Organisations involved in sponsorship are less committed to environmentally-friendly initiatives than they were a year ago, a new study by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) has found.
According to the study, which is now in its fourth year, there was a 6.2% drop in the number of respondents that felt it was important to have an ‘alignment of sustainability initiatives between partners’ as part of a successful sponsorship deal.
Elsewhere, the number of organisations that said that sustainability policies will become a ‘more important factor in identifying future partners’ dropped by 6.3%.
On the other hand, the study did indicate that rights holders are catching up with brands in their level of commitment to tackling environmental issues, with the percentage of organisations without any sustainability initiatives dropping to just 12%.
Shift in priorities
“This is a highly significant piece of research by ESA, highlighting a growing shift in sponsor priorities away from exclusively environmental objectives – a trend that aligns with observations across other sectors of the sports industry,” commented Mike Laflin, CEO & Founder of Global Sustainable Sport, “This shift may stem from an increasing recognition that environmental initiatives represent just one element within a broader framework of sustainability goals.”
The ESA cited anecdotal evidence that suggests that while businesses are keen to become more environmentally friendly, they are struggling to adapt to new ways of working due to high cost implications and economic conditions. In addition, social sustainability initiatives, such as diversity and inclusion, are gaining in prominence.
Social causes
“Whilst the environmental sustainability factor remains dominant, its importance appears to have dropped slightly and is being caught up by the social factor as social causes and EDI become more important,” added Sophie Morris, ESA chair. “This is a hugely important piece of research that helps sponsorship professionals understand the expectations of their partners.” Read more here.
