Key Takeaways
- Experts are increasingly critical of how key actors are contributing to sustainable development, with sharp drops in ratings for social movements, NGOs, and multi-sector partnerships.
- Governments and business are seen to underperform. National governments receive the lowest score, with only 5 percent of experts rating their contributions as excellent. The private sector also sees its lowest rating since 2012.
- Increasing faith in evidence-based leadership. In contrast, academic and research organizations are viewed more favorably, with half of experts now rating their contributions positively – highlighting a shift toward evidence-based leadership.
Sustainability at a Crossroads, a survey of 844 sustainability experts across 72 countries conducted by GlobeScan together with ERM and Volans, reveals a pivotal inflection point in the evolution of the global sustainability agenda.
Survey results show that experts are increasingly critical of how key actors are performing in advancing sustainable development. Ratings have dropped most sharply for social movements (down 21 percentage points), NGOs (down 16 points), and multi-sector partnerships (down 15 points). National governments receive the lowest score overall, with only 5 percent of experts rating their contributions as excellent. The private sector also sees its lowest performance rating since tracking began in 2012, with just 14 percent of experts viewing its efforts positively. In contrast, academic and research institutions are gaining recognition, with half of experts now rating their contributions positively.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
These findings reflect a broader crisis of confidence in the institutions traditionally seen as drivers of sustainable development. As experts grow more critical of governments, NGOs, social movements, and corporate actors, a clear message emerges: current approaches are not delivering the scale or speed of change needed to meet today’s environmental and social challenges. The rise in credibility for academic and research institutions suggests a shift in expectations toward actors that are seen as less politicized, more evidence-driven, and better equipped to develop innovative, systems-level solutions.
This analysis is based on a survey of 844 sustainability practitioners across 72 countries globally. To learn more about how sustainability experts believe we can best navigate this crucial inflection point in the evolution of the global sustainability agenda, explore our recent report: Sustainability at a Crossroads.
Survey Question: How would you rate the performance of each of the following types of organizations in terms of its contribution to progress on sustainable development since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio? Please use a scale where 1 is “poor” and 5 is “excellent.”
