83% of Companies Raised Sustainability Investment Last Year

Sustainability investment trends 2025 reveal a major shift: 83% of companies have increased their budgets, signalling that ESG is now a core growth strategy. Fresh global research from Deloitte finds that more than four in five companies increased their sustainability investment in the past 12 months, with 14% boosting spend by over 20%—momentum that sits alongside AI and digital as board‑level priorities.

Budgets are growing (even as external pressure cools)

Conventional wisdom says regulation and investor scrutiny drive ESG action. Yet Deloitte’s 2025 C‑suite survey shows a more nuanced picture: leaders report slightly less pressure from some stakeholders compared with 2022, but continue to invest because they see direct business gains from new revenue to lower operating costs and stronger compliance.

Revenue impact is now front and centre. Executives most frequently point to revenue generation as a realised benefit of sustainability initiatives, ahead of brand and even cost savings. Resilience over rhetoric. Despite reports of anti‑ESG pushback in some markets, a large majority still feel cross‑stakeholder pressure to act and are prioritising initiatives that hard‑wire resilience into operations.

What leading firms are actually doing

The survey highlights a practical playbook emerging across industries: deploy technology, switch to more sustainable materials, drive efficiency, and measure what matters. These actions are now the most common starting points for companies turning ambition into outcomes.

• Tech and data first. Implementing technology solutions and tracking environmental metrics sit near the top of the action list. That includes energy analytics, automated data capture, and streamlined reporting.
• Efficiency pays twice. Operational efficiency—particularly energy efficiency—cuts emissions and costs, reinforcing the business case during tight budget cycles.
• Insight for operators: If you oversee multi‑site portfolios, prioritise measures that can show a 6–12 month payback through avoided energy use and verified data. Pair metering with a robust analytics layer to quantify savings and feed audit‑ready reports.

Interpreting the “dip” in pressure and concern

Deloitte notes that compared with last year, fewer leaders say climate change will have a very high impact on their operations over the next three years, and fewer report intense pressure from regulators or investors than in 2022. That does not mean a retreat; in many cases, it reflects maturing programmes moving from broad commitments to targeted, high‑value actions.

A pragmatic roadmap for the next 12 months

1. Build your value case in hard numbers. Tie each initiative to revenue enablement (e.g., green premiums, new product lines), cost avoidance (energy, maintenance), or risk reduction (supply chain interruptions)—then report on it quarterly.
2. Modernise data flows. Replace spreadsheet‑heavy reporting with automated metering, normalisation (e.g., HDD/CDD, floor area), and audit‑ready evidence that supports disclosures.
3. Deploy Tech where the ROI is clear. Start with anomaly detection and optimisation in energy‑intensive assets; extend to supplier risk mapping and scenario modelling once your data foundation is sound.
4. Lean into efficiency and materials. These are the most widely adopted actions for a reason: fast paybacks, measurable impact, and minimal disruption to the core business.
5. Don’t neglect change management. With some “anti‑ESG” noise in the background, keep the narrative grounded in resilience, margin, and growth language that resonates at every level of the business.

What This Means?

For portfolios where energy is a top cost driver, the message is clear: use technology‑led efficiency and trustworthy data to translate sustainability into NOI. That means normalising consumption (kWh/m², kWh/HDD), benchmarking across assets, and surfacing the highest‑impact interventions first—exactly the workflows modern energy platforms are built to deliver.