Corporate leaders’ commitment to sustainability at record level

The attitude sub-index measuring the attitude of company leaders towards sustainability has reached a new record, which, according to the latest survey, increased by 5 points, standing at 72 points – the highest value measured since the launch of the K&H Sustainability Index (2022).

“The positive shift is not just symbolic: companies are increasingly consciously following international expectations and sustainability goals. Companies increasingly understand the economic significance of sustainability and recognize that long-term business success is unthinkable without environmental and social responsibility”

– commented on the survey by Levente Suba, Head of Sustainability at K&H.

The biggest positive developments: sustainability is important for young people

According to data from the first half of 2025, awareness of sustainability goals among business leaders has increased significantly. Eight out of ten decision-makers now know the EU’s carbon emission reduction targets precisely, the highest rate ever. The number of those who feel that the expectations related to carbon neutrality also apply to their own company has also increased significantly: this rate increased by more than 10 percentage points in six months, from 39 percent to 53 percent. However, the biggest jump was seen by business leaders in relation to their young employees: four-fifths of them believe that young people are now more willing to work for a place that pays attention to sustainability. In the previous survey, less than half of business leaders held this opinion.

Almost all respondents – 97 percent – ​​see sustainability not only as a moral or social issue, but also as a tangible business advantage. This attitude is also reinforced by the fact that it has now become an almost universal expectation that a company’s operations comply with the principles of sustainability: 96 percent of managers consider this important. Respondents are equally unanimous in their belief that sustainability represents value for investors and their consumers.

The attitude is already there – the actions follow

The attitude towards sustainability has not only become more conscious, but also more economically rational: the vast majority of company managers now see a competitive advantage in incorporating environmental and social aspects. In addition, the idea of ​​corporate responsibility is also becoming increasingly strong: according to respondents, regulatory pressure or consumer expectations are not enough – companies must also act from internal motivation.

More than two-thirds of them believe that in order to operate sustainably, the attitude within the organization must first undergo a radical transformation. The positive attitude is therefore a given, but most of all the letter E of ESG, i.e. the idea of ​​environmental sustainability, has become accepted and common in the attitude of companies, while the social responsibility subindex has fallen to its lowest point in the questionnaire taken between April 14 and May 12.

“It is an extremely positive development that company leaders are already in favor of sustainability in their minds. More and more decision-makers understand and believe that future business success cannot be imagined without taking sustainability goals into account. However, the peak of the attitude is only the first step – now the question is how to translate this approach into actual action and measurable results”

– said Levente Suba, K&H’s sustainability manager.