Over half of CEOs confident in meeting 2030 net zero commitments

Firms are refining interim climate goals to fit their core business strategy.

More than half (61%) of CEOs say they are on track to hit their 2030 net zero targets, according to KPMG’s 2025 Global CEO Outlook.

This may be due to businesses reviewing and reassessing their interim climate goals to be more realistic and aligned with their core business strategy.

CEOs said that the main challenges to reaching net zero are the complexity of decarbonising supply chains (25%) and a shortage of skilled workers to deliver effective solutions (21%).

Fewer leaders see cost as a major obstacle, with only 11% citing it as a top concern.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly seen as a tool to advance decarbonisation and sustainability.

CEOs highlighted its use for improving sustainability-related data quality and reporting (79%), identifying opportunities for resource efficiency (79%), and reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency (78%).

Reporting is also becoming a key focus as new ESG disclosure requirements roll out globally.

Half (51%) of corporate leaders say they are prioritising compliance and reporting standards to meet investor and regulatory demands.

About two-thirds (65%) of leaders say that sustainability is now fully embedded in their business and consider it vital to long-term success.

However, only 29% say sustainability factors are fully integrated into capital expenditure decisions.