Insight of the Week

Featured Insight

• Top Sustainability Developments in 2025: Legislation, Renewables, and Nature-Based Solutions Lead

  

  Key Takeaways

  • Legislation continues to drive the agenda in 2025: Regulatory action remains the most influential force shaping sustainability progress, according to experts.
  • Clean energy momentum: Renewables and low-carbon developments are accelerating the transition to a net-zero future.
  • Nature-based solutions: Climate and biodiversity initiatives are also vital components of global strategies.

  New research from GlobeScan and ERM, based on insights from nearly 400 global sustainability experts, reveals what developments are seen as having had the most positive impact on the sustainability agenda in 2025.

  Legislation remains the most significant driver of progress, cited by 18 percent of experts, even though its perceived importance has declined compared to 2024 when it was cited by 33 percent of experts. Regulatory action continues to set the pace for change, creating frameworks that drive accountability and progress. Experts also point to renewables and low-carbon technologies (14%) and climate and nature-based solutions (13%) as critical forces accelerating momentum. Sustainability disclosure standards, in contrast, have seen a notable decline in influence compared to last year (down to 12% compared to 19% in 2024), signaling a shift toward implementation and tangible outcomes.

  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  The transition is still underway, even amid backlash. While it has slowed somewhat, legislative momentum continues to shape priorities, making it critical for organizations to integrate policy trends into strategy. Renewable energy and low-carbon technologies are creating cost advantages and accelerating decarbonization, while nature-based solutions are no longer peripheral but instead are now essential for climate resilience and carbon removal. These are key levers of progress as companies strive to make sustainability a core driver of business and focus on tangible actions and impact (see the characteristics of leadership in our insight from last week).

  The GlobeScan / ERM Sustainability Institute Leaders Survey identifies the most urgent priorities shaping today’s global sustainable development agenda. The 2025 edition explores sustainability leadership across the private sector and civil society, while tracking how priority issues evolve over time and highlighting notable shifts in their perceived importance. This year’s survey was conducted between August and October 2025 and reflects insights from 391 sustainability experts across 57 countries.

  Survey Question: Over the past 12 months, what has been the most significant positive action or development related to the sustainability agenda? This action or development may have come from the public sector, civil society, business, finance and investment, or any other part of society.

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