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After another year marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid spread of disinformation, a new report reveals that business leaders could be key to breaking out of “a vicious cycle of distrust fueled by government and media.”
The Trust Barometer, a study published annually by global communications firm Edelman, unveiled its findings on Tuesday after conducting more than 36,000 online surveys in 28 countries between Nov. 1 and Nov. 24, 2021. The firm found that public trust eroded even further in the past year among world governments and the media—largely due to mishandling of the pandemic, lack of progress on climate change and increased partisanship among media organizations. Yet, as companies develop vaccines and find cleaner energy sources, the report highlighted an increased desire for the private sector to play a larger role in addressing societal challenges, despite growing concerns about its commitment to social equity and workplace practices.
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“Business must now be the stabilizing force delivering tangible action and results on society’s most critical issues,” CEO Richard Edelman said in a press release. “Societal leadership is now a core function of business.”
According to Edelman, every stakeholder group surveyed expects business to help “fill the void” on issues such as climate change, economic inequality, workforce reskilling and racial injustice. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has already called on the private sector to help find solutions to climate change, in large part by funding the trillions needed for a global clean energy transition, and companies like Unilever and Alphabet have set goals to reduce their environmental footprints. These are positive signs, the report suggests, as trust in business was found to be higher than all other institutions. In an essay published alongside the report,…
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Source : time
