Global Corporate Survey 2025: ESG & Sustainability Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences

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Corporate Sustainability Leaders
Jessica Pransky
Jessica Pransky
Callum Millard
Callum Millard
Kim Knickle

Kim Knickle

14 Oct, 2025

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Executive Summary

This report helps sustainability executives benchmark their firms’ budgets, investment priorities and technology preferences relative to their global peer group. The data collected through the Verdantix survey also support strategic decision-making and business planning by executives at sustainability consulting and technology providers. The 2025 version of the ESG and sustainability corporate survey spans 33 countries and 15 industries. Our respondents were senior executives within dedicated ESG and sustainability functions, with 67% representing firms with revenues greater than $1 billion. Respondent data reveal that firms are rethinking their sustainability strategies once again, focusing on navigating regulatory uncertainty, building resilience, fostering organizational alignment and using technology to track and communicate progress.
Summary for decision-makers
Global survey reveals priorities and tech preferences of sustainability executives
Global survey features the perspectives of 400 executives across multiple industries and geographies
Organizations are adapting their sustainability strategies to address political uncertainty and leverage increased engagement
Firms are rethinking their sustainability strategies
Businesses are facing challenges and barriers to executing their sustainability strategies
CSOs gain visibility, while other functions’ involvement in sustainability continues to evolve
Despite uncertainty, sustainability budgets are increasing moderately, driven by regulations and stakeholder pressure
Reporting remains a key focus of sustainability spending, even in uncertain times
Firms’ digital maturity is growing, as more organizations move away from spreadsheets
Firms are showing an increased appetite for AI, although adoption remains modest
Figure 1. Survey respondent firm size (revenue) breakdown
Figure 2. Survey respondent geographical breakdown
Figure 3. Survey respondent industry breakdown
Figure 4. Level of ambition
Figure 5. Rationale for improving ESG and sustainability performance
Figure 6. Strategies to improve ESG and sustainability performance
Figure 7. The most urgent challenges facing sustainability ambition
Figure 8. Planned use of terminology
Figure 9. Organizational structure for the CSO
Figure 10. Executives responsible for funding ESG and sustainability strategy
Figure 11. Teams that collaborate with the sustainability function 
Figure 12. Planned change in spend on consulting services
Figure 13. Expected change in spend on commercial software
Figure 14. Corporate ESG and sustainability funding priorities
Figure 15. CSRD reporting status
Figure 16. Significance of ESG and sustainability rules and frameworks over the next two years
Figure 17. Managing ESG and sustainability use cases
Figure 18. Factors influencing software provider selection
Figure 19. Likelihood of continuing software provider relationship
Figure 20. AI adoption appetite
Figure 21. Barriers to AI adoption

About the Authors

Jessica Pransky

Jessica Pransky

Principal Analyst

Jessica is a Principal Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in providing insights to sustainability leaders and analysing ESG and sustainability reporting software. She advises ...

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Callum Millard

Callum Millard

Analyst

Callum is an Analyst at Verdantix, helping firms navigate the evolving ESG, sustainability, product innovation and product stewardship landscapes, to drive value creation and ...

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Kim Knickle

Kim Knickle

Research Director

Kim Knickle is a Research Director at Verdantix, bringing more than two decades of analyst experience to the evolving world of sustainability. Her current research spans ESG a...

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