Sustainability Leadership: From Discussion to Action  

The Data

1. 1

   65% of companies in our data set discussed sustainability more than once in 2024 earning calls, with the auto industry talking about it the most (86% of all auto companies).

2. 2

   The number of companies discussing sustainability doubled in the apparel and footwear, food and drug retail, and specialty retail industries between Q1 and Q4 2024.

3. 3

   Companies like Ferrari, HP, and Mondelez exemplify approaches grounded in circularity, collaboration, and DfX, helping them toward tangible reduction in emissions.

Businesses are looking at an urgent situation when it comes to progress on sustainability. Many companies have 2030 targets due to the Paris Agreement and the European Union's stringent regulations are also compelling companies to report on their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Plus, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is set to impact non-EU companies starting in 2026. On top of it all, investors, in particular, are no longer passive observers.  

In short, there needs to be a shift toward concrete actions (exemplified just this week by IKEA), transparent reporting, and the integration of ESG factors into core business strategies. 

Talking the Talk: Auto Revs Ahead

Our analysis of 2024 earnings calls reveals that 65% of companies discussed ESG or sustainable initiatives more than once. Unsurprisingly, traditionally resource-intensive sectors like energy, mining, water treatment, and packaging were talking about it the most: 

Our analysis revealed distinct patterns: Consumer-facing industries, particularly apparel and footwear, food and drug retail, and specialty retail, saw a 100% increase in the number of companies discussing ESG-related topics by the end of 2024, leading us to believe they are strategically signaling to the public their emphasis on sustainable practices. On the other hand, industries such as technology, automotive, industrial, and food and beverages show consistency, suggesting more sustained attention.  

Walking the Walk: Innovation, Collaboration, and Renewables  

Zooming in on the 86% of automotive companies mentioned above, key themes that come up in our analysis include renewable energy integration, low-emission technologies, and sustainable investment practices. Benedetto Vigna, CEO at Ferrari, spoke to these themes, as well as the idea of building in sustainability at the invention stage, in Q2 2024, saying: “Sustainable innovation has been the focus of a series of events that we hosted in Maranello end of this June, involving all Ferrari stakeholders.”  

And in Q3 2024, he shared how renewable energy was manifesting in reality: “We have switched off our three-generation plant here in Maranello, replacing a significant proportion of our methane gas consumption with renewable energy sources, ensuring a 60% annual reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions compared to the 2021 base year.”  

Mondelez has been investing in circular economy solutions such as material simplification, reducing excess, and enhancing recycling infrastructure, designing 96% of its packaging for recyclability. And like Ferrari, is moving toward renewable energy: In Egypt’s Tenth of Ramadan factories, it partnered with local authorities to source wind and solar power from five government-owned plants, enabling chocolate and biscuit production to transition to 100% renewable energy.  

HP has been forging partnerships, collaborating with key suppliers on renewable energy sourcing and reporting, co-signing campaigns to achieve a 27% reduction in its value chain, along with 59% renewable energy usage in global operations, over the past two years. 

With outstanding recycling programs like HP Planet Partners, it has attained 40% circularity for products and packaging. Beyond this, the company has invested in an ocean-bound plastic program in Haiti and Nextwave plastic collaboration to build material circularity.  

The Takeaway

To transform sustainable supply chains from aspirational goals into actionable, on-the-ground strategies that contribute to a resilient global economy, businesses must adopt a comprehensive roadmap. This involves:  

• Setting science-based targets: designing targets around measurable metrics and doing so with organizations like the Science-Based Targets Initiative to ensure accountability  
• Fostering strategic alliances: collaboration drives greater visibility within supply chain networks, helps streamline operations, and drives synergy with suppliers
• Investing in innovation as well as local community development: AI and new digital tools are game-changers, and using them to innovate or think more creatively about circularity can have a big impact (see our upcoming Scope 3 report for more on specific tech vendors), while working with communities to move toward the same goal can mean getting there faster.

To see a different data cut or to dig deeper into this topic, reach out to our Head of Research Analytics, Cody Stack, at Cody.Stack@zero100.com.

Methodology  

Zero100’s proprietary data and analytics are a combined effort between our data scientists and research analysts. We provide data-first insights matched with our own research-backed points of view and bring this analysis to life via real-world case examples being led by supply chain practitioners today.      

For this study, we analyzed 257 supply chain organizations, relevant earning calls, and 900+ unique dialogues of companies talking about sustainability. We also analyzed over 168 companies and their trends over four quarters of 2024.   

Further Reading  

• Data Insight: Digital Leaders Set – and Hit – More Ambitious SBTi Targets   
• The Signal: Decarbonizing the AI Revolution   
• Report: Rewired 2030