The 2024 Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey which took place between July and December 2023, looked at over 400 CEOs and other senior business executives in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa, across different industries, revenue and company sizes.

The findings show that the leading ways CEOs are using sustainability to drive business growth are through sustainable products and services; sustainable business practices; stakeholder engagement; and decarbonisation. Digital investments and innovation is ranked ninth at 8%.

“Digital technology can accelerate progress toward sustainability goals, going beyond compliance to help enterprises reach targets, enable new business models and unleash revenue streams,” said Kristin Moyer, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner in a statement.

Moyer added that leaders and investors know that “environmentally cavalier” corporate behavior is a mid- to long-term risk to business results, with a massive price to be paid when environmental factors are ignored as externalities.

“However, smart CEOs realise big sustainability challenges create new areas of business opportunity,” explains Moyer.

A significant portion of CEOs, around 54%, have reported that their businesses are already feeling the impact of shifting weather patterns, with at least moderate disruption. 

This concern is translating into action, as over half of those surveyed say they are actively planning adjustments to their operations, or have already implemented changes, in response to the evolving climate.