The technology sector’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities in the second quarter of 2025 have been characterised by incremental progress and pragmatic approaches to changing geopolitical circumstances, says GlobalData.
Robert Pritchard, principal analyst, Enterprise Technology and Services at GlobalData, comments: “In the same way that climate change is a slow but ongoing process, so is the tech sector’s response. This is not a criticism, it’s a fact. But the combined efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to play a positively impactful role in the markets where they operate, and to uphold high standards of governance still lead the market.”
The quarterly update in GlobalData’s Tech ESG Watch identified a range of sustainability initiatives such as recycling of equipment by Virgin Media O2 Business, commitments to renewable energy by Maxis, and NTT Data joining the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
“None of these activities make a significant difference in and of themselves, but the collective impact across the industry is substantial – and shows an ongoing commitment to tackling the climate crisis,” Pritchard says.
Despite a sometimes-hostile pushback on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), there is widespread and continued commitment to support communities across all markets. This ranges from Vodafone’s m-mama emergency services app saving the lives of women having difficulties giving birth in Africa, to Spectrum’s digital education grants for communities across the US.
“Tech companies know they can make a difference – and that it is good for their customers, their employees, and their brands,” says Pritchard. “On some occasions, they have had to adopt pragmatic tactics such as removing their overt DEI commitments to gain approval for acquisitions in the US but, ultimately, they have a duty to their shareholders as well as all their other stakeholders.
“Tech companies live in the real world,” Pritchard adds. “At the moment, it is particularly turbulent both in terms of geopolitics and rapid technology evolution such as AI (Artificial Intelligence). A long-term commitment to sustainability and a pragmatic day-to-day approach to operations makes total sense.”