Discover Why Sustainability Matters to Business
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you'll be able to:
- Explain why prioritizing sustainability is a smart business decision.
- Outline sustainability expectations from key stakeholders.
A Healthy Business Depends on a Healthy Planet
At Salesforce, we believe that a healthy business depends on a healthy planet. This is nothing new—businesses have always relied on natural resources and a stable environment. More than half of global GDP—roughly $58 trillion—is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services. Key economic sectors like technology, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and global supply chains rely directly on stable climates, fresh water, and rain cycles to function and generate financial value.
Climate stability and resilient ecosystems have always been fundamental to economic growth and operational success, and today, in the face of growing climate and natural resource concerns, prioritizing sustainability is increasingly recognized as a foundational operational and design principle for long-term success.
Expectations from Key Stakeholders
Businesses are prioritizing sustainability to meet the evolving expectations of investors, customers, and employees who value transparency, ethics, and corporate purpose.
Investors Prioritize Sustainability Data and Transparency
Increasingly, investors are looking for visibility into sustainability-related risks and management, and policy makers worldwide are seeing sustainability disclosure as a valuable financial disclosure. As of July 2025, 35 nations are currently developing, refining or implementing mandatory climate disclosure requirements for large companies. Thematic investors, in particular, emphasize portfolio companies that actively invest in sustainability initiatives aligned with their fund's thesis, rewarding those who demonstrate concrete, metrics-backed action that help reduce risks and ensure continued operational stability. Salesforce’s core values guide us as we deliver comprehensive, transparent reports and policies to our stakeholders, ensuring we meet these evolving expectations for actionable data and strategic alignment.
Customers Want Ethical Practices
Purchases are no longer merely transactional; they reflect a customer’s emotional connection to a brand's corporate practices. Customers are vocal, choosing to purchase from brands with transparent, ethically managed supply chains. At Salesforce, we’ve seen this firsthand—answering thousands of sustainability and impact-related questions from customers on an annual basis. Research found that roughly 66% of consumers state they will pay a premium for products from companies demonstrated to have a strong social or environmental impact.
Employees Are Drawn to Values
Attracting and retaining top talent increasingly includes values-alignment. According to a study from Deloitte Global, 70% of millennial and Gen Z respondents said that they consider a company’s environmental credentials important when evaluating potential employers. By supporting ecosystem health, businesses directly strengthen their future workforce.
Resources
- Salesforce Website: Sustainability
- Capital Group: ESG Global Study 2025
- Gartner: Sustainability as a Growth Opportunity Survey