21/10/2010
Sustainable development at the centre of business strategies
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In the future, no business will be able to get by without a good and healthy sustainable development strategy, according to the findings of a global survey by Accenture of heads of businesses that have signed up to the United Nations Global Compact. Despite economic turbulence on a scale not seen for a century, the engagement of businesses in sustainable development remains very high: 93% of CEOs estimate that sustainable development will represent an essential ingredient in the success of their business in the next few years. The financial crisis has further increased the importance of sustainable development for 80% of business leaders. 81% of heads already say that sustainable development is an integral part of their strategy, compared with only 50% in 2007. As reasons for their engagement in sustainable development, nearly three quarters of heads point to brand reputation and trust. Then come potential for growth, cost reduction, employee motivation, and client expectations. In the next five years, new technologies will play a central role in the deployment of new sustainable objectives, more than 90% of business heads say.
