"2025 was an extremely difficult year for corporate sustainability, especially in the U.S. Core priorities - from cutting carbon emissions and investing in clean tech to building inclusive workforces - were under constant attack, much of it from the government. At one point, the administration even tried to stop the construction of a giant offshore wind farm that was 80% done."
"Inside companies, sustainability leaders had to keep their heads down. Their departments saw reduced resources and clout, and a handful were shut down. But the biggest story of the year may be that there is a story: the sustainability work continued. In the U.S., talking a lot less about sustainability ("greenhushing") became the norm. Still, many adopted some British philosophy: keep calm and carry on ... quietly."
"Meanwhile, climate impacts escalated; political winds don't change actual winds. For example, part of Los Angeles burned to the ground (at an estimated cost of up to $250 billion) during unprecedented wildfires, historic heat baked India, Pakistan, and the EU, and devastating floods in Texas killed dozens of children. Scientists told us that climate change is " beyond scientific dispute," at " tipping points," and " extremely dangerous" (and that the world will blow past the 1.5C warming target)."
2025 saw intense political and regulatory pressure on corporate sustainability in the United States, with core priorities—cutting emissions, investing in clean tech, and building inclusive workforces—under attack and some programs shuttered. Many companies reduced public sustainability communication ("greenhushing") while continuing operational efforts quietly. Globally, corporate sustainability persisted despite U.S. setbacks, driven by worsening social and environmental conditions. Economic inequality soared with individuals amassing hundreds of billions and some firms reaching multitrillion-dollar valuations. Climate impacts escalated, including catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles, historic heat waves across India, Pakistan, and Europe, and deadly floods in Texas, reinforcing scientific warnings about tipping points.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]