Sustainability-related inquiries from investors and shareholders are part of the new trends, according to a group of surveyed executives.
Ernst & Young LLP and GreenBiz Group conducted a survey in late 2012 of executives and other sustainability-minded thought leaders, asking the group what growing corporate sustainability trends they are seeing this year. After analyzing 282 responses from representatives of 17 different industry sectors, a list of six top sustainability trends was created.
Of these six trends, I’m most intrigued by the fact that investors and shareholders are asking more sustainability-related questions than they have in the past. While top-down goals are a good sign of sustainability-minded leadership, demand from stakeholders can lead businesses to adopt sustainability goals and programs at a more rapid pace.