Results of the second annual 2011 Gibbs & Soell Sense & Sustainability Study found that Fortune 1000 executives are confident about their own green efforts but join the general public in ongoing skepticism of corporate America’s commitment to sustainability. The majority (88%) of executives report their companies are “going green.” However, only 29% of executives and 17% of consumers believe that a majority of businesses are committed to sustainability. Other study findings include:
• The plurality of both executives (53%) and consumers (50%) believe that only “some” businesses are committed to sustainability.
• Most executives cite insufficient return on investment (70%) and consumers’ unwillingness to pay a premium for green products or services (66%) as the primary obstacles to more businesses “going green.”
• While three-quarters of executives (75%) say their companies have people responsible for sustainability, most have only added responsibilities for green efforts to the primary duties of a team of individuals (37%), or a C-suite or another senior level position (19%). Only about 1 in 10 (11%) report their company has a C-suite or other senior level title/position dedicated solely to sustainability.
• One-quarter (25%) note there is no one at their company who is responsible for “going green” initiatives.
Source: Gibbs & Soell/Harris Interactive