Sustainable businesses get confident

Companies that fully embed sustainability into their core strategy are 40% more confident about smashing their business goals than those still treating it like a bolt-on.

The fifth EY Long-Term Value and Corporate Governance Survey lifts the lid on just how big the gap is between the leaders and the laggards.

It finds that while most businesses are feeling the heat—from investors (91%) and activists (78%)—only 27% have actually woven sustainability into the fabric of what they do.

The rest? Still stuck in silo mode or winging it with no proper strategy at all.

Julie Linn Teigland from EY puts it plainly: “By embedding sustainability at the heart of decision-making and leveraging the latest technologies to drive change, businesses not only bolster resilience but also position themselves for success.”

And the numbers back her up.

These so-called “Sustainability Integrators” aren’t just more confident—they say their boards are 1.5 times more effective at delivering sustainability goals.

Just 6% of them have taken a public beating in the press for greenwashing or falling short. That figure jumps to 39% for everyone else.

Even more revealing: when times get tough, most firms (57%) say sustainability is first on the chopping block. But among the Integrators, that drops to just 4%.

They’re also far more likely to get green projects through the boardroom—94% say they’re getting the sign-offs they need, compared to just 28% of their peers.