CorpComms Magazine

Sustainability may have moved up the corporate business agenda but companies have yet to see a link between profits and sustainable performance, a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit claims.

The report, 'Managing for Sustainability', found just 24 per cent of companies thought there was a strong link between financial performance and commitment to sustainability in the short-term.

However, 69 per cent believed there was a 'strong link' over a longer-term period of between five and ten years.

The study of more than 200 financial and corporate responsibility executives found 86 per cent believed that operating sustainable environmental and employment policies were important, with 47 per cent describing sustainability as 'very important'.

Senior executives are key to driving sustainable policies. The survey found that, where sustainable policies are embedded, 54 per cent were driven by top management, covering corporate functions such as supply chain relationships, energy efficiency, educating employees and engaging staff in sustainability-related activities.

But 34 per cent admitted that their companies' immediate financial goals were a more pressing priority than sustainability. 

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