Global companies are improving their commitment to sustainability, despite less than a third releasing relevant information.
The OECD’s recently-released Global Corporate Sustainability Report 2025 showed less than one-third of the 44,000 listed companies worldwide disclosed sustainability-related information in 2024, however, these companies accounted for 91 percent of total market capitalisation, up from 86 percent in 2022.
The report provides insights into how companies are integrating sustainability into their strategies, operations and disclosure.
The OECD stated it looked at reporting, board oversight, stakeholder engagement, human and labour rights, and how firms were setting and meeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets.
“Globally, 42 percent of companies that disclosed information had it verified externally, with half (56 percent) relying on limited assurance and only one-fifth (17 percent) on more comprehensive tests (“reasonable assurance”),” the report stated.
It found institutional investors were the largest shareholders in the top 100 GHG-emitting companies (36 percent), and they also held large stakes in top green-tech companies (37 percent), making them key actors for the climate transition.
The report included an in-depth review of the energy sector, which showed while the energy sector had the highest rate of sustainability-related disclosure, covering 94 percent of the industry’s market capitalisation, only 7 percent of listed energy companies publicly disclosed their position on climate policy and regulation.
“The report recommends strengthening interoperability between sustainability-related disclosure frameworks, encouraging state-owned enterprises to lead good practices on sustainability, promoting investor stewardship towards green and innovative companies, and improving the bankability of green energy projects,” the OECD stated.
Explore the Global Corporate Sustainability Report 2025.
