A new report by Onclusive has found that major US businesses are pressing ahead with their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, despite pushback from the Trump administration.
The media intelligence firm’s 2025 Global DEI & Sustainability Media Score examined the most influential brands that are reshaping conversations around both DEI and sustainability, and found that a number of companies not traditionally seen as leaders in this area are outperforming many of their peers.
Positive steps
For example, Meta has promoted inclusive product design and invested in supplier diversity to support minority-owned businesses, while Tesla has been expanding initiatives to support workplace diversity, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, by offering scholarships and forming educational partnerships.
On sustainability, McDonald’s has been active in reducing greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain, and ramping up its sustainable packaging initiatives, while Amazon has doubled down on sustainability through its Climate Pledge, committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
‘The right thing to do’
“Our report shows that US brands are not backing down on their commitments to DEI and sustainability,” commented Jennifer Robberts, CMO at Onclusive. “They understand that these initiatives are not only the right thing to do, but also critical for building trust with stakeholders and maintaining a competitive edge.”
As Onclusive notes, its report does not ‘score’ companies based on the quality of their DEI policies or sustainability practices – rather it evaluates how effectively brands communicate their commitments and how they are perceived in the media.
‘Using our proprietary scoring model, we reveal how mainstream news and social media conversations are shaping public perception—sometimes in ways that don’t align with reality,’ it says.
Early into his presidency, US president Donald Trump signed two executive orders targeting what he described as “radical and wasteful” DEI programmes. Read more here.
