New study: ESG remains relevant for companies, but strategic focus is increasing

Together with the market and opinion research institute Civey, the Chair of Business Administration, especially Responsible Management at IHI Zittau (TU Dresden), headed by Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, has published a new study on the relevance, challenges, and prospects of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) in German companies (you can download the report on the study here).

Between February 10 and March 4, 2025, 1,500 private-sector decision-makers from companies with at least 50 employees were surveyed. The results show that ESG continues to be a relevant topic, but one that is increasingly being evaluated from a strategic and economic perspective.

The study focuses on seven theses on the current and future role of ESG in corporate practice. It becomes clear that environmental issues such as energy efficiency, emission reduction, and the use of renewable energies are currently given the highest priority. Sociopolitical aspects such as diversity, inclusion, and democratic values, on the other hand, are met with reluctance.

A key finding is that although companies increasingly recognize the importance of democratic stability for economic activity, corporate engagement in this area remains limited. The study sees this as a strategic tension between social responsibility and economic risk minimization.

You can download the full report on the study here.

If you are interested in similar content, we recommend

• the Table.Media interview with Markus Scholz on corporate ESG responsibility (here),
• the article “Business beats conscience” in the Süddeutsche Zeitung , which picks up on the findings of the study “ESG 2025 – Relevance, Challenges, and Strategic Perspectives in German Companies.” You can find the article under this link, as well as
• the latest episode of the WDR5 podcast “Politikum – Der Meinungspodcast,” in which Prof. Markus Scholz talks about how companies deal with diversity initiatives and value culture (here).

The report, newspaper article, interview, and podcast are in German.