IMPACT ROI today announced the release of its groundbreaking report, “Project ROI 2025: Determining the Competitive and Financial Advantages of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability.” The updated study reaffirms that companies integrating sustainability and corporate responsibility into their core business strategies consistently achieve stronger financial results and competitive advantages.
The 2025 edition builds upon the landmark 2015 Project ROI report, which first provided quantitative evidence that responsible and sustainable business practices generate measurable economic returns. A decade later, the updated analysis draws from an expansive review of more than 600 independent studies and reports sourced from academic institutions, think tanks, and private sector organizations worldwide. The new findings definitively settle a question long debated in boardrooms and among investors: corporate responsibility and sustainability are not just moral imperatives—they are business drivers.
Sustainability as a Proven Source of Value Creation
According to Project ROI 2025, companies that effectively implement sustainability and corporate responsibility strategies can realize significant performance gains across multiple key metrics. Specifically, the research found potential increases of up to:
- 36% in firm value
- 21% in profitability
- 20% in sales
- 6% in shareholder returns
These results demonstrate that when executed strategically, sustainability initiatives can strengthen a company’s market position, improve investor confidence, and enhance long-term value creation. The findings echo a growing consensus across industries that environmental and social stewardship are integral components of modern corporate strategy—not peripheral activities.
Sponsored by Lead Sponsor MassMutual and Contributing Sponsors MODO and Loomis Sayles, the report introduces the 2025 Project ROI Value and Impact Creating Framework, a comprehensive roadmap designed to help business leaders implement sustainability and corporate responsibility programs that deliver measurable business outcomes.
A Decade of Transformation in Corporate Responsibility
Since the publication of the original Project ROI report in 2015, the corporate landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. Thousands of global companies have set ambitious sustainability goals—ranging from achieving net-zero emissions to strengthening community development and social inclusion. Meanwhile, sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting have evolved from optional disclosures to standard business practice, increasingly scrutinized by regulators, investors, and consumers alike.
Despite this evolution, Project ROI’s central mission remains unchanged: to quantify the business case for sustainability and help organizations understand how responsible practices translate into financial performance and competitive differentiation.
“Once again, this report delivers the data every C-suite team and board of directors needs,” said Steve Rochlin, CEO of IMPACT ROI and lead author of the report. “Sustainable and responsible business practices are directly linked to financial success and value creation. When done well, they enhance profitability, strengthen a company’s reputation, and increase stakeholder trust. The numbers are abundantly clear.”
Business Leadership and Societal Impact
The updated Project ROI 2025 report highlights that the most successful companies approach sustainability not as a cost center, but as a strategic opportunity. Firms that integrate environmental and social goals with core business objectives—rather than treating them as separate initiatives—consistently achieve superior financial outcomes.
“We have found that business leaders who apply an entrepreneurial approach to creating economic and societal value simultaneously achieve these proven benefits,” said Cheryl Kiser, co-author of the report and former founding executive director of Babson College’s Institute for Social Innovation. “This alignment of purpose and performance has redefined what leadership means in the 21st century.”
The report also notes that expectations from key stakeholders—particularly employees, consumers, and investors—have shifted substantially over the past decade. Modern stakeholders increasingly demand transparency, accountability, and purpose from the organizations they support.
“American companies play an essential role in the vitality of communities across the country and around the world,” said Dennis Duquette, Head of Community Responsibility at MassMutual and President of the MassMutual Foundation. “Employees, customers, and business partners are more engaged than ever in understanding how companies conduct themselves. This report highlights the intrinsic and measurable value of authentic, well-designed corporate responsibility and sustainability strategies—not only for society but for the company’s bottom line as well.”
A Framework for Action
The 2025 Project ROI Value and Impact Creating Framework included in the report provides organizations with practical guidance to integrate sustainability into their operations, governance, and culture. It emphasizes measurable impact, strategic alignment, and accountability—three critical elements for achieving both financial and social returns.
This framework helps companies move beyond mere compliance to embed sustainability as a driver of innovation, efficiency, and growth. It identifies best practices that link environmental and social goals directly to business outcomes such as improved employee engagement, customer loyalty, brand differentiation, and long-term shareholder value.
About IMPACT ROI
IMPACT ROI is a leading research and advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve superior social, environmental, and financial performance. In an era when global challenges increasingly intersect with business realities, IMPACT ROI partners with companies, investors, and public institutions to develop strategies that align purpose with profit.
The firm’s mission is to equip leaders across sectors with the insights, data, and frameworks needed to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy—where success is measured not only in financial terms but also in the ability to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth.
IMPACT ROI supports clients in designing and implementing comprehensive strategies across the full spectrum of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and corporate responsibility initiatives. Through its research and consulting work, the organization continues to demonstrate that doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive—but mutually reinforcing.
A Decisive Moment for Corporate Leadership
The Project ROI 2025 report arrives at a pivotal moment for the global business community. As companies navigate complex economic, environmental, and social challenges, the evidence is now unequivocal: corporate responsibility and sustainability are not just ethical imperatives—they are essential to competitive and financial success.
As Rochlin concluded, “This report isn’t about ideals; it’s about data. The business case for sustainability has been proven—companies that lead on responsibility outperform those that lag. The future of business is sustainable, responsible, and profitable.”