one-third seeing political pressure leading to increased commitment and nearly one-fifth instead noting reductions. In contrast, Corporate Affairs professionals in North America, and to a lesser extent in Europe, report higher levels of ESG retrenchment due to political pressure. In North America, half of respondents say that political pressure has led to reduced commitments, with one-third noting the same in Europe.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
These findings underscore a growing divergence in the global ESG landscape, particularly in how political pressures are shaping corporate commitments. In the Global South, political momentum is fueling stronger sustainability engagement, while in the Global North, backlash and regulatory uncertainty are tempering corporate ambition, especially in North America. For global companies, this creates a more fragmented ESG environment that demands regionally adaptive strategies. It also highlights the need to reinforce the business case for ESG in markets facing the strongest political headwinds.
The sixth annual Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs Survey report will be published in July, providing the latest overview of opinions, trends, and challenges through the lens of Corporate Affairs practitioners. The report captures the views and insights of 245 senior Corporate Affairs professionals who were surveyed between February and March 2025 on issues and themes relevant to their function.
Survey Question: Looking at the last 12 months, to what extent are you seeing a change in ESG commitments due to political pressure?
Source: Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs Survey (survey of 245 Corporate Affairs practitioners in February ‒ March 2025)
