The term “sustainability” has come a long way since it first entered the spotlight.

In 1987, a United Nations (UN) report entitled “Our Common Future” introduced “sustainable development” as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In 2015, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established, with 17 ambitious goals and 169 targets to reduce poverty, fight inequality, and tackle climate change by 2030. The same year, world leaders signed the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Governments, businesses, and individuals now embrace sustainability as a guiding principle, yet the global community lags in delivering on these promises.

This collection of statistics, gathered from reputable sources, paints a clear picture of our current sustainability landscape, revealing both progress and persistent challenges. Whether you’re steering a company’s strategy, shaping policy, or making informed personal choices, these statistics offer valuable context for our collective sustainability journey.

Let’s explore the facts and figures shaping our planet’s future. Each statistic is a call to action. Understanding where we are is the first step in determining where we need to go.

The global challenge: Climate change and emissions

The urgent need for action on climate change is clear:

The top GHG emitters, China, the U.S., and India—contribute 42.6% of total emissions, while the bottom 100 countries account for only 2.9% (World Resources Institute, 2023). Meanwhile, 2023 was the hottest year on record, with global average temperatures 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels (World Meteorological Organization, 2024). And 2024 is on track to surpass that.

To limit warming to 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) must be cut by 43% by 2030 (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022). Failure to adapt to climate change could result in up to 4.4% of the world’s GDP being lost annually (S&P Global, 2024).

The stakes are high, but so is the potential for climate action to drive innovation and create a more resilient, sustainable future.

The environmental stakes: Natural resources and biodiversity

Climate change is just one facet of our environmental crisis:

• More than half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) relies on nature, highlighting its economic vulnerability to biodiversity loss (World Economic Forum, 2020).
• Up to 2 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction (PLoS, 2023).
• The world lost 3.7 million hectares (9.1 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest in 2023 (World Resources Institute, 2024).

Access to natural resources is also a pressing concern:

• 2.2 billion people, or 26% of the world’s population, lack access to safe drinking water (UN, 2023).
• By 2030, the global demand for freshwater is expected to exceed supply by 40% (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2023).

The good news is, protecting 30% of the planet’s oceans, lands, and freshwaters could safeguard 80% of species and secure 60% of carbon stocks (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 2022).

But because agricultural production is responsible for 80% of global deforestation and biodiversity loss (World Economic Forum, 2024) and food production causes 25-30% of GHG emissions (Our World in Data, 2021), we must spend $300 billion a year on the global food system by 2030 to make it sustainable (World Economic Forum, 2024).

The challenges of biodiversity loss, deforestation, and resource scarcity threaten both ecosystems and economic stability, underlining the urgent need for action.

The individual impact: Consumer behavior and sustainability awareness

Consumers are factoring sustainability into their purchasing decisions, reshaping markets and driving corporate action:

• 85% of consumers report experiencing firsthand the disruptive effects of climate change in their daily lives (PwC, 2024).
• 46% of consumers say they are buying more sustainable products to reduce their carbon footprint (PwC, 2024).
• Consumers are willing to pay an average of 9.7% more for sustainably produced or sourced goods, even with cost-of-living concerns (PwC, 2024).

Products with ESG-related claims accounted for 56% of all growth over the last 5 years, about 18% more than expected based on their initial market share (McKinsey and NielsenIQ, 2023).

Younger generations are particularly attune to sustainability:

• Gen Z and Millennial customers are 27% more likely to purchase products from a sustainable brand than older generations are (Harvard Business Review, 2023).
• 65% of consumers aged 18-30 prefer brands with strong sustainability credentials (Generation Investment Management, 2023).

The shift in individual behavior is a powerful force for change, and businesses that fail to respond risk being left behind.

The corporate response: Navigating the sustainability landscape

Businesses are implementing sustainability into their core operations to meet consumer and employee demands, mitigate risks, and comply with regulatory frameworks. The transition comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities.

Adapting to a changing regulatory landscape

• More than 50,000 companies worldwide are now required to disclose detailed ESG data under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability and Reporting Directive (European Union, 2024).
• More than 5,400 companies that make over $1 billion in annual revenue will be required to disclose their emissions by 2026 under California’s Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (Los Angeles Times, 2023).

Despite these requirements, 51% of directors say their board is sufficiently prepared to oversee forthcoming mandatory ESG disclosures, up from 25% in 2022 (PwC, 2023). Seventy-three percent of senior legal and risk leaders view ESG disputes as the biggest litigation risk for companies in 2024 (Baker MacKenzie, 2024).

Attracting and engaging talent through sustainability

Sustainability is increasingly important to job seekers and employees:

• 67% of job seekers are more willing to apply for and 68% are more willing to accept jobs from organizations they consider to be environmentally sustainable (IBM, 2022).
• 69% of employees want their companies to invest in sustainability efforts such as reducing carbon emissions, using renewable energy, and reducing waste (Deloitte, 2023).

Sixty-four percent of Gen Z and Millennial workers feel empowered to drive change within their organizations (Deloitte, 2024), yet only 30% of U.S. employees believe their organizations make a positive impact on people and the planet (Gallup, 2024). Fifty-nine percent of business leaders said “employee activism” influenced them to increase their sustainability efforts, with 24% describing the impact as “significant” (Deloitte, 2024).

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Driving business outcomes through sustainability

While 94% of investors believe sustainability reporting contains some level of unsupported claims, also known as “greenwashing” (PwC, 2023), there is growing recognition of the business benefits of sustainability:

• 75% of executives believe sustainability drives better business results, and 76% say sustainability is central to their business strategy (IBM, 2024).
• 73% of CEOs are committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 (Deloitte, 2023).
• As of July 2024, more than 5,760 companies and financial institutions have validated science-based targets (Science Based Targets initiative, 2024).

For every 10% increase in emphasis on material ESG concerns, a company’s value goes up by 1.4% (Wharton, 2024). Seventy-five percent of executives say their organizations have increased sustainability investments over the past year (Deloitte, 2023), as 61% say climate change will have a high impact on their strategy and operations over the next three years (Deloitte, 2023).

Businesses that effectively navigate the sustainability landscape will be better positioned to mitigate risks, drive innovation, and create long-term value.

The economic impact: Sustainable finance and circular economy

The push for bolder action on climate change is reshaping global finance and economic models:

• Global ESG assets under management are set to reach $40 trillion by 2030, representing more than a quarter of the funds managed (Bloomberg, 2024).
• Sustainable funds outperformed their traditional peers across all major asset classes and regions in 2023, generating median returns of 12.6% (Morgan Stanley, 2024).

The potential of the circular economy is also gaining attention:

• A circular economy could reduce global CO2 emissions by 39% by 2030 (Circle Economy Foundation, 2021).
• 80% of global plastic waste could be recycled by 2040 if circular economy principles are applied (UN Environment Programme, 2023).

More than 70% of M&A leaders from corporations with at least $500 million in revenue and private equity firms with at least $1 billion in AUM report abandoning potential acquisitions over ESG concerns (Deloitte, 2024). Sixty-two million metric tons of e-waste was generated globally in 2022, with a 32% increase expected in 2030 (UN Institute for Training and Research, 2024).

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👉 In this webinar, Christine Uri, founder of ESG In-house Counsel, discusses the role of sustainability in a company’s journey to go public. Nearly half of attendees said they believed corporate governance practices had the greatest impact on their company’s valuation.

The growth of ESG investments and the potential of the circular economy demonstrate the economic imperative of sustainability.

The technological solutions: Renewable energy and clean technology

Where there is innovation, there is hope. The rapid growth of renewables and other clean technologies demonstrates the potential for transformative change:

• Digital technologies could help reduce global carbon emissions by up to 20% by 2050 (Accenture and the World Economic Forum, 2022).
• 50% more renewable energy was added to global energy systems in 2023 than in 2022 (International Energy Agency, 2024).
• Renewable energy provided 30.3% of global power in 2023 (Ember, 2024).

Tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 would slash emissions in line with the 1.5°C warming limit but would require an average investment in the power system of $2 trillion a year beginning in 2024 (Climate Analytics, 2024). Electric vehicles will account for between 62-86% of new car sales globally by 2030 (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2023).

Sixty-four percent of executives agree that generative AI will be important for their sustainability efforts, with 73% saying they plan to invest more in the technology (IBM, 2024).

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👉 Watch as Jennifer Harrity, Director of the Sensiba Center for Sustainability, shares insights on building a winning corporate sustainability strategy. Sixty-four percent of attendees reported being “somewhat confident” in their organization’s ability to meet their ESG goals.

The rapid growth of renewables and clean technologies offers hope for a sustainable future, but realizing their potential will require significant investment and commitment.

If that feels like a lot to take in, Greenplaces is here to make sustainability easier and more accessible for businesses of all sizes. Our platform empowers you to measure, manage, and communicate your sustainability efforts effectively. Ready to turn these insights into action? Request a demo today.