A first look at current briefings might suggest a premature conclusion: sustainability is losing relevance.

Concrete requirements are becoming less frequent, and sustainability appears to be less visible overall. Our internal analysis of the briefings we have received seems to confirm this trend: the share of CSR-related requirements has dropped from 62% in 2024 to 37% in 2025. This does not appear to be a short-term fluctuation. Rather, it points to a clear shift in direction.

There are understandable reasons behind this development. On the one hand, budget pressure is increasing. Investments are being assessed more restrictively, and sustainability is often one of the first areas to be scaled back when it is perceived as an add-on.

On the other hand, we are seeing a shift in priorities. In many markets, the social momentum behind climate action and diversity has noticeably changed. This is reflected not only in public debate, but also very concretely in international briefings and pitches.

So sustainability appears to be losing visibility. At the same time, structural pressure is increasing. And this is where it gets interesting.

Our analysis of recent briefings reveals a contrasting trend: requirements for system-level sustainability evidence are increasing significantly. ISO 20121 and EcoVadis, for example, were mentioned more frequently in the briefings analyzed. ISO 20121 rose from 42% to 76%, while EcoVadis increased from 22% to 25%.

These figures should be understood as indicators of a broader development: fewer concrete sustainability measures are being requested at the individual project level, while expectations for systematic, verifiable processes and robust evidence are increasing.

What we are currently observing, therefore, is not a retreat from sustainability. It is a shift. Sustainability is changing its role: from visible project-level measures to a structural prerequisite. In other words, it is moving from the stage to the system level.

This development is closely linked to regulatory frameworks. Topics such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and the European reporting requirements under the CSRD are not disappearing; they are changing. While reporting obligations are, in some cases, being simplified or narrowed in scope, requirements around processes, data quality, evidence, audits, and risk assessments remain relevant. They appear less frequently as explicit project requirements, but increasingly shape the underlying structures and verification systems.

As a result, sustainability is becoming less communication-driven and more operationally embedded.

ZNU Audit at VOK DAMS in May 2026

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR AGENCIES

For agencies, this creates a clear requirement: sustainability must be backed by reliable evidence - not only within individual projects, but across the entire company. This is precisely why certifications and standards are gaining importance. They are not merely formal proof, but a signal of process maturity, reliability, and corporate responsibility.

At VOK DAMS, sustainability is therefore integrated into corporate processes as a holistic management system. A central component of this approach is regular certification according to the ZNU Standard for Sustainable Business, as well as ISO 9001 and ISO 20121.

Sustainability should not be implemented only through isolated measures, but firmly embedded within the company in the long term - ecologically, socially, and economically. This means it is not treated as an add-on, but as an integral part of the business model. The result is greater consistency, scalability, and genuine impact.

CONCLUSION

Sustainability has not become less important. It has simply become less visible. What used to be actively requested and communicated is now increasingly expected as a given.

For companies, this means:

Sustainability is not disappearing. It is shifting towards structures, processes, and responsibility in day-to-day decision-making - becoming more firmly grounded and more organically embedded as a result. Less visibility does not simply mean a shift into systematic processes, it also marks a process of maturity.

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