Can higher revenue make a company more sustainable?
Results from the 2025 Forbes Research State of Sustainability Survey uncovered several areas where revenue and commitment to sustainability are positively correlated.
In our latest dive into the views of more than 1,100 executives across industries, another aspect of sustainability and revenue comes into focus: Corporate boards at the largest companies have a more prominent role in setting the agenda than boards at smaller orgs.
Let’s dig into the latest findings from the survey, which asked global execs about their main priorities and challenges related to initiatives and the role their organization plays in making the world more sustainable. The online survey ran from January to March.
As Revenues Rise, Sustainability Climbs The Agenda
To see if there are correlations between corporate sustainability and annual revenue, Forbes Research asked each respondent to select which revenue range among five applied to their company. We then looked at how each revenue cohort responded to certain survey questions.
Among firms earning $15 billion or more annually, the top earners in the survey, 89% of executives say sustainability ranks as a top-three priority, the highest across the revenue groups. As revenue decreases, so does the percentage of executives who place sustainability in their top three.
This level of commitment extends to procurement as larger companies are also more likely to work with their partners on making supply chains more sustainable. Nearly three-quarters of those in the $15 billion-plus bucket say they do, compared with a third of companies in the $500 million to $1 million range, the lowest revenue group.
Boards Are Driving Corporate Sustainability
At high-revenue companies, board directors are steering strategy.
Seventy percent of executives at $15 billion-plus companies say the board is ultimately responsible for sustainability decisions. It’s the only revenue bracket where the board of directors topped the CEO, underscoring how directors are driving environmental accountability into corporate governance.
The stakes are clear for global business and the world. Decisions made in boardrooms at the largest companies can cascade through markets and supply chains, shaping sustainability more broadly.