New Research Reveals Troubling Gap Between Corporate Sustainability Ambitions and Workforce Reality

Our comprehensive new study examining corporate sustainability efforts across the UK has uncovered a significant disconnect between leadership ambitions and workforce engagement that threatens to undermine even well-intentioned environmental strategies.

The Corporate Sustainability Disconnect Report, produced in partnership with sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental, surveyed over 1,150 professionals across 16 industry sectors to understand the human dimension of corporate environmental commitments.

The findings should prompt uncomfortable conversations. But within that discomfort lies the opportunity for meaningful change. We stand ready to be part of the solution.

The Training Crisis

The worrying pictures begin with this. While over 80% of employees say they've heard something about their company's sustainability goals, fewer than half receive regular, clear updates. Most alarmingly, almost 40% report receiving no formal sustainability training whatsoever in their current role.

"The training deficit revealed by our research should alarm every business leader reading this report," says Steve Terry, Managing Director of Astutis. "Nearly 40% of employees have never received any formal sustainability training. Yet we expect them to deliver on ambitious environmental targets? This simply does not add up."

The skills gaps extend beyond those at the frontline. The report reveals that over 43% of organisations have leadership teams with acknowledged sustainability knowledge deficiencies, yet many are making strategic decisions about decarbonisation, ESG reporting, and climate risk with an incomplete understanding.

The Trust Problem

Perhaps most concerning, the research uncovers significant employee scepticism about corporate environmental claims. Nearly a quarter of employee’s harbour doubts about the authenticity of their employer's sustainability commitments, viewing them as more about public image than genuine action.

When employees and leaders were asked to identify the single biggest barrier to sustainability progress, their responses pointed in opposite directions, revealing a fundamental disconnect in how the challenge is perceived across organisational hierarchies.

The Hidden Opportunity

Despite these challenges, the research reveals grounds for optimism. The workforce appears more engaged and willing than many leaders assume, with two-thirds of employees factoring sustainability into employment decisions and nearly half willing to consider salary trade-offs to work for genuinely sustainable employers.

"The workforce is willing, but clarity, training, and authentic leadership are essential," explains Dr Will Beer, CEO of Tunley Environmental. "What stands out most is not a lack of ambition, but the disconnect between what leaders believe is happening and what employees experience day to day."

The report identifies six critical areas where this disconnect manifests, ranging from communication breakdowns and training deficits to regulatory readiness gaps and untapped opportunities to engage untapped talent.

What's Inside the Full Report

The Corporate Sustainability Disconnect Report provides detailed analysis, data breakdowns, and actionable recommendations across six critical findings:

1. The Communication Chasm – Why leadership messages aren't reaching the workforce.
2. The Training Deficit – Where knowledge gaps exist and why they matter.
3. The Barrier Blame Game – The perception gap between employees and leaders.
4. The Trust and Greenwashing Question – What employees really think about corporate claims.
5. The Regulatory Readiness Gap – Are organisations prepared for mandatory disclosure?
6. The Talent and Engagement Opportunity – How sustainability affects recruitment and retention.

The report includes targeted recommendations for senior leaders, sustainability professionals, HR teams, and finance departments looking to bridge the gap between environmental ambition and operational reality.

Download your free copy to discover:

• The full breakdown of where skills gaps exist across operations, procurement, finance, and leadership.
• Which climate-related risks concern leaders most (and why reputation outranks regulation).
• The specific percentage of employees who don't know who to approach with sustainability ideas.
• How workplace sustainability programmes influence personal behaviour.
• What percentage of leaders feel unprepared for mandatory ESG disclosure?
• Detailed recommendations for closing the disconnect in your organisation.