Tokyo, Japan: There’s a gap between the perception of Sustainability Transformation initiatives and the reality of current status in many organisations revealed in the new research.
Sustainability impact is the number one priority for organisations, as per the Fujistu-commissioned global study conducted by FT Longitude. And they are aiming to improve on the three pillars of Sustainability Transformation (SX): environmental, economic and societal.
61% of organisations claim to be advanced on their sustainability journeys, but in fact, less than one in 10 have completed major sustainability transformation actions, as per the study findings.
Few organisations have actually completed key SX initiatives, which meant many of them have not come as far as they think, despite the importance they believe sustainability holds for the future.
This gap is apparent in the figure below, which indicates, for example, that only 26% of the organisations surveyed have implemented health and wellbeing initiatives for employees, and only 12% are using or creating carbon-neutral products.
The report identified that more than two-thirds (68%) of organisations say that Sustainability Transformation will not be a success without significant investments in technology. When asked about the support they needed to achieve their SX, 42% said that they need help with transforming existing/legacy technology.
Key findings
The sustainability gap
While 61% of organisations believe that they have made substantial progress on their advanced sustainability journeys, less than one in ten have completed major sustainability imperatives such as developing sustainable supply chains (9%), achieving net zero status (2%) and preparing for environmental emergencies (7%).
Organisations need support with their technology transformation
The research shows that organisations are investing in modern technology, recognising that this represents a fundamental step in supporting many SX initiatives. However, the report identifies that getting help with transforming existing/legacy technology is one of the main concerns for organisations seeking to make progress with SX.
- The chart shows the support that organisations say they need to drive Sustainability Transformation from a technology point of view
The Changemakers
A small group of leading organisations was identified as the Changemakers. This group accounts for the 6% of organisations that are leaders in sustainability and technology. This group has made substantial progress on their sustainability goals, by powering its efforts with innovative technology. They lead the way on both sustainability imperatives and technology transformation.
Technology is key to a successful Sustainability Transformation journey
Being successful at SX requires companies to be both sustainable and tech-savvy. If organisations want to succeed in their Sustainability Transformation plans, focusing only on sustainability isn’t enough. Technology plays a key role in this to happen.
The research findings showed that execution is the key to achieving SX along with intent and motivation are already present, but organisations need support to overcome the barriers to achieving their goals.
The survey conducted in August 2022, covered Banking/Financial Services, Life sciences, Mobility (Transport and Automotive), Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Public Sector organisations in Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UK and the US. 1,000 business and public sector leaders participated in this survey commissioned by Fujitsu.