Sustainability: CFOs are coming to the table

CFOs are engaging with sustainability

That's the finding of the 2012 Sustainability & the CFO Study, undertaken on behalf of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms by independent analyst firm Verdantix.

For much of the 250 CFOs surveyed - representing companies with greater than US$1 billion inrevenue each, across 14 countries on five continents - sustainability is integral to how their businesses run.

These attitudes are reflected in 10 key findings. 

Key findings

1. Sustainability is seen as a key driver of financial performance
2. Organisations are transforming in response to the sustainability imperative
3. Sustainability is becoming operationalized
4. CFO involvement with sustainability is deepening
5. Sustainability aspects of tax and financial reporting have gained significant mindshare among CFOs in 2012, perhaps reflecting regulatory developments
6. Energy management still topped the list of issues
7. Gaining ground on the investment front: videoconferencing equipment, data center improvements, and electric vehicles
8. On the risk front, energy and commodity price volatility and availability remain top of mind. CFOs also continue to be concerned with assessing sustainability compliance risk - and are increasingly concerned with assessing susytainability supply chain risk
9. Superior sustainability information is still somewhat elusive for CFOs
10. Which CFO audience has become increasingly concerned with sustainability in 2012? Employees.