Corporations Advance the Cause of Sustainability – BCSDH Survey 2017

Eighty percent of leading companies already have or are presently developing a carbon reduction strategy

According to 81% of respondents, environmental responsibility is one of the most important and most practical areas in which the long-term sustainability of corporations can be demonstrated – as revealed in the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary’s (BCSDH) own, non-representative survey. The organisation –  with more than 70 corporate members who contribute 30% of Hungary’s GDP – was interested in how 110 companies that signed the Recommendation for Business Leaders evaluate their progress in taking responsibility for environmental accomplishments, and the action they have taken towards protecting the climate.

The survey reveals that while 2016 reflected an attitude of euphoria after the signing of the Paris Climate Accord – as reflected in the survey from that year – in 2017, especially after the USA pulled out, this optimistic picture became more nuanced.

“It is already quite clear that this turnaround by one of the most powerful countries in the world cannot put a stop to climate-related cooperation. This fact is also proven by the stand taken by our parent organisation, the WBCSD, which articulated its commitment to continuing its work – which we also support. High-level leaders of the largest American corporations have also reiterated their support for climate-related action, giving hope that sustainability issues will remain on the top of their list of priorities regarding their operations, and the members of the BCSDH support this.”- stated Attila Chikán Junior, President of BCSDH about the relevant points of the survey, carried out with 59 companies.

Four-fifths of all companies already have or are presently developing a carbon-reduction strategy

The practical realization of the BCSDH protocols which were created in 2016 to apply to climate protection are clearly traceable in the survey.

71% of respondents operate an environmental management system. In response to another question, 93% of corporate leaders claimed that it was important to properly measure and report carbon emissions, and 63% of all companies already have a strategy in place to reduce their carbon footprints.

This also offers hope that more leaders of domestic companies are realizing that the responsible use of natural resources and the creation of goals and measures related to this goal are similarly important.

Organizations are open to using alternative energy

Nearly half of all respondents stated that they are willing to change to using alternative energy in the future, and they have already taken steps to achieve this goal.

A further 32% responded that they already use alternative energy. This means that almost all large enterprises are undergoing a process of changing to use alternative energies. It is important to point out, however, that the uptake of alternative energy and the improvement of its composition depend very much on regulators.

The downloadable version of the BCSDH survey is available here:

http://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Felmeres_2017_ENG.pdf