Which Major Brands Still Care About Sustainability?
Our latest research, the Chief Sustainability Officer Report, identifies six major sustainability strategies currently driving corporate action and offers insights into these practices.
TL;DR
Sustainability commitment is not collapsing under political pressure. It is concentrating. PSFK’s analysis of over 250 earnings calls from early 2025 finds that companies maintaining their environmental strategies are using them to build more resilient businesses and more attractive brands, not just to manage reputational risk.
The six strategies separating genuine sustainability leaders from reporters are operational, not communicative. Renewable energy transition, circular material sourcing, recycled input integration, life cycle transparency, product durability design, and regenerative supply chains are embedded in manufacturing and procurement rather than layered on top of them.
Proof is replacing pledge as the primary sustainability currency. From L’Oréal reaching 97% renewable energy across global sites to Adidas earning CDP’s A climate rating through recycled polyester transition, the corporate case studies in the report share one structural feature: the commitment is measurable, auditable, and tied to a specific year.
At PSFK, we believe true sustainability leadership comes from authentic, actionable strategies. Our new report provides a clear, practical overview of the enterprise-level approaches that help companies genuinely advance their sustainability objectives and prepare for emerging opportunities.
Available as a download today, this spring issue of PSFK's Chief Sustainability Officer Report delivers comprehensive analysis, compelling corporate case studies, and direct insights from a study of over 250 earnings calls made in the first three months of 2025. Our research identifies six key strategies corporations are prioritizing to achieve meaningful sustainability outcomes, alongside thoughtful exploration into how these strategies might evolve in the coming years. Essential for sustainability leaders, corporate strategists, and any organization committed to impactful environmental and social change, our report also includes detailed analysis of keywords and phrases used by successful executives during corporate announcements.
Which Companies Are Leveraging Sustainability Practices to Make Change?
Living in volatile times, it’s easy to assume that corporations are divesting themselves of environmental responsibility. However, our research finds that companies maintaining their commitment leverage opportunities to build better businesses that are resilient to change and attractive to customers. The Chief Sustainability Officer Report features selected corporate case studies exemplifying key sustainability strategies.
Aston Martin
At PSFK, we feel that executives should view the electric vehicle evolution as a curriculum of lessons about making products efficient and sustainable. Aston Martin Lagonda is a class on enhancing product efficiency by integrating sustainable materials into its vehicle manufacturing. The company is exploring the use of ecological aluminum alloys produced entirely with renewable energy sources and offers vegan, leather-free interior options, providing customers with environmentally conscious choices and reducing the overall environmental impact of their vehicles.
L'Oréal
PSFK researchers found that L'Oréal is making significant progress in adopting renewable energy, reaching 97% renewable energy usage across its global sites as of 2024, and is well on track to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2025. This transition includes specific regional successes, such as reaching 100% renewable energy in the South Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa regions by the end of 2023. In the U.S., L'Oréal has significantly invested in solar power at its North Little Rock and Florence facilities, resulting in substantial CO₂ emissions reductions. Additionally, renewable natural gas projects, such as those capturing methane from landfills, further underscore L'Oréal's commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality across its operations.
Samsung
Samsung Electronics actively promotes recycling and circular economy practices by integrating recycled materials, including plastics sourced from waste wafer trays and cobalt extracted from used Galaxy smartphone batteries, into its products such as the Galaxy S25 series. The company also designs products for enhanced durability and repairability, extending their lifecycle. Additionally, Samsung runs extensive global e-waste collection initiatives aiming for ambitious recycling targets by 2030 and 2050, significantly contributing to sustainability goals.
adidas
Adidas has actively advanced recycling and circular economy practices through initiatives such as the New Cotton Project, which concluded in March 2024 and successfully demonstrated chemical recycling technology to enhance the circularity of cotton textile waste. Since 2024, Adidas has significantly transitioned to using recycled polyester, emphasizing sustainable materials, extending product lifespan, and reducing environmental impact. This commitment has been recognized by CDP, upgrading Adidas to their 'A' climate rating.
Allbirds
Allbirds prioritizes sustainable sourcing by utilizing natural materials obtained through responsible practices. The company emphasizes strategic sourcing and innovative product development as core components of its sustainability approach. Allbirds has set ambitious goals to reduce raw material use by 25% across all products and aims for 75% of materials to be sustainably sourced naturally and recycled by December 2025.
Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat emphasizes transparency by publishing detailed life cycle assessments that clearly demonstrate the environmental advantages of its plant-based products, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land use compared to traditional meat. The company further underscores its commitment to product integrity and consumer trust through credible endorsements from respected organizations like the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and the Clean Label Project, highlighting the health and safety benefits of its products.
FAQ
Why are some major corporations maintaining sustainability commitments while others appear to be retreating? The companies holding their course tend to have integrated sustainability into core operational and procurement decisions rather than treating it as a communications strategy. When renewable energy, circular materials, and recycled inputs are embedded in manufacturing, they become cost and resilience levers rather than discretionary ESG positions that can be quietly shelved when the political climate shifts.
What do earnings call keyword patterns reveal about how sustainability leaders communicate differently? PSFK’s analysis of over 250 earnings calls finds that effective sustainability executives anchor their language in specific metrics, timelines, and operational outcomes rather than aspirational framing. The vocabulary of proof, reduction percentages, certification ratings, and verified life cycle data, is displacing the vocabulary of commitment and intention in the communications of companies building genuine competitive advantage from their environmental strategies.
How are luxury and fashion brands approaching the tension between premium positioning and sustainable materials? Aston Martin’s exploration of renewable-energy-produced aluminum alloys and vegan interior options shows how even heritage luxury brands are beginning to treat material innovation as a product curriculum rather than a compromise. Adidas’s transition to recycled polyester at scale, recognized by CDP with an A rating, demonstrates that sustainable material substitution can reinforce rather than dilute brand credibility when it is executed with specificity and transparency.
What role does life cycle transparency play in building consumer trust around sustainability claims? Beyond Meat’s publication of detailed life cycle assessments that quantify greenhouse gas, water, and land use differentials against conventional meat represents the emerging standard: not claiming sustainability but demonstrating it through third-party verifiable data. As consumers and regulators become more sophisticated about greenwashing, the brands that publish the numbers rather than the narratives will command the trust and the margin premium that follows it.
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