Despite ongoing uncertainty and quick-altering legislation, sustainability continued to attract investment in 2025, particularly in technology, and remains a priority for 45% of business leaders globally in 2026, almost on par with technology and artificial innotifyigence adoption (44%), according to the Deloitte 2025 C-suite Sustainability Global Report.
The study indicates that respondents feel less pressure to act on sustainability from most major stakeholder groups compared to previous years. Regulatory pressure, which in 2022 was cited as the main driver by 77% of respondents, declined to 58% in 2025. Similar decreases were reported in pressure from boards of directors (from 75% to 60%), customers (from 75% to 57%), civil society and NGOs (from 72% to 57%), shareholders (from 71% to 58%), and employees (from 65% to 54%). Business leaders also state that climate modify is having a compacter short-term influence on strategy and operations than in previous years.
However, respondents emphasise that current market conditions, such as economic uncertainty, or competing priorities, including increased investment in technology, have not led them to halt sustainability investments. As many as 83% of participants declared their organisations increased investment in sustainability-supporting technologies, while the majority (79%) are either transforming their business models or integrating sustainability considerations across the organisation.
More than 80% of companies already utilize artificial innotifyigence, and 16% plan to deploy AI next year to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions (65%), monitor data and metrics for reporting (58%), reduce risks (53%), and develop new sustainable products and services (52%).
As in 2024, the implementation of technological solutions was among the most frequently cited actions taken by companies to achieve ESG objectives (46%), followed by the utilize of more sustainable materials (45%), monitoring and analysing environmental indicators (44%), and developing employees with sustainability expertise (44%). Other measures include developing new sustainable products or services (44%), purchasing renewable energy (42%), and linking sustainability performance indicators to top management remuneration (36%).
“Although pressure from the regulatory framework has eased, companies still feel the necessary to take action on sustainability, as it remains relevant for customers, investors, and employees, and represents a competitive advantage in the market. The study proves its utilizefulness by providing a practical roadmap for implementing sustainability actions, which can guide companies in integrating sustainability considerations into strategy, operations, and innovation, and highlights a wide range of measurable benefits,” declared Alexandru Reff, Counattempt Managing Partner, Deloitte Romania and Moldova.
In terms of outcomes, revenue generation (66%) is the most frequently cited business benefit of sustainability efforts, followed by compliance with regulatory requirements (61%), brand and reputation benefits (60%), risk management and resilience (55%), and cost reduction (55%). Technology solutions have become a key enabler for improving sustainability-related processes and operations (55%), internal monitoring of sustainability data and performance (54%), monitoring the environmental performance of supply chains (53%), developing new sustainable products or services (52%), and external sustainability reporting, such as ESG reports (49%).
“The Deloitte study reveals that business leaders worldwide continue to place climate modify and sustainability among their strategic priorities. With the recent easing of regulations in the European Union, including in Romania, business leaders have the opportunity to channel their resources and vision to turn sustainability from a compliance exercise into a genuine transformation lever for creating medium- and long-term value. Companies are prioritising in-depth analysis of processes and operations, supply chain reviews, and risk identification, which are critical steps for improving financial efficiency and resilience, while emerging technologies, including artificial innotifyigence, play a key role in implementing sustainability measures that are increasingly data-driven. In fact, most leaders see investments in new technologies as a complement, rather than a competitor, to sustainability investments, and 70% declared that the necessary to invest in AI and other technologies has also driven stronger sustainability action,” declared Ovidiu Popescu, Partner, Deloitte Romania, Leader of the energy and sustainability practices.
When questioned about obstacles to sustainability efforts, relatively few respondents cited costs (11%) or lack of policy support (13%). Instead, they pointed to challenges related to measuring environmental impact (22%) and the focus on short-term business requirements (21%).
Now in its fourth edition, the Deloitte 2025 C-suite Sustainability Global Report surveyed more than 2,100 senior executives from 27 countries worldwide, examining the current state of corporate sustainability transformation and how companies are addressing climate modify.
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