DEI in 2025: a binary choice?

At the start of 2024, we reflected on the landscape for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for employers and the pace at which it was evolving, as businesses sought to develop meaningful strategies which reflected commercial objectives but also complied with applicable laws and met cultural and societal expectations. Whilst many of our 2024 reflections remain live, arguments around DEI in 2025 have become more polarised in the public arena. Does this mean that businesses are faced with a simple binary choice whether to proceed with DEI initiatives at all costs or stop their DEI initiatives entirely? In this article, we suggest that the situation is more subtle and nuanced in light of global political developments.