What do CEO's say about sustainability? (Part 1)

My boss (Ernst Ligteringen, GRI Chief Executive) handed me a publication by the consultancy McKinsey & Co today - he picked it up at the recent Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva. Its an interesting look at how tides are definitely changing in the mainstream business community. I will feature a few of the most interesting findings over the next few days.

400 Cheif Executive Officers of leading companies worldwide were surveyed about the emerging new rules of competition.

Question: Percent of CEO's that believe society has higher expectations for business to take on public responsibilities (environmental and social) than five years ago: 97% of CEO's from public companies, and 91% of CEO's from private companies agree.

When asked to motivate this, the CEO's cited the rapid erosion of public trust in companies as one indicator that expectations have and will continue to change. Another factor was the shifting emphasis on the creation of long-term shareholder value - and the need to maintain or boost their legitimacy in socitey as one key way to ensure this.