The 2025 Green Impact Gap Survey, conducted by the United Nations Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) and automation firm Schneider Electric, found that only one-third of companies in Singapore now publicly disclose their sustainability targets – a significant drop from well over a half (58 per cent) in 2023 and 37 per cent in 2024.
The survey, which interviewed 1,000 executives in April and August 2025, aimed to gauge how geopolitics and economic uncertainty have influenced corporate sustainability strategies in Singapore.
Almost half (47 per cent) of the people surveyed worked for small-to-medium sized enterprises, and about a third (31 per cent) for multinationals.
Despite the lack of transparency, the report found that sustainability remains on the agenda of most Singaporean businesses, despite macroeconomic headwinds and geopolitical uncertainty. Ninety-one per cent of respondents said sustainability is a priority, and nearly half (49 per cent) described it as a high priority – a figure consistent with previous years.
Nine per cent said sustainability was “low” or “no” priority.
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This quietness risks masking genuine progress.
David Fogarty, CEO and executive director, United Nations Global Compact Singapore
Greenhushing in the ‘city in nature’
However, businesses seem to be taking a more cautious approach to communicating their sustainability progress. While 82 per cent of companies with established sustainability targets say they are on track or ahead of schedule to meet their 2030 goals, many are opting not to disclose their targets.
Nearly three in four respondents said their organisations have delayed target announcements or made revisions, with most postponements set to last between one and two years.
The findings emerge soon after a decision by regulators to delay the rollout of Singapore’s mandatory climate reporting requirements. In September, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) announced that small listed firms would be given five additional years to comply, citing a “readiness gap” among businesses.
The regulatory deferral was intended to support companies in building the systems and capacity needed for high-quality disclosures. GCNS’s survey suggests that the delay may also be reinforcing a broader trend of cautious corporate communication on sustainability, a phenomenon known as greenhushing.
The data emerges in the same week that the Singapore government released a set of guidelines for companies on how to avoid greenwashing, or making exaggerated green claims.
”Our findings show that many businesses in Singapore are setting and verifying their sustainability targets, demonstrating real commitment to progress. Yet, more than a quarter do not disclose these targets publicly,” David Fogarty, newly appointed CEO and executive director of GCNS, told Eco-Business.
“This quietness risks masking genuine progress and creating the impression that ambition is fading. Greater transparency is vital – not only to build trust but to show that momentum for a more sustainable future remains strong,” he said.
While public disclosure is waning, the survey recorded a 12-percentage-point increase in companies that track their sustainability progress regularly and also seek independent third-party verification.
Investment, recruitment and AI use on the rise
Investment in sustainability appears to be increasing too in Singapore. More than half (51 per cent) of respondents said their organisations have increased sustainability-related capital expenditure this year, driven by concerns over energy security, access to green finance, and opportunities arising from green incentives.
Digitalisation, green technologies, and supply chain sustainability emerged as top priorities for investment, each gaining importance over the past year.
The survey also found that while more than two-thirds (76 per cent) of respondents’ organisations have created or expanded sustainability-focused roles over the past year, 93 per cent of respondents said they were already using or planning to use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise resources and processes.
Last month, a Singapore-based recruiter said at an event in Hong Kong that companies in the region have been cutting back on junior-level sustainability talent as they tap AI to perform automatable functions. Data collection and reporting was the most common use of AI among Singapore corporates, GCNS’s study found. A global study of AI use by CEOs, published on Tuesday, drew a similar conclusion.
