GRI poll: People’s trust in corporates’ commitment to CSR hits record of 51%

24 / 10 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

A public poll in 27 countries showed people’s trust in companies’ honesty with regard their social and environmental performance hit a record of 51 percent in 2020 as the last highest percentage registered since the survey started in 2003 was 30 percent.

The survey from GlobeScan and Global Reporting Index (GRI) asked 1,000 people in each location to indicate whether they agree that companies are honest and truthful about their social and environmental performance.

A representative online survey took place in June 2020 with 27,000 adults (1,000 in each of 27 locations). The global variations in levels of trust reflect a multitude of factors, including social and cultural, that contribute to how people form perceptions of corporate behavior.

People were surveyed in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

Perceptions in Asia are most favorable, with the highest levels of agreement found in Indonesia (81%), Vietnam (80%), and Thailand (79%). The USA, Australia, Canada and the featured EU member states are at the lower end of the ratings, varying from 44% in the USA to 31% in France.

While the public in European and North American countries continue to indicate lower levels of agreement compared with the global average, a number of these countries have seen notable increases in perception compared to the 2016 survey, including Germany (33%, +16 pts), Spain (36%, +10 pts), Canada (38%, +8 pts), USA (44%, +5 pts) and UK (42%, +3 pts).

Peter Paul van de Wijs, GRI Chief External Affairs Officer, said “It is encouraging that around the world the overall levels of trust in how companies communicate their sustainability impacts are increasing. This goes hand-in-hand with growing expectations from consumers regarding more and better reporting.”

Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan, said “Over the course of twenty plus years of global polling, we have seen a sea change in expectations for corporate transparency. The findings from this year’s survey suggest that companies are learning how to deliver and are being recognized for their efforts. Systematic standards like GRI have more than helped. Accurate reporting has become foundational for any effective sustainability strategy.”