More than half of Americans (53%) want companies to actively support diversity, equity, and inclusion, while even more (67%) think CEOs should speak about the importance of DEI, according to a new survey.
The new “Sustainability in the USA Report” from GlobeScan — an insights and advisory firm specializing in trust, sustainability, and engagement — gauges the values of Americans regarding environmental and social issues. The report is based on a flash poll of 1,000 consumers in the United States from March 25-28.
“Americans feel the same way they did about sustainability and DEI as they did before Trump 2.0,” Chris Coulter, GlobeScan’s CEO, told BenefitsPRO. “In fact, the biggest changes relate to consumers shopping more with their values than they did in the summer of 2024.”
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Here are three key snapshots from the report:
1. Resiliency of sustainability values.
Americans continue to feel similarly concerned about — and similarly affected by — climate change as they were before the 2024 presidential election. What’s more, “their propensity to be willing to pay more taxes to limit climate change has not changed,” according to the report. “The resilience of these values suggests that societal opinion, one of the most important underpinnings of the transition to sustainability, remains intact.”
2. Americans want companies to lead responsibly.
As the report notes: “Many [Americans] may have assumed that the ferocity with which the Trump Administration has attacked DEI has some basis in popular support. The quantitative research shows that the American public is instead highly supportive of companies speaking out on a number of sustainability and social issues. Companies with the savvy and conviction to meet consumer expectations can be more vocal around these issues and potentially improve brand trust.”
Related: DEI in benefits: More urgent than ever amid regulatory rollbacks
3. A large opportunity remains for the sustainability-driven marketplace.
More Americans are opting to shop with their values and choosing sustainable products. “Demand-driving action is a key part of the business case for sustainability, and the fact that it is increasing suggests consumers my find the marketplace to be a satisfying arena to express their values vis-à-vis sustainability,” according to the report.
What do these findings say about corporate sustainability in 2025 and beyond?
“The gap between noise to signal is real,” Coulter says. “The foundational elements of public expectations and consumer attitudes and behaviors remain as robust as they were a few years ago when corporate sustainability was flying high. The political machinations happening now are largely divorced from core American values around sustainability. This resilience means that expectations for corporate sustainability will manifest themselves in the coming years.”
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