CEOs See United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals as Opportunity to Address Global Challenges, Redefine
Competitiveness and Transform Business
Eighty-seven percent of chief executive officers (CEOs) say the
United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent
an essential opportunity to rethink approaches to sustainability,
and nearly half (49 percent) say businesses will be the most
important actor in their delivery, according to a new study by the
UN Global Compact and Accenture (NYSE:ACN).
Launched today at the 2016 UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in
New York, the study, undertaken by Accenture Strategy and titled
The United Nations Global Compact-Accenture Strategy CEO Study
2016, Agenda 2030: A Window of Opportunity, finds business leaders
accepting a mandate to take the lead in solving societal
challenges. The survey of more than 1,000 CEOs, who are already
committed to sustainability through their participation in the UN
Global Compact, shows that they now see a unique opportunity to
reshape their industries and accelerate progress towards the
SDGs.
“The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals gives
companies a clear and universal roadmap to make global goals, local
business,” said Lise Kingo, Executive Director, United Nations
Global Compact. “CEOs are accepting a mandate for radical action,
and see a window of opportunity for transformation. At the UN
Global Compact, we will engage businesses globally with governments
and civil society on the SDGs, aiming to unleash the full potential
of the private sector to reshape the global economy and deliver the
world we want by 2030.”
More than 70 percent of the UN Global Compact CEOs surveyed
believe that the SDGs provide business with a framework to
restructure sustainability efforts, and 78 percent already see
opportunities to contribute to the global goals through their core
business. Nearly all (95 percent) feel a personal responsibility to
ensure their company has a core purpose and role in society, and 80
percent believe that demonstrating a commitment to societal purpose
is a differentiator in their industry.
“As globalization and digital disruption raise the bar for
business, CEOs around the world are embracing the opportunity to
transform how we live, work and play. They see the need to
reshape approaches and business models to support a responsible and
sustainable global economy,” said Peter Lacy, managing director,
Accenture Strategy. “These CEOs acknowledge digital technologies
will play a key part in this transformation, redefining
competitiveness in many industries. Managed in the interests of
both business and society, digital advances make it possible to
unleash radical innovation to create value and deliver the UN
Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
In fact, three-quarters of CEOs (75 percent) report that digital
technologies enable more sustainable business models such as the
circular economy.
To accelerate progress, CEOs identify three critical
requirements. First, an urgent need to expand coalitions and
partnerships across business, government and civil society to drive
greater ambition and achievement on key sustainability issues,
including human rights, labor standards, the environment, and
anti-corruption. Second, more action at the local level, working
with national governments to develop and implement action plans to
achieve the SDGs. And third, innovation in new digital technologies
and new business models that can enable business to have a greater
impact on global challenges.
Making global goals, local business
This year’s results mark a sea change from the results of the
2013 CEO Study, when respondents expressed a sense of frustrated
ambition in their efforts to become more sustainable. Although CEOs
emphasize the need to overcome significant challenges, the study
finds business leaders making progress in embedding sustainability
across their business.
More than two-thirds of the UN Global Compact CEOs surveyed (69
percent) report that sustainability issues are already part of
board-level discussions, and 64 percent say these issues play a
central role in their strategic planning and business development.
A majority of CEOs (59 percent) also report that their company can
accurately quantify the business value of their sustainability
initiatives, up from 38 percent in 2013. Looking beyond their own
companies, the CEOs say progress is being replicated across their
industries, and 89 percent say commitment to sustainability is
translating into a real impact on their industry.
Reshaping global markets
Despite strong progress in embedding sustainability into
corporate strategy and operations, executives still see significant
challenges in bringing about the changes that can reshape global
markets for sustainability. In particular, business leaders find it
difficult to align market incentives to accelerate action. While 88
percent of CEOs believe that greater integration of sustainability
issues will be essential to make progress on sustainability, just
10 percent say investor pressure is a top factor driving action in
their company.
Among CEOs of the world’s largest companies, those with annual
revenues in excess of US$1 billion, commitment and action is even
more pronounced with 76 percent of them already engaging investors
on the value of sustainability to their business. Similarly,
80 percent believe they have the skills and capabilities to take
action on the SDGs.
As CEOs prioritize critical actions to accelerate the
achievement of the SDGs, 86 percent of them say standardized
metrics are needed so companies can measure and track their impact
on global goals; and 85 percent identify the importance of
partnerships with governments, NGOs and international organizations
that connect businesses with local communities. Similarly, 84
percent call for more local collaboration with national governments
on SDG Action Plans that include clear incentives and
accountability frameworks for business.
Methodology
The UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study represents more than a
decade of research on sustainable business. The study includes
in-depth conversations with the world’s leading CEOs, 250 of which
have participated in one-to-one interviews since 2007, and a survey
of UN Global Compact participant companies across more than 150
countries and 30 industry sectors. The study traces the development
of corporate motivations in engaging with environmental, social and
governance issues in their core business. In 2016, more than 1,250
survey responses were received across business, academia, civil
society and NGOs, including 1,012 CEOs of UN Global Compact
participant companies in 108 countries and across 26 industries.
In-depth interviews were conducted with more than 50 CEOs,
including those of the world’s largest companies.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest
delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business
and technology to help clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders. With
approximately 373,000 people serving clients in more than 120
countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world
works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Accenture Strategy operates at the intersection of business and
technology. We bring together our capabilities in business,
technology, operations and function strategy to help our clients
envision and execute industry-specific strategies that support
enterprise wide transformation. Our focus on issues related to
digital disruption, competitiveness, global operating models,
talent and leadership help drive both efficiencies and growth. For
more information, follow @AccentureStrat or visit
www.accenture.com/strategy.
About the United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies
everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten
universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights,
labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in
support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable
Development Goals. The UN Global Compact is a leadership platform
for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible
corporate policies and practices. Launched in 2000, it is largest
corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with over 8,500
companies and 4,000 non- business signatories based in 165
countries. www.unglobalcompact.org.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160623005143/en/
AccentureBarbara Lyon, +
1-703-947-1838barbara.d.lyon@accenture.comorUN Global
CompactMargaret Fenwick, + 1-646-884-7531+ 1-917-678-4161
(mobile)mfenwick@ungloblalcompact.org
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024