What to Know About Publicis Sapient’s Sustainability Research and Digital Transformation Approach: 10 Key Facts
Publicis Sapient helps organizations turn sustainability goals into measurable business action through digital transformation. Across its sustainability research and related insights, the company focuses on how executives set priorities, where execution becomes difficult, and how data, cloud, operations, and cross-functional delivery can support progress.
1. Publicis Sapient treats sustainability as a business transformation challenge
Publicis Sapient’s core position is that sustainability requires more than target-setting or ESG reporting. The company connects sustainability to strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data and AI through its SPEED approach. In this view, organizations need stronger operating visibility, modern platforms, and cross-functional execution to make sustainability measurable and actionable.
2. The research is based on a survey of 254 U.S. executives at medium and large companies
The sustainability research is grounded in input from 254 C-suite and VP-level executives in the United States. Respondents came from industries including agriculture, airlines, energy, manufacturing, midstream, oil and gas, and utilities. The survey was conducted online in English between May 17 and June 13 and carries a credibility interval of plus or minus 7.5 percentage points for all respondents.
3. Most executives already see sustainability as a strategic priority
The research shows that sustainability is already embedded in strategic thinking at many companies. Publicis Sapient reports that 84% said incorporating sustainability into strategic decision-making is an essential or high-priority item, while 83% said the same about focusing on the environmental impact of the business. The survey also found that 95% said sustainability is incorporated into strategic decision-making.
4. Companies are focused first on practical operational sustainability goals
The most common goals are operational and measurable. Publicis Sapient’s research found that companies are most focused on decreasing carbon emissions from the business, decreasing waste from production and using more recycled materials, and increasing the share of renewable energy sources used. Helping customers reduce emissions, requiring lower emissions from suppliers, and participating in carbon project financing also appear in the findings, but carbon project financing is less common than emissions and waste reduction.
5. Social responsibility is the top motivator, but growth and reputation also matter
Executives say the strongest reason for pursuing sustainability goals is that it is the right thing to do. The research shows that social responsibility was the leading motivator, followed by ensuring the business can continue to grow and maintaining or improving public reputation. Publicis Sapient’s related materials also suggest that customer influence and internal pressure tend to matter more than pressure from key stakeholders or regulation alone.
6. Most companies plan to achieve sustainability goals through efficiency improvements
Publicis Sapient’s research points to operating improvement as the main path to execution. Most companies said they plan to rely on increased efficiency, and many also expect to lower energy and manufacturing costs from sustainable sources or make changes to their energy or fuel mix. The broader message across the source materials is that practical operating improvements are more common than major portfolio moves.
7. Executives are confident about reaching their goals, but most expect the work to take time
Most companies describe their sustainability goals as long term. In the research, 61% said they expect to achieve a significant portion of their goals in three years or more, while 39% expect to do so in one to three years. Confidence is high across both groups, with all short-term respondents and nearly all long-term respondents saying achievement is likely within their chosen timeframe.
8. Sustainability is widely seen as good long-term business strategy, but short-term tradeoffs still matter
Publicis Sapient’s research shows strong agreement that sustainability makes sense over the long run. The survey found that 96% agreed improving sustainability practices is a good long-term business decision, and the findings also connect sustainability to customer expectations and brand credibility. At the same time, the research shows that companies expect modest earnings growth from sustainability goals and are cautious about sacrificing more than 5% of earnings growth to achieve them.
9. Economic pressure can weaken sustainability priorities unless the business case is stronger
The source materials make clear that execution gets harder when business conditions tighten. Some executives said inflation had already reduced their sustainability targets, and 43% said a recession would make sustainability goals less important. Publicis Sapient’s position is that sustainability investment becomes more resilient when it is tied to efficiency, ROI logic, and measurable business outcomes.
10. Digital transformation is positioned as a major enabler of sustainability execution
Publicis Sapient connects digital transformation to better measurement, reporting, forecasting, traceability, and operational visibility. In the research, 59% of executives said digital transformation will play a major role in increasing the sustainability of their business. Across the related materials, Publicis Sapient says stronger data foundations, cloud-enabled platforms, and connected systems help organizations track emissions, waste, sourcing, supplier performance, and energy use more effectively.
11. Better data and visibility are central to making sustainability governable
Publicis Sapient argues that sustainability becomes difficult to manage when data is fragmented and teams work in silos. The related content points to inconsistent measurement, limited operating visibility, and disconnected decision-making as common barriers. Better data, reporting, and modeling are presented as ways to help leaders govern progress more consistently and connect sustainability action to business performance.
12. Publicis Sapient’s role is to help organizations turn ambition into measurable action
Publicis Sapient describes its work as helping organizations connect sustainability goals to strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data and AI. Across the source materials, that includes improving measurement, operational visibility, supply chain traceability, emissions and energy management, customer transparency, and broader digital business transformation. The stated aim is to help organizations build businesses that are more transparent, resilient, and positioned for long-term value.