Most US Firms Quietly Boost Sustainability Efforts

In spite of intensifying political pushback and regulatory risk around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) conduct, an overwhelming majority of big U.S. firms are not backing away from sustainability commitments. Instead, numerous ones are quietly registering double down efforts. The 2025 U.S. Business Sustainability Landscape Outlook published by EcoVadis on July 15, 87% of US organizations with more than $1 billion in revenues annually are either holding steady or expanding their sustainability budgets for this year.

The EcoVadis report, which was drawn from a survey of 400 US executives, cites a paradox in business America. Whereas the broader public debate around ESG has become increasingly antagonistic, business organizations are quietly building their sustainability initiatives, sometimes at the cost of less public conversation. The tactic, referred to as "greenhushing," has a strategic twist in which business organizations avoid public communications in favor of personal influence. Almost a third (31%) of those surveyed admitted they are actually making greater investments in sustainability while reducing disclosures at the same time. And another 8% have gone silent on the topic altogether, but still investing in the background.

This behind-the-scenes but dedicated loyalty is frame of mind that sustainability is not just compliance or image—but profitable business. Roughly 65% of the survey respondents look at supply chain sustainability as competitive advantage that fuels growth, promotes resilience, and keeps customers. To them, sustainable investing is just all about business continuity and long-term sustainability. Interestingly enough, 62% of the surveyed respondents said that sustainability contributes to building customer loyalty, and 52% of the finance executives recognized it as one of the drivers of long-term value of the business.

EcoVadis co-founder and co-CEO Pierre-François Thaler reinforced this strategic priority, saying, "Even as the debate over business sustainability intensifies, business leaders are interested in reality—sustainability is what drives supply chains and gets customers on board."

The research infers that instead of the transparency, the majority of companies are opting for the substance. While only a paltry 7% of the respondents replied that they have lowered efforts on sustainability, others have actually kept their efforts under wraps to sidestep political backlash or regulatory misinterpretation. Instead of abdication of action, this then occurs towards secrecy.

On the other hand, companies increasingly depend on technology to amplify the quality and transparency of their ESG endeavors. Fifty-seven percent of those companies surveyed are using ESG risk map tools to quantify their exposure and track progress. Additionally, 49% have adopted supplier engagement platforms to instill more sustainable and transparent procurement practices. Approximately 34% are supply base mapping to enhance their understanding of upstream risks and opportunities.

The move toward technology-driven sustainability will gain momentum next year. An overwhelming 89% of corporate leaders will increase expenditures on sustainability-related technologies within the next 12 months, a sign of increasing reliance on data and automation to navigate the complexities of ESG compliance and performance.

But there are still major hurdles to overcome—especially in managing a broken and changing regulatory landscape. Only 13% of companies said they were ready to meet four major ESG-driven regulations: the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), California's SB-253 climate disclosure rule, and Canada's Modern Slavery Act. Senior management also confessed to submitting ESG information they knew to be wrong, with 33% saying they had estimated or approximated numbers in public filings.

This indicates a higher compliance war as companies struggle to harmonize regulatory requirements with operational capability. Rollbacks to regulations have not succeeded in calming fears yet. Actually, almost half (47%) of the C-suite leaders cautioned that deregulating ESG standards would most probably heighten supply chain disturbances. Further, an additional 59% are of the opinion that deregulation would lead to a rise in abuses of labor.

In today's atmosphere, businesses are apparently taking two steps: advance toward actual sustainability and steer clear of reputational and political minefields. EcoVadis' report provides a snapshot of a business community strategically redirecting—rather than jumping ship—on its sustainability objectives. With investor, customer, and supply chain partner expectations escalating further, U.S. businesses are investing more thoughtfully, even if they are not talking as much about it.

In an ever more polarized world of ESG discourse, the word from corporate America is unambiguous: sustainability remains a priority—not public relations, but survival.