Companies operating in Finland remain committed to the climate transition but are increasingly focused on resilience, policy predictability and managing transition-related risks, according to the Finland edition of the Business Breakthrough Barometer 2026 published by FIBS in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Commitment sustained; targets mostly maintained or strengthened
The report is based on responses from 49 medium-sized and large companies operating in Finland and is part of WBCSD’s global survey. It finds that most respondents maintained or strengthened their climate targets in 2025. Specifically, 49% of companies reported making no changes to their targets last year, while among those that adjusted targets the majority strengthened them rather than weakened them.
For businesses in South Africa and elsewhere, that mix of retained ambition and selective strengthening matters: it signals continued corporate commitment to emissions reductions, yet also suggests companies are adjusting strategies to manage costs and operational risks as they implement those targets.
Resilience and stakeholders trump near-term growth
Finnish respondents ranked resilience and risk management, customer demand and maintaining a social licence to operate as the most important drivers of sustainability action—placing these ahead of growth opportunities and access to capital. The emphasis on resilience points to a shift from viewing sustainability solely as an opportunity for new markets to treating it as a core part of business continuity planning.
- Drivers of sustainability action: resilience and risk management; customer demand; social licence to operate.
- Competitive view: 85% expect sustainability to provide a major or moderate competitive advantage in the future.
- Transition risk concern: more than one quarter see a disorderly transition as now more likely than a year earlier; 39% view it as a critical or significant business risk.
Worries about a disorderly transition rise
Notably, the Finland report flags growing unease about the prospect of a disorderly climate transition. More than one quarter of respondents said they view such an outcome as much more likely than a year ago, and 39% identified it as a critical or significant risk to their business. That concern underscores why firms are prioritising policy predictability and preparedness alongside emissions targets.
For South African business leaders and policymakers, the finding reinforces the practical need for stable, predictable regulatory frameworks when steering the economy towards lower emissions—both to protect investment and to avoid disruptive, costly adjustments for households and employers.
Investment momentum has slowed, but advantage remains
While the report notes that investment momentum in sustainability has slowed, a large majority of Finnish companies—85%—still expect sustainability to deliver a major or moderate competitive advantage in the future. That suggests firms may be shifting from rapid capital deployment to targeted investments that prioritise resilience and alignment with stakeholder expectations.
| Survey metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Companies surveyed | 49 |
| No change to climate targets in 2025 | 49% |
| Expect sustainability to be a competitive advantage | 85% |
| See disorderly transition as critical/significant risk | 39% |
The detailed Finland report was presented in a public webinar hosted by FIBS with contributions from Jennie Dodson, Senior Director at WBCSD, and Lia Heasman, Responsible Investment Director at A. Ahlström. The webinar recording is publicly available through FIBS, and the full Finland report is available to FIBS member organisations. Non-member organisations interested in accessing the report are invited to contact Heli Karhi at heli.karhi@fibsry.fi.
What this means for South Africa
Although the survey is Finland-specific, the business lessons are broadly transferable. Companies in South Africa face their own transition risks—from energy reliability to carbon pricing and changing export markets—and the Finnish findings emphasise three practical policy and corporate priorities:
- Provide predictable regulatory signals so firms can plan multiyear investments without sudden stranded-asset risk.
- Embed resilience in sustainability strategies to protect jobs and household incomes from disruptive shocks.
- Focus investment where sustainability delivers clear competitive advantage and customer value rather than spreading resources too thinly.
Ultimately, the Barometer suggests businesses remain willing to act on climate, but they need policy certainty and risk-managed pathways to translate targets into sustained capital spending and job-preserving transformation.
WE NEWS does not provide financial advice.
