If there’s a silver lining to the backlash in opposition to sustainability, it’s this: You’re not alone in what you’re seeing and feeling.
New findings from a survey carried out by Trellis information accomplice GlobeScan, along with the ERM Sustainability Institute and Volans, reveal a pointy rise in world sustainability professionals’ concern in regards to the backlash in opposition to the sustainability agenda and ESG. Globally, seven in 10 consultants now say there’s a major backlash of their nation, up 13 share factors from final yr.
This shift is particularly pronounced in North America, the place greater than 90 p.c of consultants report experiencing vital resistance. In distinction, practically two-thirds of consultants in Asia-Pacific say there may be little to no backlash, underscoring the uneven and regionally fragmented nature of the pushback. In Europe, seven in 10 consultants imagine there’s a backlash, whereas Latin America and the Caribbean (60 p.c) and Africa and the Center East (61 p.c) fall in between, reflecting a globally uneven however broadly felt sense of resistance.
What this implies
The surge in backlash — notably in North America and Europe — displays rising polarization round sustainability. In these extra resistant markets, progress would require cautious messaging, stronger coalitions and reframing sustainability in ways in which resonate with native priorities and points.
In less-polarized areas, notably in Asia-Pacific, there are ample alternatives to speed up impression, scale innovation and exhibit the worth of sustainability as a driver of financial and social resilience.
Based mostly on a survey of 844 sustainability practitioners throughout 72 nations globally carried out April-Might 2025.
