Social sustainability is becoming central to business
According to the Sodalitas Observatory, internal motivations are a greater driver than external ones
by A.Mac.
Key points
The motivation to adopt a social sustainability perspective when viewing and acting in the world is increasingly central to companies: internal factors such as corporate culture and the vision of the entrepreneur and top management are the main driver for 94% of companies, whilst external factors (regulation, stakeholder expectations and market pressures) follow with 87% of companies. This is what emerges, followed by ethical and value-based motivations (78%) and the belief that a commitment to social sustainability makes the company more competitive (74%). This is the finding of the 4th Report by the Sodalitas Observatory on Corporate Social Sustainability, which will be presented on 11 June 2026 in Milan.
For those who feared that President Trump’s inauguration in Washington and the scrapping of all social policies would trigger a global retreat, the Sodalitas Foundation report proves them wrong: the survey, conducted on a sample of over 200 companies committed to sustainability and supplemented by 16 in-depth interviews, highlights how social sustainability is now regarded as a driver of value creation, capable of generating tangible benefits for people, communities and business performance.
Growing value
According to the report, 90% of companies regard sustainability as a core value for their organisation. Even more significant is the fact that 82% state that social sustainability is now more important than it was five years ago. This figure confirms a well-established trend: companies’ growing focus on the human, social and relational dimensions of sustainable development.
Employees come first
Employees are the key stakeholders in social sustainability strategies, with 93% of companies identifying them as a priority. Health and safety, training, skills development, work-life balance, welfare and inclusion are the areas in which the most investment is being made.
Particularly noteworthy is the finding regarding the perception of the economic value generated by these policies: 93% of companies view social initiatives aimed at employees as an investment rather than a cost; 75% believe that they also generate a direct economic return. Similarly, 71% recognise the economic benefits of engaging with customers and consumers.
