By Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General Imagine walking for miles under a scorching desert sun just to get a mobile signal, a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of refugees in southeastern Ethiopia. Or accepting payments for your fledgling start-up using mobile money, a boon for financial inclusion in countries like Rwanda. Or streaming a
Key Impact Points 1. ESG Under Pressure — But Commitment Matters Corporate sustainability leaders know implementing effective carbon transition plans is no easy task — yet it has never been more important. Building realistic and actionable processes is vital to meeting disclosure standards, delivering on corporate commitments, and creating tangible
Key Impact Points: European Commission Adopts Voluntary Standard for SMEs The European Commission has adopted the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs (VSME), designed to make it easier for smaller businesses to report ESG data and respond to requests from financial institutions and large companies. Developed by the European Financial
Key Points A New Resource for Inclusive Business The United Nations Global Compact has unveiled the Non-Discrimination and Equality Analysis Tool, a self-assessment platform designed to help companies evaluate and advance workplace equality. The user-friendly, anonymous tool guides businesses through thirteen performance areas, identifying gaps, tracking progress, and embedding equality
Key Impact Points: Most US Companies See Sustainability as a Strategic Edge The 2025 US Business Sustainability Landscape Outlook survey by EcoVadis of 400 US-based global executives reveals that most companies view sustainability not just as a values-based pursuit but as a critical business strategy. According to the report, “The
by Tim Mohin John Elkington dubbed this year the “sustainability recession.” One thing worth remembering is recessions always end. There are early signs that the sustainability recession is ending, and the practice is emerging more focused, agile, and pragmatic. The majority of surveys and corporate research released this year have
Key Impact Points:• Kimberly-Clark becomes first UK consumer goods firm to sign long-term green hydrogen deals• Over £125M ($165M) invested to build green hydrogen plants at two UK manufacturing sites• Initiative aims to cut natural gas use by 50% and reduce CO₂ emissions by 28,500 tonnes annually by 2027 Kimberly-Clark
Key Impact Points: Global Push to Strengthen Biodiversity Risk Supervision UNDP’s Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF), the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and KPMG have launched a new global capacity-building programme, NATURE-INSURE, aimed at helping insurance supervisors tackle the growing threat of biodiversity and ecosystem risks to financial systems. As
Key Impact Points: Microsoft Launches Global Supplier Sustainability Push “Microsoft is not doing this work because decarbonization is easy; we are doing it because it is necessary.” — Will Hudson, Director of Energy & Sustainability Policy, Microsoft That message opened Microsoft’s first Global Supplier Sustainability Summit, held in Singapore this
1. Sustainability isn’t fluff—it fuels business value 2. They’re doing more—but talking less 3. ESG isn’t just ethical—it’s financial 4. Regulatory uncertainty isn’t deterring action Why should you care? Bottom line The statistic isn’t just a headline—it reflects a powerful shift: most large companies view sustainability as a strategic investment.
