Edelman Trust Barometer 2024

ANNUAL EVENT EXCLUSIVELY HELD BY THE NACD NEW JERSEY CHAPTER!

The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a new paradox at the heart of society.  Rapid innovation offers the promise of a new era of prosperity, but instead risks exacerbating trust issues, leading to further societal instability and political polarization.  

In a year where half the global population can vote in new leaders, the acceptance of innovation is essential to the success of our society.  While people agree that scientists are essential to the acceptance of innovation, many are concerned that politics has too much influence on science.  This perception is contributing to the decline of trust in the institutions responsible for steering us through change and towards a more prosperous future.  What is the role of business in ensuring innovations are safe, understood and accessible? How can science repair its communications problem? How can boards better oversee the management of innovation and avoid societal backlash?  What are the key issues CEOs are expected to take a stand on regarding new innovation?Alex Thompson, Edelman’s Global Chair, Corporate Affairs and Impact, and Julia Fisher, SVP, Edelman Smithfield and NACD New Jersey Board Director, provided an overview of this year’s results and led a discussion on the implications for effective governance and oversight.