Purpose -As a multi-speed recovery from the downturn accelerates progress towards a multi-polar world in which economic power is more widely dispersed, the emerging markets will play a critical role in the future success of multinational companies. The imperatives faced by companies seeking to secure their future competitiveness can be better appreciated through an understanding of the sustainability landscape, and this paper seeks to examine perspectives on environmental, social and governance issues from CEOs in the emerging markets.Design/methodology/approach -The paper is based on extensive conversations with business leaders, both through the authors' work with leading multinational companies and their survey of over 800 global CEOs conducted in partnership with the United Nations Global Compact -the largest CEO study on sustainability to date. In the spirit of contributing to the debate on corporate sustainability, the paper presents the findings not as an academic submission, but rather as a reflective practitioner paper based on the authors' applied research. Their intention throughout is to faithfully report the views of the CEOs interviewed and surveyed, offering in places the beginnings of their own explanation of their results, and highlighting areas for future research and engagement by academics and educators.Findings -As one looks towards the next decade, and new waves of growth, it is clear that CEOs are beginning to recognize the scale of the challenge they face in aligning sustainability with core business. They also recognize, however, that this transition will depend on the economy's most powerful force, business -and that, with immediate and sustained action, individual companies can play a critical role in building the foundations of a more sustainable economy. From the wide-ranging set of interviews and survey responses, it seems that nowhere does this seem to be more keenly felt than in the emerging markets, and it is hoped that this is a timely and useful contribution to advancing the debate, with a unique insight into the views of CEOs and global leaders on what it will take to reach a new era of sustainability.Originality/value -This paper, based on extensive conversations with an unprecedented set of leading global CEOs, presents perspectives of leading CEOs in the emerging markets. By examining the forces shaping businesses' response to societal demands and the challenges of corporate sustainability, the authors set out some of the ways in which business is responding -and some of the capabilities that will be required to secure companies' competitiveness on the journey to a new era of sustainability.

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify leading CEOs’ views on sustainability and how they believe it is impacting the business environment, with a particular focus on the importance of education (formal and informal) in developing future business leaders who can effectively manage sustainability issues.Design/methodology/approachResults and findings are based on research conducted by Accenture and the United Nations Global Compact, with 100 one‐to‐one interviews and an online survey with a further 766 CEOs.FindingsCEOs see sustainability as more important than ever. It is growing in strategic importance, driving new business models, and is essential for long‐term success. CEOs see education as the most critical development issue for the future success of their business. They believe that developing new skills, knowledge and mindsets for the next generation of business leaders as key enabling conditions to accelerate a tipping point in the integration of sustainability into core business.Originality/valueThis paper is based on research from the largest CEO study on sustainability of its kind to date. One facet of the research was an online survey of 766 Global Compact member CEOs. Survey respondents were drawn from nearly 100 countries, across more than 25 industry sectors. The other principal research stream was a series of in‐depth, one‐to‐one interviews with 50 CEOs and over 50 board‐level business executives, civil society leaders and academic experts across 27 countries.