Highlights

• Business executives continue sustainability investments despite reduced shareholder pressure.
• AI and technology solutions are widely used to improve operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
• Extreme weather events influence corporate strategies and make sustainability initiatives important for long-term planning.

Despite a decline in pressure from shareholders and growing political resistance, business executives continue to give increased attention to sustainability initiatives.

A recent Deloitte survey of more than 2,100 C-suite executives notes that sustainability and climate change were among the top three business concerns for 45% of respondents, alongside technology adoption and artificial intelligence (AI).

In the last few years, 83% of executives reported that their organisations upped investments in sustainability.

Read More: KPMG: CEOs Bet on AI, Sustainability for Energy Transition

Technology solutions emerged as the most common method for advancing sustainability goals. Companies increasingly combine AI and sustainability, using AI tools to improve operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Around four out of five respondents reported using AI in sustainability initiatives, with two-thirds targeting operating emissions. For many companies, sustainability projects also support revenue generation, which is followed by compliance with regulations and industry standards.

The survey noted that climate-related risks are affecting business operations. Extreme weather events, according to one-third of companies, disrupted their business, thereby making sustainability programmes a practical decision rather than a symbolic one.

Amelia DeLuca, Chief Sustainability Officer at Delta Air Lines, explained that initiatives continue because they make business sense, which helps them last over time.

Although overall attention remains, certain sustainability practices have slowed. Compared with 2024, fewer executives reported tying senior leadership compensation to sustainability performance, enforcing supplier sustainability standards, investing in renewable energy, creating sustainable products, or adopting energy-efficient technologies.

Pressure from stakeholders—including shareholders, boards, governments, customers, and employees—has dropped. In 2022, 71% of respondents felt pressure from shareholders, falling to 58% in 2025. A small number of stakeholders even started pushing for less sustainability action.

Also Read: Closing the ESG ‘Do-Say’ Gap: Profit and Decarbonization Lead the Way

All in all, sustainability continues to be at the forefront of corporate agendas, buoyed by AI applications, technology solutions, and climate-related risks. Although some specific measures are declining, executives view sustainability as part of long-term business planning.

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