Chris Coulter (GlobeScan), John Elkington (Volans) and Mark Lee (ERM) were joined by guest panelists Peggy Liu (JUCCCE), Susan Njoroge (Responsible Business Consulting Limited) and Rianne Buter (Unilever) for our Routes to Transformation webinar.
GlobeScan, ERM, and Volans research finds that 55 percent of sustainability experts want greater generational change, 50 percent see leadership as too Global North-led, and 49 percent want more attention to social and economic priorities.
New GlobeScan research among 610 sustainability experts in 57 countries finds that 69 percent say moral arguments are less effective than they were five years ago, and 64 percent say sustainability progress is now driven by crisis and disruption rather than planned collective action. Only 8 percent disagree that moral framing has lost force, and 43 percent say progress is harder now than it has ever been.
Sustainability experts are increasingly questioning whether current approaches can deliver the scale of change needed and calling for a fundamental rethink of the agenda.
New research from GlobeScan, ERM, and Volans, reveals growing calls to radically revise the sustainability agenda, as experts confront backlash, political instability, and a persistent gap between ambition and delivery.
New GlobeScan-ERM-Volans research among 610 sustainability experts in 57 countries tracks how significant the backlash against the sustainability agenda, including ESG, is by region from 2024 to 2026. North America remains the most affected region at 84 percent, but Europe has climbed steadily from 59 percent in 2024 to 77 percent in 2026, while perceived backlash remains elevated in Latin America and is gradually rising in Asia-Pacific.
New GlobeScan research among 610 sustainability experts in 57 countries finds that 59 percent say the current approach to sustainability must be radically revised, up from 56 percent in 2025. A further 36 percent want modest revision, and only 4 percent say the current approach works well as it is. With 95 percent calling for change of some kind, patience with incremental progress is running out.
Discover what nearly 400 sustainability experts say were the most impactful actions in 2025; legislation, renewables, and nature-based solutions top the list.
Discover what nearly 400 sustainability experts see as the strongest signals of sustainability leadership and measurable proof of impact, followed by action across the supply chain.
The Sustainability at a Crossroads 2025 Report created by the ERM Sustainability Institute, GlobeScan, and Volans examines the current state of the global sustainability agenda.