2025年引领变革突破障碍：推动欧洲可持续商业转型白皮书（英文版）-凯捷Capgemini

LeadtheChange

Pushingpastroadblocks

todrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

thechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

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Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

Contents

Executivesummary

04

Keytakeawaysforleaders

06

Aboutthestudy

10

01Decodingsustainability:amultidimensionalconcept

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02Navigatingsustainablebusinesstransformation:roadblocksandpainpoints

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2.1Roadblock#1:Fragmentedvision

2.2Roadblock#2:Riskandcompliancemyopia

2.3Roadblock#3:Executiondiscomfort2.4Roadblock#4:Small-scalethinking

2.5Roadblock#5:Resourcemisalignment

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03Atwo-prongedapproachforsuccessfultransformations

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Foundationaldrivers:buildingthebedrockforsustainablebusinesstransformations

3.1Visionaryleadership

3.2Opportunity-orientedstrategy3.3StrategicCFOengagement

3.4Revisitedsuccessmetrics

3.5Empoweredmiddlemanagement

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Transformationalaccelerators:

fast-trackingsustainablesuccess

3.6Digitalleverage

3.7Innovatingforsustainablebusinessmodels

3.8Ecosystemplay

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04Lookingahead:acceleratingthepaceofchange90Acknowledgements94

3

Executivesummary

Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

Intoday’srapidlychangingworld,theurgencyto

maintainfocusonsustainabilityhasneverbeengreat-er.Whilethetripleplanetarycrisisofclimatechange,biodiversityloss,andpollutiondemandsimmediate

action,newchallengessuchasgeopoliticalconflicts,inflation,energysecurityconcerns,andtherapidriseofAItechnologiesthreatentodistractbusinesslead-ersfromtheirsustainabilitycommitments.Thestakesarehigh:ifwelosefocusnow,thelong-termconse-

quenceswillnotonlyimpacttheenvironmentbutalsotheresilienceofbusinessesandeconomiesalike.

YetlessthanhalfoftheEuropeancompanieswe

surveyedareconfidenttheywillmeettheirnet-

zerotargetsontime.Thisreflectsabroaderissue:

businessesarestrugglingtotranslateambitionintomeaningfulaction.Thefivemajororganizational

roadblocksstandinginthewayarefragmented

visions,anoveremphasisonriskandcompliance,

misalignmentbetweenleadershipandmiddle

management,small-scalethinking,andamismatchbetweensustainabilitygoalsandresourceallocation.

Thesechallengesunderminetheabilityofcompaniestofullyoperationalizesustainabilitystrategies,

threateningtostallprogresswhendecisiveleadershipismostneeded.

Toovercometheseroadblocks,companiesmust

firstmanagetheirsustainabilitytransformation

byfocusingonfoundationaldrivers.Theseinclude

visionaryleadership,adoptinganopportunity-oriented

strategy,aligningfinancialstrategiesthrough

strategicCFOengagement,empoweringmid-level

management,andupdatingsuccessmetricsto

reflectsustainabilityadvancesalongsidefinancial

performance.Theinterrelatednatureofsustainabilitytransformationrequiresthattheseelementswork

togethercohesively.Thesefoundationaldrivers

providetheanchornecessarytokeepsustainabilityeffortsgroundedandconsistent,eveninthefaceofnewchallenges.

However,managingsustainabilityalonewillnot

suffice.Wefindforward-thinkingcompaniesgo

beyondthisbydrivingsustainabletransformationsthroughthreekeytransformationalaccelerators:

innovation,digitalleverage,andecosystemplay.

Theseacceleratorsenablebusinessestoturn

sustainabilityfromareactiverisk-management

effortintotheproactivedriverofacompetitive

edge.Sustainableinnovationsrelatetocircularand

regenerativebusinessmodelsthatreshapeindustries,

whiledigitaltechnologiespresentenormous

opportunitiesforoptimizingoperations,reducingemissions,anddrivingsustainabilityatscale.

Moreover,collaborativeecosystems–working

acrossvaluechainswithsuppliers,customers,andcompetitors–willbeessentialinreimaginingcore

systemssuchasenergy,food,andmobility.This

collectiveeffortwillenablebusinessestoleveragetheseinterconnecteddriversnotonlyenabling

themtomeettheirsustainabilitygoals,butalsotostrengthentheirresiliencerelativetoneweconomic,environmental,andgeopoliticalpressures.

Thetimetoactisnow.

Businessleadersmustremain

steadfastintheirsustainability

commitments,resistingthetemptationtosidelinetheseeffortsintheface

ofcompetingchallenges.Those

whomanagetheirsustainability

transformationwillendure,butthosewhodriveitwillleadorganizations

thatemergestronger,moreresilient,andbetterpositionedforlong-termsuccessinanuncertainworld.

5

Keytakeawaysforleaders

Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

Inourreport,weoutlinehowcompaniescanmaintainmomentum,overcomehurdles,andleadthechargetowardasustainablebusinessfuture.

01

Don’tlosefocusandstaycommitted

Inperiodsofvolatility,coupledwithchallenges

likegeopoliticalconflicts,inflation,andenergy

securityconcerns,it’seasytolosesightoflong-

termsustainabilitygoals.Indeed,ourfindingsshowthatwhile97%ofleadersagreethatsustainability

shouldbeintegratedintotheircorporatestrategy,

only57%believeitwillremainacoredriveroftheirstrategyinthelongterm.Yetnowisnotthetimetowaver.Delayingsustainabilityeffortswillcomeatasignificantcosttobusinessesandsociety.Leaders

muststaythecourse,standingbytheircommitmentsandresistingthetemptationtoprioritizeshort-

termgainsoverlong-termsustainability.

02

Getthefoundationsright

Businessleadersmustensuretheyhavethe

foundationaldriversforasuccessfultransformationinplace.Withoutthese,eventhemostambitious

sustainabilityeffortswillfalter.Currently,only20%ofourrespondentsviewsustainabilitythrough

anopportunity-focusedlens,while66%takea

morebalancedview,seeingitasbothariskandanopportunity.Additionally,only33%reporthaving

well-establishedmechanismstotracksustainabilityperformance,with30%indicatingpartialintegrationofsuchmetrics.Thisincrementalprogress

underscorestheneedfordeeperrecognitionofthefoundationaldriversofsustainablebusinesstransformation.

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03

Focusontransformationalaccelerators

Leadingcompaniesgobeyondthebasics,embracingthethreetransformationalaccelerators:innovation,digitalleverage,andecosystemcollaboration.

Embracingcircularandregenerativebusinessmodelsunlockslong-termvalue,whiledigitaltechnologies

driveefficiencyanddata-drivensustainabilityefforts.Collaborativeecosystemsallowbusinessestoworkwithstakeholdersacrossthevaluechain–suppliers,customers,andevencompetitors–toco-create

sustainablesolutions.

04

Breakdowninternalandexternalsilos

Sustainabletransformationrequiresbreaking

downinternalsilosbyfosteringcollaboration

betweenleadership,mid-management,andacrosskeydepartments,particularlytheChiefFinancialOfficer(CFO)andChiefSustainabilityOfficer

(CSO).StrategicallyengagedCFOscanground

thesustainabilityvisionwithfinancialclarityandhelpdefinethequantificationofsustainability

efforts.Externally,nocompanycansucceedalone.Businessesmustengagewithbroaderecosystems,workingalongsideotherorganizationstoaddresssystemicsustainabilitychallenges.

05

Leadwithpurposeandaction

Thesuccessofasustainabletransformationdependsontheleadership’sabilitytocreateconditionsfor

change.Businessleadershaveauniquerolein

ensuringsustainabilitystayscentraltobusiness

strategy.It’snotjustaboutriskmanagement–it’s

aboutleadingtheshifttowardamoreresilient,

innovative,andsustainablefuture.Thetimetoact

isnow.Thosewholeadthechargewillnotonlydrivemeaningfulchangebutalsopositiontheircompaniesasmarketleadersinanincreasinglysustainability-consciousworld.

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strategicCFOEngagement

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About

thisstudy

Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

IMDandCapgeminilaunchedaresearchinitiativetodelveintothecomplexitiesofhowbusinessesare

transforminginthenameofsustainability.Whiletheterm“sustainability”hasbecomeabroadumbrellaencompassingeverythingfromenvironmental

responsibilitytosocietalwell-beingandgovernance,wefocusontheconcreteactions,intentions,and

aspirationsdrivingrealchange.Thisreport,thefirstoutputoftheIMD-Capgeminicollaboration,zeroesinontheinsightsdrawnfromleadingEuropean

businessesastheynavigatetheirsustainabilityjourney.

Muchhasbeenwrittenoverthelasttwodecades

aboutthebusinesscaseforsustainability.Thisreportmovestheconversationforwardbyexploringthe

“how”–howcompaniesareactuallyimplementing

sustainabletransformationsandthemechanisms

thatareprovingessentialinthisprocess.Weaimedtouncovernotjustthedrivers,butthepracticalstepsbusinessesaretakingtoembedsustainabilityinto

theirDNA.

Toachievethis,ourstudy,initiatedinSeptember

2023,employedamixed-methodapproach,blendingquantitativedatawithqualitativeinsights.The

researchengaged91seniorexecutivesfrom57

companiesandwasconductedacross11industriesintheEU/EEAregion,(seeFigures1,2,3,and4).

Thechoiceofasmallersamplesizewasintentional;weprioritizeddepthoverbreadth.Thisenabledustotakedeepdivesintothenuancesofsustainabilityimplementation,capturingdetailed,oftenuntold

storiesfromwithintheboardroomsandfrontlinesofcompaniesdrivingchange.

Critically,wedidn’tshyawayfromincluding

companiesfromindustriesoftenviewedas

controversialinthesustainabilityarena.These

businesses,whoselegacyproductsmayhave

asignificantnegativeimpactontheplanetand

society,representavitalpieceofthepuzzle.Theyareunderintensescrutiny,andwhiletheywon’t

changeovernight,theireffortstotransformare

essentialtothebroadersustainabilityconversation.Understandinghowthesecompanies–oftenatthecenterofenvironmentalandsocietalchallenges–areshiftingawayfromtheiroldwaysofdoing

businessprovidesinvaluableinsightintothereal-worldchallengesofsustainabletransformation.

Byincorporatingcompaniesfrombothestablishedandcontroversialsectors,ourstudypaintsamorecompletepictureofthebusinesslandscape.It

shedslightonthediverse,sometimesdifficult,butnecessarypathscompaniesmusttaketoachievesustainablegrowth.Thisresearchoffersnotjustasnapshotofwherebusinessesstandtoday,butaglimpseintohowtheyarepositioningthemselvesforthefuture–wheresustainabilityisnolonger

asideconversationbutacorestrategicpriority.

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Figure2:Industrybreakdown

Healthcare

17%

Consumerdiscretionary

15%

Energyandutilities

14%

Industrials

14%

Consumerstaples

11%

MaterialsFinancial

TransportandlogisticsInformationtechnologyOthers

6%5%

3%

8%8%

Figure3:Companysize

23%

Morethan50,000

23%

500–4,999

Surveydemographics

Figure1:Roleofsurveyrespondents

3%

Chieffinanceofficer

3%

Headof

communications

2%

Chief

operatingofficer

9%

OtherC-suite

6%

Generalmanagement

55%

8%

Headofsustainability/

chiefsustainabilityofficer

Businessline/divisionhead

5%

Functions

1%

CEO

8%

Headofstrategy/chiefstrategyofficer

54%

5,000–49,999

Figure4:Regionaloverviewofsurveyrespondents

SwitzerlandGermany

France

Denmark

UnitedKingdom

Finland

NetherlandsSweden

Spain

LiechtensteinOther

20%

11%11%

6%6%

3%3%2%2%2%

32%

Decoding

sustainability:

amultidimensionalconcept

01

Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

Sustainabilityisnolongerabuzzword–it’sanurgentimperativeforbusinesses.Butwhilethebusinesscase

forsustainabilityhassolidifiedoverthepastdecade,thepathtosustainabletransformationremains

fraughtwithcomplexity.Whatmakesthisjourneysodifficultisnotthelackofambitionbutthechallengeoftranslatingamultidimensionalconceptlike

sustainabilityintoactionable,measurableoutcomesthatspantheentireorganization.Whileover70%ofoursurveyrespondentsreportbeingonasustainablebusinessjourney,thecriticalquestionis:Howmanyaretrulymovingtheneedle?

Forsomebusinesses,sustainabilityeffortsare

focusedonincrementalimprovements–greening

theiroperationsortweakingproductstobemore

eco-friendly.Thesecompaniesmayconcentrateon

reducingemissions,increasingenergyefficiency,or

incorporatingrecycledmaterialsintotheirexisting

offerings.Thisapproachoftenresultsingradual,step-by-stepprogressthatcanbemoreeasilyintegrated

intothecurrentbusinessmodelbuttendstofocusonshort-termgoalsandcompliance-drivenresults.

Ontheotherhand,moreambitiouscompaniesarereimaginingtheirbusinessmodelsentirely,movingbeyondincrementalimprovementstoembrace

circularandregenerativepractices.Infact,in

Capgemini’s“Theworldinbalance2024”report,thesustainabilitymaturityindexrevealeda22%increaseintheadoptionofsustainablepracticesandinitiativesfrom2022to2024,acrosstheorganizationssurveyed.Theseorganizationsnotonlyaimtoreducetheir

environmentalfootprint,butcreatesystemswherewasteisminimizedoreveneliminated.

Circularmodels–whereproductsaredesigned

forreuse,refurbishment,orrecycling–represent

afundamentalshiftinhowbusinessesapproach

sustainability.Regenerativemodelstakeitastep

further,seekingtorestoreandreplenishecosystemsthroughtheiroperations,contributingtonetpositiveimpactsontheenvironment.

Sustainabilityisnotpartoftheplay.SustainabilityisTHEplay.

–Seniorexecutive,consumerstaples

Thedifferenceisstark:whileincrementalapproachesfocusonminimizingharm,circularandregenerativemodelsaimtofundamentallychangethewayvalueiscreatedandsustained,drivinglong-termresilienceandcompetitiveadvantage.However,thiskindof

systemictransformationdemandsdeepshiftsin

strategy,supplychains,andorganizationalculture,makingitfarmorechallengingtoexecuteatscale.

Butmostcompaniesfallsomewhereinthemiddle,

strugglingtobalanceambitionwithexecution.

Manyturntoexternalreferencepoints–standards,

regulations,orframeworks–toguidetheirefforts.

Theseto-dolistsofsustainabilitytargetscangive

companiestheappearanceofprogress:signingupfornet-zerocommitments,settingambitiouslong-term

goals,andreceivingpublicpraiseorinvestorapproval.However,beneaththissurface-levelambitionliesa

farmoreuncomfortabletruth:manyorganizationslacktheconcreteroadmaporinternalalignmentneededtomeetthesetargets.

Figure5:Howconfidentareyouthatyourcompanywillachieveitsnetzeroemissiontargets?

45%

42%

Highlyconfident

6%

Confident,butmighthaveaslightdelay

8%

Confident,butmighthaveasignificantdelayDoubtful

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Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEuropeLeadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

Figure6:Hasyourcompanyestablishednet-zeroemissiontargetstoaddressitsenvironmentalimpact?

Yes,tobeachievedby2025Yes,tobeachievedby2030

Yes,tobeachievedby2040andbeyondYes,butnodefinedtimeline

Inconsideration,butnodecisionshavebeenfinalized

Notinconsiderationatthemoment

Notsureaboutthestatusofnet-zeroemissiontargetswithinourcompany

8%

29%

40%

5%

15%

2%2%

Ourresearchconfirmsthisgapbetweenintention

andaction.While82%ofrespondentcompanieshavesetnet-zerotargets,lessthanhalffeelconfident

intheirabilitytoachievethemwithintheproposedtimeframes.Thisdiscrepancyreflectsatroublingreality–onethatislessaboutambitionandmoreaboutorganizationalreadiness.

Therootoftheissueoftenliesinhowsustainabilityisunderstoodandcommunicatedinternally.Whilemostcompanies,intheory,viewsustainabilityasabroad,

holisticconceptencompassingeconomic,social,

andenvironmentalfactors(72%endorsethe“TripleBottomLine”approach),thisbreadthcanbeasmuchaweaknessasitisastrength.Abroaddefinitionoftenleadstofragmentedinterpretationsacrossfunctions,levels,anddepartments,makingitdifficulttoalignonaclearcourseofaction.

Thelackofaunifiedinterpretationattheoperationallevelcanparalyzeeffortsanddilutethefocusneededtodrivemeaningfultransformation.Sustainability

risksbecominga‘floating’concept–aspirationalbutlackingthefirmgroundingindailyoperationsanddecision-makingthat’sessentialforsuccess.

Thislackofclarityisnotwithoutconsequences.Ithinderstheabilitytoconvertstrategicintentintoactionableoutcomes.Increasingly,businesses

arethereforeturningtheirattentiontomaterial

topics–thoseissuesthataremostcriticaltotheir

specificoperationsandstakeholders.Thisapproachisbecomingmorerefinedwiththeriseofdouble

materiality,aconceptnowembeddedintheEU’s

CorporateSustainabilityReportingDirective(CSRD).Doublematerialitytakesadualperspective,lookingnotonlyathowsustainabilityissuesimpactthe

business,butalsohowthebusinessitselfimpactssocietyandtheenvironment.

“Weneedtomoveawayfromfeel-

goodsustainabilitytowardtopicsthataremateriallyimportanttous.”

–ChiefSustainabilityOfficer,consumerdiscretionary

Thisshiftishelpingcompaniesbringgreaterstrategicfocustotheirsustainabilityefforts.Ratherthan

chasingbroad,genericgoals,doublemateriality

allowsorganizationstozero-inonthekeyissuesthatmattermosttotheirlong-termsuccessandtheir

widerimpact.It’samoveawayfromsuperficialwinsandtowardembeddingsustainabilitywhereitcounts.Asthisconceptgainstraction,itisbecomingacriticaltooltohelpcompaniesprioritizeresourcesandaligntheirsustainabilitystrategieswiththeareasthattrulydrivevalue,bothinternallyandexternally.

Inthisstudy,wehavedevelopedamethodologythatassessescompanies’organizationalreadinessfor

sustainabletransformationsacrossthreecriticaldimensions:Strategy,Execution,andLeadership.Organizationsthatscorehigheracrosstheseareasdemonstrategreaterconfidenceintheirabilitytomeetsustainabilitytargets.

AsshowninFigure7,companiesthatareconfident

inreachingtheirnet-zerotargetsscoresignificantlyhigheracrossallthreedimensionscomparedtothosethatarenot.Thisconfidencereflectsstrongerinternalalignment,morerobustexecutionplans,andaclear,cohesiveleadershipcommitmenttosustainability.

Conversely,companiesstrugglingtoalignthese

threeelementsarefacingamajorroadblockintheirsustainabilityjourney,leavingthemfarlesspreparedtomeettheirgoals.

important–companiesmustalsobeequipped

internallytoactonthesepriorities.Whileexternalpressureslikeregulationsandmarketexpectationsarereal,themostcriticalbarrierstotransformationareoftenwithintheorganizationitself.Ourdeeperanalysishasidentifiedfivekeyinternalroadblocksthatunderminethisreadiness.Byaddressingthesechallengeshead-on,companiescanbridgethe

gapbetweenintentionandaction,enablingamoreeffectiveandlastingsustainabilitytransformation.

Ascompaniesincreasinglyfocusonmaterial

topicsthattrulydrivevalue,onethingbecomesclear:organizationalreadinessiskeytomakingrealprogress.It’snotenoughtorecognizewhat’s

Figure7:Netzerogoals:levelofconfidence

Highconfidence

Lowconfidence

.Aggregateaverage

0123456

Leadershipandculture

Strategy

Execution

78

Navigating

sustainable

business

transformation:roadblocksandpainpoints

02

Leadthechange:PushingpastroadblockstodrivesustainablebusinesstransformationinEurope

Thechallengefacingorganizationsis:“Howcanwetransformtowardsustainability–effectivelyandatscale?”Afewcompaniesareleadingthecharge,drivenbydedicatedCEOs,oraclearrecognition

ofemergingmarketopportunities.Theseleadersunderstandthatsustainabilityisnotjustanethicalchoiceormoralobligation,butastrategiconethatensureslong-termresilienceandcompetitiveness.Inshort,it’sgoodforbusiness.

Thewindowtoactisclosingfast,andfailureto

acceleratesustainablebusinesstransformation

comesatahighcost.Asweentertheeraofclimateadaptation,theeconomicconsequencesofinactionarebecomingpainfullyclear.We’realreadyseeingrisingcostsfromextremeweatherevents,lossofagriculturalproductivity,supplychaindisruptions,

anddeterioratinginfrastructure.Thesechallengeswillonlyintensify,threateningprofitability,

operations,andgrowth.

Whileexternalpressureslikeregulation,consumerdemands,andinvestorexpectationsarerealand

sharedacrossindustries,thetruedifferentiatorliesinhowcompaniesaddresstheirinternalroadblocks–thebarrierswithintheirownorganizationsthat

hinderswiftandmeaningfulaction.

Throughourresearch,basedonsurveysand

interviewswithleadingEuropeancompanies,

we’veidentifiedfivecoreinternalroadblocksthatsignificantlyimpactthespeedandeffectivenessofsustainablebusinesstransformation.Byaddressingtheseinternalchallenges,companiescannotonlymovefaster,butalsopositionthemselvestothriveinarapidlychangingenvironment.

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Roadblock#1:Fragmentedvision

Morethan70%ofexecutiveswesurveyed

confirmedthattheyareworkingonsustainabilitytransformationsthatrequirecoreadjustmentstotheirbusiness.However,formorethanhalf,thistransformationisslowandincremental,pointingtoadeeperissue:afragmentedvisionofwhat

sustainabilitytrulymeanswithintheorganization.

Ourresearchrevealsthat29%ofcompanies

havenosharedinternalunderstandingoftheir

sustainabilitystrategy.Thislackofalignmentisn’t

justacommunicationissue–itsignalsafundamentaldisconnectbetweenleadership,theBoard,and

operationalteams.Whenthesecriticallayersofthe

organizationdon’tshareaunifiedvision,andwithoutaclearpathforexecution,eventhemostambitious

sustainabilitygoalsremaintheoretical.Thisleaves

companiesnavigatinginsilos,eachdepartment

interpretingsustainabilitydifferentlyandpullinginitsowndirection.

29%

ofexecutivesreportthereisno

commonunderstandingofthecompany’ssustainabilitystrategyinternally

Evenincompanieswherethereseemstobealignment(71%ofrespondents),ourinterviewsuncovered

analarmingtrend:interpretationsofsustainability

varywidelyacrossfun