New report reveals growing momentum and critical capability gaps as marketing leaders seek to embed sustainability into growth, innovation and brand strategy

NEW YORK, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The UN Global Compact and Kantar today launched the UN Global Compact–Kantar CMO Benchmark Study, the first global benchmark based on UN guidance designed to measure marketing's progress in advancing sustainable transformation.

Grounded in the CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth, the study provides one of the most comprehensive views to date of how marketing organizations are embedding sustainability into growth strategy, brand building, innovation, communications and partnerships. The report draws insights from over 1,700 senior leaders across marketing, sustainability, innovation and operations functions representing organizations across major global regions, sectors and business models.

The findings reveal that while momentum is building, significant capability and execution gaps remain.

According to the report:

• 69% of marketers believe their organizations are "progressing well" or are "well advanced" in integrating sustainability into marketing agendas.
• Yet average perceived performance across the Blueprint's 28 benchmark statements drops to 52%, highlighting a gap between ambition and execution.
• Progress is strongest in areas within marketing's direct control — including Communications, Advertising & Media (56%) and Brand Strategy (54%).
• Lower performance is reported in areas requiring broader systems change and cross-functional coordination, including Innovation (50%) and Collaboration & Partnerships (48%).

Commenting on the report's release, Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact said: "This benchmark report gives us that industry-wide picture. It highlights both momentum and critical gaps — and the decisions and capabilities that will move the industry faster and further. The message is clear: sustainable growth is not the future of marketing — it is the mandate today. Brands that lead will build trust, unlock innovation and secure long-term performance."

Jonathan Hall, Managing Partner, Sustainable Transformation Practice, Kantar, added "The impacts of climate change are well understood — and the risk is material. But, within this urgency lies enormous opportunity: sustainability perceptions already contribute as much as 10% of value to the Kantar BrandZ Global Top 100 most valuable brands. And while marketing and sustainability leaders recognize their responsibility and the scale of the opportunity, turning intention into impact requires system change and new ways of working. This benchmark report points to how marketing and sustainability can together create value in ways that benefit both people and the planet."

The report also reveals important perception gaps between marketing and sustainability leaders. While 27% of marketers believe their organizations are "well advanced" in sustainable transformation, only 9% of sustainability professionals agree — highlighting the need for stronger alignment, shared definitions and integrated decision-making across organizations. The research also revealed a significant perception gap around circular growth models. While nearly 49 per cent of sustainability leaders believe profitable growth can be achieved through circular business models, only 25% of marketers share that view. This disconnect suggests that circularity is still not being fully recognized or embedded as a core driver of long-term business growth and innovation.

The study identifies several critical opportunities for CMOs and marketing leaders:

• Strengthening insight capabilities around sustainable consumption and behaviour change
• Embedding sustainability into growth strategy and investment decisions
• Advancing circular and systems thinking across value chains
• Building stronger cross-functional and ecosystem collaboration
• Integrating sustainability into KPIs, governance and performance systems

Developed in collaboration with Kantar's Sustainable Transformation Practice, the benchmark is designed to help organizations:

• Assess their sustainable marketing maturity
• Benchmark against peers across markets and sectors
• Identify capability gaps and priority focus areas
• Accelerate transformation aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The UN Global Compact–Kantar CMO Benchmark Study builds on the launch of the CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth, a global framework co-created with global marketing leaders to help CMOs integrate sustainability into marketing strategy and execution. To download the report and assess your organization's sustainable marketing maturity, visit: https://unglobalcompact.org/cmo-blueprint-for-sustainable-growth

Notes to Editors

Methodology: The UN Global Compact–Kantar CMO Benchmark Study collected quantitative data from senior leaders in mainly marketing, sustainability, innovation and operations roles across all major global regions, sectors and company sizes. The resulting 1780 respondent dataset provides a globally consistent measurement framework to benchmark maturity, identify capability gaps, and track progress over time.

About the United Nations Global Compact

As a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies worldwide to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our vision is clear: to mobilize business to transform sustainability ambition into action at the scale the world demands. With more than 25,000 participants and a presence in over 100 countries through 5 Regional Hubs and more than 70 Country Networks and expansion territories, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative.

For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.

About Kantar

Kantar is the world's leading marketing data and analytics company and an indispensable brand partner to the world's top companies. Kantar combines the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioural data with deep expertise and advanced analytics to uncover how people think and act.

Source: United Nations Global Compact