The era of broad global proclamations and generic ESG positioning has given way to a more nuanced reality, with reputation increasingly judged on local impact.
The newly released SEC Newgate 2025 Impact Monitor, surveying 20,000 people across 20 countries, including more than 1,000 Australians, shows that ESG remains a useful framework for how businesses think about responsibility – although there’s a change in how people judge performance.
What people experience on the ground now matters more than what companies say at the global level.
The report reveals a community that is turning its back on globalisation and keen to see more local manufacturing, local food production and energy independence. They remain deeply focused on cost-of-living pressures and are increasingly demanding when it comes to corporate transparency. Some of the headline insights below indicate what Australians want to see from businesses in the year ahead.
Against a backdrop of supply chain interruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic, wars and USA-driven tariffs, Australians are becoming more nationalistic and keen to see more self-sufficiency when it comes to local manufacturing, local food production and energy independence.
Australians have high expectations of organisations to behave responsibly and have given a slightly higher mark than last year. They rate agriculture, healthcare and education at the top of the list and social media platforms, fashion and media at the bottom.
With many organisations participating in what some call ‘the great silence’ on issues, we find more than 7 in 10 want them to speak out and talk about their values, even if it makes some stakeholders unhappy.
There is strong support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, especially for closing the gender pay gap and improving workplace accessibility. However, support is somewhat softer for gender and diversity hiring targets.
We explored Australia’s global relationships, finding that the majority in almost all other countries and territories rated their relationship with Australia as at least ‘good’. We rated our relationships with the UK, Canada and Japan the most positively.
Our leading experts have been driving the conversation on reputation and responsible business. This research provides clear guidance for organisations considering what ‘good’ looks like when it comes to building their reputation and maintaining social licence.
SEC Newgate Australia offers a deep understanding of reputation, community opinion, stakeholder priorities – and how they intersect with ESG.
If you are interested in having our full report and findings presented to your organisation, contact our team to schedule a briefing.
Sue Vercoe, Managing Partner, SEC Newgate Australia | [email protected]
Peter Collingridge, Director, SEC Newgate Research | [email protected]
Jasmine Hoye, Partner, SEC Newgate Research | [email protected]
SEC Newgate’s integrated approach draws on our national team’s experience and networks to deliver a full service offering.
