Sunny Misser, CEO of international consulting and standards firm AccountAbility, recently visited Nareit’s Washington, D.C. office for a video interview.
Misser discussed key trends shaping corporate sustainability, including the “new G” in ESG, namely geopolitics, which has “played an outsized role in the business environment.” A second trend involves stakeholder engagement. “Stakeholder engagement, more than ever, is here to stay,” he said. Meanwhile, Misser noted that diversity, independence, refreshment, and expertise (DIRE) is at play in boardrooms globally today.
Turning to how business leaders are rethinking strategy in response to a volatile, highly complex global environment, Misser drew on findings from AccountAbility’s 2025 Rethinking Sustainability in Corporate America study. Among its conclusions were the fact that a shift in messaging has occurred, with companies now focusing on materiality. Additional findings included an increasing corporate emphasis on a return on investment to any sustainability effort.
Looking ahead, Misser said successful business leaders will need to collaborate, calibrate, and commercialize in order to move forward in corporate sustainability. He also pointed out three areas of risk for businesses in the future: geopolitics/geoeconomics, the environment, and technology.