ILO partners with business organizations to drive global progress on environmental, social and governance

Geneva, Switzerland (ILO News) — Employer and Business Membership Organisations (EBMOs) are ramping up their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) work as demand from members rises across regions, according to a new ILO ACT/EMP Survey Report, Leading the ESG agenda: Global and regional insights for EBMOs. 

In 2025, ACT/EMP ran a global survey to understand how Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs) are responding to ESG priorities. The resulting report, Leading the ESG agenda: Global and regional insights for Employer and Business Membership Organizations - developed under the LEADER Programme - compiles evidence from 90 EBMOs in 65 countries and shows that ESG has moved from a “good practice” to a core element of business competitiveness and resilience. 

The survey confirms a clear upward trend: eight in ten surveyed EBMOs report that demand for ESG services has increased over the past five years, and four in five expect demand to grow further in the next one to three years. Regions that saw slower growth previously, such as Africa and the Arab States, now anticipate stronger increases, pointing to a broadening and deepening need for ESG support. 

EBMOs are also integrating ESG internally. While one in five currently has a dedicated ESG strategy, nearly one in three is developing one. Common internal initiatives include employee health and wellness, ethical business practices, corporate governance policies, and waste reduction and recycling, important steps toward “walking the talk” and understanding the implementation challenges members face. 

Across regions, companies most often turn to their EBMOs for support in meeting regulatory requirements and understanding the business benefits of ESG. In response, EBMOs are scaling up training, workshops, events, and information-sharing to help members navigate evolving sustainability standards and disclosure requirements. This shift is being supported by the LEADER Programme, which equips EBMOs with data and practical guidance to strengthen ESG as a core service area. 

Medium and large enterprises are the main users of EBMO-provided ESG services, with small firms also engaged in many contexts. By sector, manufacturing is the most frequent user globally, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, and financial and insurance activities, with notable regional variation. These patterns reflect both regulatory drivers and the search for efficiency and market access. 

Environmental, social, governance is now central to business competitiveness and resilience.

Deborah France-Massin, Director of the ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP) 

Deborah France-Massin, Director of the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) said: “ESG has become a key framework for sustainable business, helping enterprises manage risk and build trust. Our global survey shows that eight in ten EBMOs have seen rising demand for ESG services, and four in five expect further growth. These findings confirm that environmental, social, governance (ESG) is now central to business competitiveness and resilience, and they highlight the role of EBMOs as trusted partners helping companies navigate regulation, build reputation and turn sustainability into measurable results.” 

ESG work is creating tangible value for EBMOs themselves. Fifty-six per cent of surveyed EBMOs offering ESG services report greater member engagement; 46 per cent note stronger involvement in policy discussions and higher visibility and influence; and 42 per cent have forged new partnerships. One in four (23 per cent) also report growth in membership and increases in grants or funding since launching ESG services. Together, these outcomes underline the strategic opportunity ESG presents for EBMOs. 

The findings point to a decisive shift: ESG has become a shared agenda for employer and business membership organizations and their members alike. By embedding sustainability into their services, EBMOs are not only strengthening the private sector’s contribution to decent work and inclusive growth but also positioning themselves as catalysts of change in national and regional economies. To sustain this momentum, they will need continued access to knowledge, tools and partnerships that can transform awareness into measurable progress — ensuring that ESG principles translate into long-term competitiveness, inclusion and trust in business.