People, Planet & Profit
How the World's Most Admired Companies prioritize ESG
Korn Ferry surveyed over 700 senior executives from the World's Most Admired Companies in 2022 and learned what these companies are doing to prioritize ESG.
As part of our yearly partnership with FORTUNE magazine, we surveyed over 700 senior executives from the World's Most Admired Companies in 2022, as well as leaders from other similar organizations.
The huge response we received showed that ESG (environmental, social and governance) and sustainability are top of mind for companies across the globe.
Here's what we found.
1 They see ESG as driving value rather than draining profits
The Most Admired Companies don't view ESG as just another expense. They see it as a key way of adding value to a business. For 35% of them, ESG is so important that it's creating a dramatic increase in their organization's long-term value.
2 Their leaders are taking accountability
- 93% have connected ESG efforts to their broader organizational purpose.
- 87% say their senior leaders are prepared to lead their ESG strategy.
- 72% have revisited their operating model based on their ESG strategy.
- 62% tie annual or long-term executive reward to ESG.
3 They're integrating ESG across their ecosystem
- Supply chain diversity:
64% rate their supply chain diversity as industry leading or above average. - Supply chain sustainability:
72% rate the sustainability of their supply chain as industry leading or above average. - Supply chain circularity:
42% have a strategy in place for this, with resources assigned. 26% say they are advanced, with a strategy in execution.
4 But they know there's more work to be done to achieve their goals
- 64% plan to update their organizational structure to meet the needs of their ESG transformation.
- 57% say their culture will need to change to support the execution of their ESG strategy.
- 47% say their organization most needs to focus on the "E" (environment) part of ESG.
- 39% of senior executives say their ESG and Sustainability strategies are currently mature
- 73% see themselves as having mature strategies in 5 years' time.
Increasing ESG maturity with Korn Ferry
With a strong partner by your side, you can change your organization for good. With our diagnostic, you'll get a snapshot of your maturity level. You'll see a clear view of exactly where you're at, with a detailed perspective of your people and organizational ecosystem that drives ESG and sustainability results, helping you to map the path ahead.
If you’re interested in partnering with us to help your organization on its ESG and Sustainability journey, you can access more information here.
To find out more about what the World’s Most Admired Companies are doing for ESG and Sustainability, read the eBook ESG gets real.
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