- Positive environmental impact is the top business legacy priority identified by company leaders in the latest YPO Global Impact Report launched today
- The report also sheds light on businesses’ net-zero progress across the globe
- More than half (54%) of South American respondents have short-term carbon reduction targets, ahead of most other continents, as we look to the next climate COP in the Amazon Rainforest in Belém, Brazil, in November
Vietnam, Thursday, 3 April 2025 – Positive environmental impact is the number one ranked legacy priority which businesses are focused on – according to the latest YPO Global Impact Report published today: https://www.ypo.org/ypo-reports/global-impact-report/
YPO is an organisation of 35,000 members worldwide, representing USD9 trillion of combined revenues and 22 million employees.
Around four-in-10 of the chief exectuive respondents to YPO’s Global Impact Report in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe all ranked positive environmental impact and reducing pollution or emissions as their top priority.
North American businesses said they were prioritizing responsible investment and resources management, while businesses in Oceania have joint top priorities — positive environmental impact/reduction in pollution or emissions and sustainable growth and infrastructure (29% for both).
Despite regional variations in regulations and taxation, YPO member companies are twice as likely to have a net-zero plan in place (21%) compared with an average of 8% of companies globally.
The research, conducted in the first half of 2024, also reveals that 61% of South American businesses have a full-time sustainability leadership position, compared with 19% in North America.
With the climate and biodiversity crises accelerating, and the next climate COP taking place in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil in November, this Global Impact Report shines a useful light on where the gaps are on the road to net zero in terms of businesses’ contribution.
The YPO research reported that South America leads the way with 54% of businesses in this region having short-term carbon reduction targets. This compares with 47% of businesses surveyed in Europe, 46% for businesses in Asia, 38% in Africa, 20% for North America and 10% for Oceania.
YPO Global Chairman, Sofyan Almoayed, commented:
“As we gather for the YPO Global Impact Summit in Vietnam, in YPO’s 75th year, our latest annual Impact Report shows YPO business leaders care deeply about the next generation.
“In Hoi An, we will be working with business leaders from across the world to share best practice on net-zero strategies, carbon emissions measurement and target setting.
“Businesses are a force for positive action when it comes to tackling climate change. Although around four in 10 of chief executives in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe ranked positive environmental contributions and reducing pollution or emissions as the top priority for their organization’s legacy and impact, we know there is still a lot more work to do.
“The intersection of legacy and positive impact is a key driver of day-to-day action of our member companies. We believe this trend will continue to accelerate.”
Angel Lance, Founder, Motive Power and 10/6 Professional Services added:
“We believe the path to net zero is not just a necessity but a business opportunity for innovation and growth.
“As chief executives, this survey shows we don’t outsource our environmental approach, we keep it in house as it is important to us.
“The findings of the latest YPO Global Impact Report gives me heart, despite diverse political and regulatory landscapes YPO members want to leave a positive legacy, do the right thing and accelerate their efforts towards achieving net zero.
“Together, we can create a future where business success goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship.
Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup, headquartered in Vietnam said:
“Whilst it is pleasing to see nearly half the businesses in Asia and Europe have clear carbon reductions targets, we have to re-double our efforts.
We recognize the importance of ESG factors in the pursuit of sustainable development and put them into action in everything we do, across all of our businesses. VinFast, our EV pure-play manufacturer, shows this commitment.
This is not only beneficial for the climate, but also for business. VinFast has achieved market dominance in Vietnam, surpassing all gasoline and electric vehicle brands. Consequently, Vietnam stands out as a nation where electric vehicle deliveries have overtaken those of gasoline vehicles, accelerating the worldwide adoption of sustainable transportation.”
2024 survey key findings
YPO businesses’ top legacy priority by continent/region
- Asia — positive environmental impact/reduction in pollution or emissions (42%)
- Africa — positive environmental impact/reduction in pollution or emissions (40%)
- South America — positive environmental impact/reduction in pollution or emissions (40%)
- Europe — positive environmental impact/reduction in pollution or emissions (38%)
- North America — responsible investment/resource management (25%)
- Oceania — positive environmental impact/reduction in pollution or emissions (29%) and sustainable growth and infrastructure (29%)
Decarbonization Strategy
- The percentages of YPO survey respondents with a decarbonization strategy by continent include South America with 70%, Asia with 60%, Europe with 60%, Africa with 43%, North America with 24% and Oceania with 22%.
Short-term greenhouse gas emissions target (GHG)
- YPO survey respondents in South America, Europe and Asia were more likely to have a short-term GHG reduction target (54%, 47% and 46% respectively) compared with respondents in Oceania, North America and Africa (10%, 20% and 38%, respectively).
- Overall, 68% of YPO companies surveyed reported that they did not yet have a short-term (i.e. five-to-10 year) GHG reduction target in place.
- A total of 17% responded they had a target, but it was not aligned to the 2015 Paris COP climate target agreement (i.e. to limit global warming to 1.5°C, with greenhouse gas emissions peaking before 2025 at the latest and declining 43% by 2030).
- Fourteen percent responded they had a Paris-aligned target covering Scope 1, 2, and material Scope 3 emissions. Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are greenhouse gases that are released across an organization’s entire supply chain. Scope 3 emissions are complex, as they are released before and after a product is delivered or consumed. This 14% figure for 2024 compares to 25% of companies across the globe who had a Paris-aligned target as reported by the Science Based Targets initiative in 2020.
- Larger companies with 500 or more employees were most likely to have a short-term reduction target at 60% of respondents, compared to 34% with 150-499 employees, 21% with 50-149 employees and 21% with 0-49 employees.
- Consumer goods companies were most likely to have a short-term reduction target (56%), followed by the renewable energy (44%) and resource transformation (40%) sectors.
- Health care sector companies were least likely to have a short-term reduction target, with only 16% of respondents reporting that they had a short-term target.
Long-term net-zero goal
- In terms of a having a net-zero goal, 39% of YPO companies reported they did not have one nor planned to do so (e.g. due to lack of a viable pathway).
- Thirty percent of respondents did not have a net-zero goal but plan to establish one in the near term (<2 years).
- Overall, 21% reported that they had a net-zero goal. This is compared with 8% of companies globally who do.
- Of those with a net-zero goal ,11% reported it was not fully aligned with a net-zero pathway (i.e. net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner).
- Larger companies with 500 or more employees were most likely to have a long-term goal; 58% had a long-term goal, of which 32% had a goal aligned with the net-zero pathway. In contrast, 18% of companies with 0-49 employees had a long-term goal.
- By continent, respondents in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa were most likely to have a long-term goal aligned with the net-zero pathway (45%, 30%, 29% and 29%, respectively) compared with Oceania and North America (11% and 11%, respectively).
Decarbonization Strategy
YPO businesses with a decarbonization strategy by continent:
- South America — 70%
- Asia — 60%
- Europe — 60%
- Oceania — 22%
- North America — 24%
- Africa — 43%
Short-Term GHG Reduction Targets
YPO businesses with short-term reduction targets by continent:
- South America — 54%
- Asia — 46%
- Europe — 47%
- Oceania — 10%
- North America — 20%
- Africa — 38%
Long-Term Net Zero Goal
YPO businesses with a long-term net zero goal by continent:
- South America — 45%
- Asia — 29%
- Europe — 30%
- Oceania — 11%
- North America — 11%
- Africa — 29%
Full-time sustainability leadership position
YPO businesses with a full-time sustainability leadership position by continent
- Africa —24%
- South America — 61%
- Asia — 29%
- Europe — 47%
- Oceania — 14%
- North America — 19%
END
About YPO
YPO is the global leadership community of more than 35,000 chief executives in 150 countries who are connected by the shared belief that the world needs better leaders and that business can be a driving force for good. Each of its members has achieved significant leadership success at a young age. They lead businesses and organizations collectively employing more than 22 million people around the globe and generate over USD9 trillion in combined revenue. YPO members come together to learn and exchange ideas to make a difference in the lives, businesses and communities they impact.
Data methodology
The YPO 2024 Global Impact Survey was conducted by YPO with support from Motive Power, survey sponsor and report collaborator; EY, report collaborator and strategic learning advisor; Proof, data and technology partner; and Labrador, advisory, writing and design partner. The Survey aimed to capture diverse perspectives within the YPO membership regarding their social, governance and environmental impact. Members were informed that their data would contribute to the 2024 YPO Global Impact Report.
The data collection approach leveraged Proof’s data intelligence platform, allowing members to enter, save and update data during the collection period. The survey covered the reporting period from 1 January to 30 June 2024, with an open-data collection period from July to December 2024.
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