It’s no secret that 2025 was perceived as the year of ESG pullback. I myself am guilty of using phrases like “ESG retreat.” After all, it’s hard not to feel pessimistic when ESG laws were delayed, canceled, or scaled back across North America and Europe. However, the story we often hear about ESG being on the decline doesn’t necessarily bear out in the data. Workvia’s recent 2026 Executive Benchmark Survey reveals that sustainability disclosures and initiatives are going strong. What’s more, companies are citing the business value of sustainability as the primary driver of sustained efforts:
“Many companies continue to disclose despite regulatory shifts because there are business reasons to do so, and institutional investors are incorporating that data into investment decisions.* The most popular driver of companies’ sustainability efforts is financial performance and profitability (30%).”
Just how many companies have scaled back ESG reporting? The survey finds that only 3% of respondents paused or reduced sustainability communications and initiatives. Meanwhile, 47% report communicating more openly on sustainability topics. So, where is the disconnect, and why is the public perception that ESG and sustainability are shrinking? The answer may lie in another datapoint. The survey revealed that 43% of respondents are more cautious about external communications, while continuing to advance sustainability initiatives internally. While the numbers don’t indicate a large-scale ESG dropoff, they do indicate a substantial number of companies being quiet on ESG. This is replacing an environment of enthusiasm with a void of silence, making sustainability appear more fragile than it is. However, the truth is that companies are still finding enough value in ESG to pursue it, even when it doesn’t come with all the public relations perks it used to.
Our members can learn more about ESG business value here.
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