Corporate affairs pros in Europe, North America report increased ESG resistance

If you’re a corporate affairs professional who’s been feeling the ESG backlash, you’re not alone.

New research from Trellis data partner GlobeScan and the University of Oxford found that in Europe and North America, corporate affairs professionals say pushback against ESG has become more pronounced, with approximately half of respondents reporting increased resistance against this agenda in the past 12 months. At the same time, corporate affairs professionals in other parts of the world are much less likely to report experiencing more resistance. This divergence underscores a critical point: although ESG is becoming more contested, growing resistance to it is far from universal.

What this means

Nowhere are the effects of rising political and economic pressures more visible than in the expansive domain of ESG. Often misrepresented as a vehicle for ideological agendas, ESG remains a vital lens through which companies interpret their operating environment and shape strategic behavior. For corporate affairs, ESG remains a central, yet increasingly complex arena. Regional disparities are widening, and political forces are reshaping both strategic priorities and narrative framing. In this shifting landscape, companies may need to adopt more nuanced, regionally attuned approaches to ESG in the years ahead.

Based on the Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs Survey of 245 corporate affairs practitioners conducted February-March 2025.