How Global Forces Are Shaping Responsible Business

Sefiani recently brought together business leaders, communicators, sustainability practitioners, and regulators to explore what responsible business looks like in 2025. The event combined fresh research and lived experience, to examine how organisations are adapting to shifting expectations, more complex regulation, and a stronger demand for authenticity. It was clear from the conversation that respnosible business is no longer framed as simply “the right thing to do”, it is increasingly understood and communicated about as a driver of value creation, resilience and growth.  

Alongside Clarity EVP and Head of Responsible Business, Julia Hoy, the panel featured Thierry Lotrian, CEO and founder of Climate & Decisions, who shared a global view of sustainability strategy, and Matt Wood, Product Communications Manager at Volvo Group, who spoke to the realities of driving change in a technical and closely watched sector. With contributions from everyone in the room, we formed a clear picture of where progress is being made and where real hurdles remain.

Responsible business is maturing amid global change

Clarity’s most recent report, The Responsible Business Communications Outlook, discovered that about two-thirds of companies have revised their sustainability strategies in the past 18 months. This is not a loss of momentum, but signals maturity as organisations sharpen their priorities and focus on measurable outcomes. While global volatility is being felt in Australia, the response is steadier than in some markets. Companies recognise that scrutiny is intensifying and expectations for genuine sustainability are rising—but they are also reframing their strategies around tangible economic benefits, from lower operating costs and supply‑chain resilience to improved access to capital and growth in future‑fit products and services.

Getting the fundamentals right

Thierry and Matt highlighted that responsible business is becoming more credible and more resilient because it’s being built into the fundamentals. Many organisations are investing in innovation, risk readiness and better practices even amid uncertainty:

• Reducing emissions and resource use cuts energy and input costs, lowering exposure to price volatility.
• Strong governance and supplier due diligence reduce operational disruption and protect margins.
• Designing products for circularity and low‑carbon performance opens new revenue streams and helps win tenders.
• Clear, decision‑useful data improves capital allocation and can enhance investor confidence.

At the same time, communication is becoming more focused on proof and outcomes, with teams prioritising what they can deliver and the difference it makes.

Trust is earned with transparency

Concerns about greenwashing and greenhushing remain front of mind in Australia. People are paying closer attention to how companies speak about sustainability and will quickly challenge claims that feel overly neat or optimistic. Organisations that are open about obstacles and clear on the reasoning behind decisions are more likely to earn loyalty and trust. Importantly, they are also more convincing when they connect transparency to value, explaining how choices today reduce risk, create efficiencies and build competitive advantage tomorrow.

Making responsibility part of everyday work

Progress is strongest where responsible business is woven into daily routines and incentives. The organisations moving ahead assess each decision through both immediate needs and long‑term consequences, linking sustainability metrics to commercial drivers. They consider partners, supply chains and the communities that rely on them, and they treat collaboration as a practical tool for solving problems faster. Teams that learn from setbacks and adjust course are setting higher standards for credibility, and for value creation that is durable and scalable.

A shift in language: from moral imperative to measurable benefits

Communicators play a critical role in this evolution. The language is moving from “why we care” to “how this delivers growth and resilience.” That doesn’t diminish purpose; it translates purpose into outcomes leaders, investors and employees can act on. 

The most effective narratives quantify impacts, time‑horizons and value levers: revenue, cost, risk and capital.

Looking ahead

The event concluded that responsible business endures when it shapes how an organisation thinks and acts across every area, and when it is managed and communicated as a creator of enterprise value. Communication grounded in real experience and clear economics connects, stays relevant and builds trust. Organisations that choose this path are demonstrating resilience and leadership. Those that refuse to adapt risk being left behind by competitors who can show, not just say, how responsible business practices deliver results.

You can find our Responsible Business Outlook for Communicators report here.