STATE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN NORWAY 2020
We are excited to announce findings of our third annual State of Sustainability Survey! 
This year's survey had 176 respondents from leading sustainable companies in Norway. We hope that the State of Sustainability Survey gives you insight on the status of the sustainability work of Norwegian businesses, while sparking some thoughts and ideas on how to practically take sustainable business to the next level. To our knowledge, State of Sustainability is the most thorough study of its kind in Norway. ​
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DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Download the State of Sustainability 2020 Survey Findings

* ​By downloading the survey findings you will also receive the full report by email when it is published.

​ARE WE MAKING ENOUGH PROGRESS?

Norwegian companies increased the level of ambition for sustainability considerably over the past year as pressure from stakeholders increases substantially and are expected to increase even more in the future. 

Companies start to formalize sustainability strategies, but the level of competence in sustainable business among companies is at a relative low level. Only 14% say that they have a very high competence on sustainability in their management team and 10% within the board respectively. ​

CALLS FOR NEW SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS

The majority of the respondents in the study (87 %) report that their company has integrated sustainability in the core business strategy, however, in total 7 out of 10 companies indicate that they have to make changes to their business model by 2030. This indicates that the majority have great strategic intentions, but that there is a shift in mindset; business leaders understand that today's best practices are not enough and that the room for improvement is substantial - We got to be more ambitious and act accordingly.
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Almost 50% of the companies say they get more customers and save costs with sustainability. 60% report getting more engaged customers and employees. We believe that this shows sustainability contributes to increased profit with the right focus.

WHAT ARE THE BEST IN CLASS DOING?

​​The very best have clearly higher competence and integrate sustainability in the whole company. The results indicate a link between internal sustainability focus and increased profitability.

In order to develop a sustainable business model, the right competence and a strategic focus on sustainability internally in the company are crucial. Companies and managers are strongly encouraged to invest time and resources in their employees and give them a clear mandate to make change happen. 

​​ABOUT THIS SURVEY​

Sustainability Hub Norway (S-HUB) has a yearly study on the state of sustainability in Norway. This years' study was in collaboration with The Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and Leidar. 

The study dives into the sustainability efforts of Norwegian companies for the third consecutive year, helping us assess whether the Norwegian market is making enough progress towards sustainable business practices.

176 respondents completed the survey from September to October in 2020. The respondents either worked specifically with sustainability or with sustainability as a part of their overall job description. The respondents were preselected based on last year’s survey and the Sustainability HUB network. The findings may therefore be biased to include more companies actively working with sustainability than are proportionally present in the Norwegian business landscape. The majority of the respondents are also in leadership positions.

​​BACKGROUND

According to the “Our Common Future” Report published in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development of the United Nations, sustainable development is defined as: "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition, resulting from the work of the Commission chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, has remained the definition and reference point of sustainable development for the last 30 years. As such, it feels appropriate that Norway should continue to spearhead the future of sustainability.