17 September 2025

Sustainability – at the bottom of Swiss Corporate Agendas?

Last week, I had the privilege of engaging with subject matter experts across the Swiss sustainability landscape. Together, we explored a critical question: How can we bring sustainability back onto the corporate agenda, especially in today’s complex geopolitical environment?

 

The reality for me is clear: in ten years from now, only businesses with a sustainable businessmodel will remain relevant. Sustainability isn’t optional, it’s essential for societal relevance and long-term success. Or as Maja Göpel so powerfully put it a while ago: “Do we take the environmental crisis now seriously, or do we question it altogether? Scientists aren’t here to ruin anyone’s fun, it’s about facing reality. Either we act accordingly or we don’t.”
In this context, we all agreed: communication is key. SustainabilityReporting has to be accessible, digestible, and story-driven. It’s not about the biggest or most detailed reports, it’s about clarity, focus, and measurable impact.

My key takeaways from these discussions:

1. Start with yourself: Change never comes from nowhere. Every action matters, no matter how small.
2. Integrate sustainability into your core business model.
3. Leverage Swiss strengths: technology, innovation, and our world-class institutions.

 

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Swiss Sustainability Reporting Excellence Award 2025! For the second year, the University of St.Gallen together with PwC Switzerland has provided an excellent platform for networking and knowledge exchange among Swiss companies. Thank you to everyone who made these discussions insightful and engaging. The path to a sustainable future is a collaborative journey. Let’s turn it into an opportunity to embrace change!

 

#SSREA2025 #Sustainability #ESG #Reporting CorporateCommunication Storytelling MakeADifference