At just about every turn, businesses are hitting headwinds. Economic growth has stalled in the face of stubbornly high prices, elevated borrowing rates and geopolitical uncertainty. In this more anxious climate, backlash has brewed against companies’ ESG (environmental, social and governance), CSR (corporate social responsibility) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) commitments, with critics arguing that they divert resources from driving core business and shareholder value.
We set out to understand executive commitment to CSR investments in the mid-2020s, against this backdrop of internal pressures, external pushback and other business challenges. We surveyed 500 senior leaders from VP to C-suite level in the U.S. and U.K. about their stance on and plans for social impact in the current climate and its potential return on investment.
The findings reveal that, despite news headlines, the majority of senior leaders are planning to invest more in CSR in the coming year, not less. And they’re focusing on smarter strategy and ROI to ensure those investments translate to business value.
