Twenty-five years ago, when sustainability was at best a niche topic, 19 CEOs came together to found the corporate network econsense. This initiative was bold and groundbreaking. We have achieved a great deal over the past 25 years. Staying the course requires renewed courage time and again. This is especially true now, when urgent investments are needed, while a multitude of challenges vie for society’s attention and sustainability goals are being called into question in political debates.

Sustainability is a shared responsibility—from governments to businesses to individuals. To address this challenge, we need reliable rules of the game. Between broad goals and detailed regulations, we must define a sensible framework that makes sustainability the more economically sound choice—for businesses and for people alike. The transparency provided by the current regulatory framework unlocks business potential. Nevertheless, this framework must become significantly simpler and more targeted. Further development in this direction requires reliable processes free of aggressive rhetoric and political maneuvering.

This remains true, and even more so given that 2024 was the warmest year on record: Investments in sustainability are currently lower than the potential economic costs of tomorrow. Moreover, investments offer significant economic potential: This ranges from the efficient use of scarce resources and innovation management to investment advantages and more resilient supply chains. When allocating financial and other resources, there can and will be temporary conflicts of interest. But: Sustainability and prosperity are not a contradiction—on the contrary. The sooner we act, the more we have to gain.