The term “sustainability” has come a long way since it was first coined in 1987 when a United Nations (UN) report titled 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 introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—17 ambitious goals and 169 targets that governments worldwide adopted to reduce poverty, combat inequality, and address climate change by 2030. The same year, world leaders signed the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Fast forward to 2025, and climate change is happening in an increasingly complex landscape. Companies are facing unprecedented challenges driven by shifting policies and market signals that are impacting climate action like federal rollbacks for key climate research and initiatives in the U.S., and uncertainty around the future of corporate sustainability. Meanwhile, extreme weather events continue to increase, signaling the dire consequences of not taking immediate action.

This collection of statistics provides a clear picture of the current sustainability landscape, revealing both progress and persistent challenges. Whether you’re steering your company’s strategy, shaping policy, or making informed personal choices, these insights 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 world hits new climate records and challenges

The urgent need for climate action has never been more clear.

2025 is on track to become the second-warmest year on record, following 2024. In April 2025, global average temperatures reached 1.22°C above pre-20th century levels, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Physical evidence of the climate crisis continues to mount. In the first month of 2025, Los Angeles experienced its most destructive wildfires in history during what should have been its rainy season. A recent study from World Weather Attribution concluded that the fires—which resulted in the destruction of over 10,000 homes—were made 35% more likely by climate change. That same report found that highly flammable drought conditions now last 23 more days every year, on average, than in the pre-industrial climate. The takeaway? Drought conditions are increasingly pushing into winter months.

Extreme weather across the globe could cause $145 billion in insured losses this year, according to the Swiss Re Institute. Hurricanes and earthquakes pose the biggest risks, potentially driving insured losses to $300 billion or more in a peak year. The responsibility lies greatly on top greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters—China, the U.S., and India—which contribute 42.6% of total global emissions; while the bottom 100 countries account for just 2.9%.

To limit warming to the 1.5°C threshold, global GHG emissions must be cut 42% by 2030 and 57% by 2035. Failure to adapt to climate change by 2050 would be devastating to the planet and the world economy, risking an annual plunge in global GDP of up to 4.4% according to S&P Global 500.

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

Policy shapes a divided landscape

On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed executive orders dismantling climate regulations and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. climate policy. Within two months of the administration change, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) halted its defense of the climate-risk disclosure rule in court—a rule previously finalized under the Biden administration.

As major U.S. banks and financial institutions exit climate initiatives, Europe was seemingly on track to strengthen its environmental regulations with the European Green Deal, which included the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) that would have required over 3,000 U.S. companies with EU operations to provide climate data. However, the European Commission proposed to scale back the reach and impact of CSRD in a recent omnibus package through reducing thresholds for corporate compliance.

The rollbacks under the new U.S. administration have created a fragmented playing field, placing the burden of progress on state-level actions and corporate leadership. California is at the forefront, having already introduced the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (i.e. SB253), which will require more than 5,400 companies that make over $1 billion in annual revenue to disclose their emissions by 2026.

Bills were also recently introduced in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, marking a growing trend of states taking climate action into their own hands even as federal rollbacks continue.

Corporate sustainability reaches critical mass

As the debate over corporate climate disclosure plays out in both U.S. and global policy, some of the world’s largest corporations are deepening their sustainability commitments. The Global 250 (G250)—representing the world’s largest companies by revenue—demonstrate how sustainability reporting and target-setting have become fundamental to business operations. According to KPMG’s Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2024:

• 95% of G250 companies publish carbon targets, up 15% since 2022
• 56% have designated sustainability leaders, up 11% since 2022
• 41% link sustainability to executive compensation, up 1% since 2022
• 77% adopt the Global Resources Institute’s (GRI) standards for reporting

Among Fortune 500 companies, 45% plan to be net zero by 2050—up from 39% last year and dramatically up from 8% since 2020. Companies are continuing their climate action—albeit more quietly than previous years—even amid federal rollbacks.

Source: Quiet Climate Action: Fortune Global 500 Climate Progress Continues (Climate Impact Partners, 2024)

In particular, alignment up and down the supply chain may help companies to meet their sustainability commitments. GM’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kristen Siemen, spoke with Greenplaces CEO Alex Lassiter in a recent webinar on how company commitments hinge on supply chain alignment and partnerships to reach ambitious carbon-neutral goals. Watch the on-demand recording here.

AI technology complicates the sustainability landscape

As societies increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure, the environmental footprint of our high-tech world expands significantly. In fact, nearly half of executives acknowledge AI has increased their carbon emissions.

It might come as a surprise that on average, one ChatGPT prompt requires nearly 10 times the electricity to process as a standard Google search. Meanwhile, data centers consume vast amounts of both energy and water:

• A single data center uses up to 5 million gallons of water daily for cooling
• On average, 20% to 30% of servers in large data centers are unused or obsolete but still consume electricity
• Deloitte predicts that data centers will consume 2% of global electricity in 2025, equivalent to Sweden’s total energy usage
• Companies’ in-house data centers produce up to 7.6x more carbon than publicly disclosed

Although many tech companies are embracing AI, they are also advancing sustainability strategies to win new customers, satisfy investor requirements, and navigate regulatory compliance.

Natural resources under mounting pressure

The energy and water demands of new technology add to existing resource challenges. Beyond emissions, the interconnected crisis of biodiversity loss and resource depletion threatens both ecosystems and economic stability. With more than half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) reliant on nature, environmental protection is a financial imperative.

These are a few of the warning signs:

The world lost 9.1 million acres of primary tropical forest in 2023, equivalent to an area about the size of Oregon. In 2024, the tropics lost a record-breaking 6.7 million hectares of primary rainforest, according to new data from the University of Maryland’s GLAD lab and published via the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Forest Watch platform.

This loss equates to approximately 18 football fields of forest disappearing every minute—almost double the rate recorded in 2023. And while deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon dropped 7% in 2024, degradation of the area rose 497%.

Meanwhile, over 4 billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water—more than double the global estimate made in 2020. By 2030, the global demand for freshwater is expected to exceed supply by 40%. That’s according to a recent report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. From the perspective of our shared habitat, nearly a third of species could face extinction by the end of the 21st century if emissions continue to rise at their current rate.

Despite the gloomy headlines, there are some bright spots. Protecting 30% of the planet’s oceans, lands, and freshwaters could safeguard 80% of species and secure 60% of carbon stocks. But because agricultural production is responsible for nearly 90% of global deforestation and biodiversity loss and food production contributes 25-30% of GHG emissions, we must spend $300 billion a year on the global food system by 2030 to make it sustainable.

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

Consumer priorities despite environmental and financial stresses

Real climate action is happening in everyday tiny acts. Eighty-five percent of consumers report experiencing the disruptive effects of climate change, driving more individual eco-friendly decisions being made every day. That’s according to PwC’s Voice of the Consumer Survey 2024.

The same survey found that consumers are also signaling their commitment to sustainability at the checkout counter, with 46% reporting that they are opting for goods that are sustainably produced or sourced to mitigate their impact on the environment. Consumers are willing to spend an average of 9.7% more for sustainable products. Sustainable products held 18.5% of the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) market in 2024, the largest single-year increase in the last five years.

The true cost of today’s apparel

The scale of sustainability challenges becomes particularly evident in sectors like apparel, where transformation requires unprecedented coordination across global supply chains. The data reveals the magnitude of the challenge. The fashion industry accounts for as much as 10% of global emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution. A few statistics to consider:

• For every five garments produced, the equivalent of three end up in a landfill or are incinerated every year
• Over 70% of the microplastics in the ocean are attributed to washing clothing made of synthetic fibers
• If unchecked, fashion could use 26% of the carbon budget associated with a 2C global warming limit

While over 160 apparel companies worldwide have made pledges to be net-zero by the year 2050, more than a quarter of the Fashion Pact have failed to set basic climate targets. For context, the Fashion Pact is the largest CEO-led initiative for sustainability in the fashion industry.

And although nearly 650 apparel companies have pledged science-based targets to reduce their carbon footprint, the growth of fast fashion brands is outpacing those commitments. Shein, for example, now holds 50% of the U.S. fast-fashion market share—twice its 2020 position—and its global emissions doubled in 2023 alone.

This is one area where states continue to lead on action. Last year, California passed the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (i.e. SB 707) to address the growing environmental impact of fast-fashion through an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program that would reduce textile waste.

Looking ahead: 2025 and beyond

Double materiality—a consideration of financial impacts and those on people and the environment—is gaining traction as companies worldwide prepare for stricter regulations in the European Union. Consider this:

• Half of G250 companies use double materiality assessments
• 73% of senior legal leaders viewed ESG as major litigation risk in 2024
• 75% of executives believe sustainability drives business results

Making sustainability accessible

Even in this complicated landscape, there are many strategies and opportunities—fueled by innovation and consumer demand—that can help you future-proof your organization. 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.