Most sustainable companies
Blaming huge corporations for denying climate science and contributing to pollution is a common thread in the discourse around climate change, from studies on carbon emissions to the Exxon Knew campaign. While many top companies continue to extract and emit fossil fuels at high rates, however, others are working to counteract the rising tide of climate change through programs that emphasize clean energy. In fact, nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies and two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies have set renewable energy goals and are committing to use wind, solar, or other forms of clean energy instead of fossil fuels.
But which companies are making the biggest strides towards environmental protection? A recent report from Corporate Knights answers that question through a rigorous ranking system that has determined the 100 most sustainable corporations. The list consists of publicly-listed companies from all industries and locations with gross revenues of over $1 billion, all of which were screened for sustainability disclosure practices and financial health. Rankings were based on several factors, most prominently including KPI (Key Performance Indicator) metrics generated from ratios of a company's revenue to different types of emissions, financial and employee management, and "clean revenue," or percentage of a company's total revenue determined "clean" by national bureaus such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. All information used in the rankings was taken from publicly disclosed data, then verified for companies on the top 100 list. The higher the final ranking, the more sustainable the company.
Click through the slideshow to find out which global corporations are doing the most to utilize renewable energy and work against climate change, as well as details about how each corporation is working towards its sustainability goals.
#100: City Developments
Overall Score: 54.10%
Country: Singapore
Industry: Real Estate Management & Development
#99: Derwent London
Overall Score: 54.30%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
#98: CapitaLand
Overall Score: 55.10%
Country: Singapore
Industry: Real Estate Management & Development
#97: SSE
Overall Score: 56.80%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Electric Utilities
#96: Vestas Wind Systems
Overall Score: 58.30%
Country: Denmark
Industry: Electrical Equipment
#95: Umicore
Overall Score: 59.20%
Country: Belgium
Industry: Chemicals
#94: Suez
Overall Score: 59.30%
Country: France
Industry: Multi-Utilities
#93: Posco
Overall Score: 59.50%
Country: South Korea
Industry: Metals & Mining
#92: Johnson & Johnson
Overall Score: 59.60%
Country: United States
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#91: Syngenta
Overall Score: 59.70%
Country: Switzerland
Industry: Chemicals
#90: Renault
Overall Score: 59.70%
Country: France
Industry: Automobiles
#89: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Overall Score: 60.00%
Country: Canada
Industry: Banks
#88: Wartsila
Overall Score: 60.10%
Country: Finland
Industry: Machinery
#87: Orkla
Overall Score: 60.40%
Country: Norway
Industry: Food Products
#86: Nordea Bank
Overall Score: 60.50%
Country: Sweden
Industry: Banks
#85: AXA
Overall Score: 60.60%
Country: France
Industry: Insurance
#84: L'Oreal
Overall Score: 60.70%
Country: France
Industry: Personal Products
#83: Akzo Nobel
Overall Score: 60.70%
Country: Netherlands
Industry: Chemicals
#82: Verbund
Overall Score: 60.90%
Country: Austria
Industry: Electric Utilities
#81: General Electric
Overall Score: 60.90%
Country: United States
Industry: Industrial Conglomerates
#80: National Australia Bank
Overall Score: 61.30%
Country: Australia
Industry: Banks
#79: Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Overall Score: 61.50%
Country: United States
Industry: Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
#78: Sun Life Financial
Overall Score: 61.50%
Country: Canada
Industry: Insurance
#77: HP
Overall Score: 61.80%
Country: United States
Industry: Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
#76: Banco Santander Brasil
Overall Score: 61.90%
Country: Brazil
Industry: Banks
#75: MetLife
Overall Score: 62.00%
Country: United States
Industry: Insurance
#74: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Overall Score: 62.30%
Country: Taiwan
Industry: Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
#73: Telus
Overall Score: 62.50%
Country: Canada
Industry: Diversified Telecommunication Services
#72: Lenovo Group
Overall Score: 62.60%
Country: China
Industry: Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
#71: Allianz
Overall Score: 62.70%
Country: Germany
Industry: Insurance
#70: Orsted
Overall Score: 63.00%
Country: Denmark
Industry: Electric Utilities
#69: Texas Instruments
Overall Score: 63.00%
Country: United States
Industry: Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
#68: Nissan Motor Co
Overall Score: 63.10%
Country: Japan
Industry: Automobiles
#67: Coca-Cola European Partners
Overall Score: 63.20%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Beverages
#66: Chr. Hansen
Overall Score: 63.30%
Country: Denmark
Industry: Chemicals
#65: Sandvik
Overall Score: 63.40%
Country: Sweden
Industry: Machinery
#64: Novartis
Overall Score: 63.70%
Country: Switzerland
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#63: Singapore Telecommunications
Overall Score: 63.70%
Country: Singapore
Industry: Diversified Telecommunication Services
#62: BT Group
Overall Score: 64.00%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Diversified Telecommunication Services
#61: Diageo
Overall Score: 64.20%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Beverages
#60: Daimler
Overall Score: 64.20%
Country: Germany
Industry: Automobiles
#59: NVIDIA
Overall Score: 64.40%
Country: United States
Industry: Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
#58: Aberdeen Asset Management
Overall Score: 64.50%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Capital Markets
#57: H & M Hennes & Mauritz
Overall Score: 65.10%
Country: Sweden
Industry: Specialty Retail
#56: Acciona
Overall Score: 65.60%
Country: Spain
Industry: Electric Utilities
#55: Sekisui Chemical
Overall Score: 65.60%
Country: Japan
Industry: Household Durables
#54: ING Groep
Overall Score: 65.90%
Country: Netherlands
Industry: Banks
#53: GlaxoSmithKline
Overall Score: 66.30%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#52: Engie Brasil Energia
Overall Score: 66.40%
Country: Brazil
Industry: Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Prod.
#51: Legrand
Overall Score: 66.50%
Country: France
Industry: Electrical Equipment
#50: Nestle
Overall Score: 66.60%
Country: Switzerland
Industry: Food Products
#49: Banco do Brasil
Overall Score: 66.60%
Country: Brazil
Industry: Banks
#48: Ingersoll-Rand
Overall Score: 66.70%
Country: United States
Industry: Machinery
#47: Kering
Overall Score: 66.80%
Country: France
Industry: Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods
#46: Shinhan Financial Group
Overall Score: 67.00%
Country: South Korea
Industry: Banks
#45: Schneider Electric
Overall Score: 67.00%
Country: France
Industry: Electrical Equipment
#44: Takeda Pharmaceutical
Overall Score: 67.40%
Country: Japan
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#43: Applied Materials
Overall Score: 67.40%
Country: United States
Industry: Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
#42: Analog Devices
Overall Score: 67.60%
Country: United States
Industry: Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
#41: Intesa Sanpaolo
Overall Score: 68.00%
Country: Italy
Industry: Banks
#40: Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget
Overall Score: 68.00%
Country: Sweden
Industry: Household Products
#39: ABB
Overall Score: 68.10%
Country: Switzerland
Industry: Electrical Equipment
#38: Storebrand
Overall Score: 68.80%
Country: Norway
Industry: Insurance
#37: Eli Lilly
Overall Score: 69.30%
Country: United States
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#36: BNP Paribas
Overall Score: 69.40%
Country: France
Industry: Banks
#35: Nokia
Overall Score: 69.60%
Country: Finland
Industry: Communications Equipment
#34: AstraZeneca
Overall Score: 69.70%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#33: bioMerieux
Overall Score: 69.80%
Country: France
Industry: Health Care Equipment & Supplies
#32: Television Francaise
Overall Score: 69.90%
Country: France
Industry: Media
#31: Kesko
Overall Score: 70.20%
Country: Finland
Industry: Food & Staples Retailing
#30: Deutsche Borse
Overall Score: 70.60%
Country: Germany
Industry: Capital Markets
#29: Halma
Overall Score: 70.70%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components
#28: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
Overall Score: 70.80%
Country: Sweden
Industry: Communications Equipment
#27: Itron
Overall Score: 71.10%
Country: United States
Industry: Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components
#26: Intel
Overall Score: 71.10%
Country: United States
Industry: Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
#25: Vivendi
Overall Score: 71.10%
Country: France
Industry: Media
#24: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Overall Score: 71.50%
Country: Australia
Industry: Banks
#23: McCormick
Overall Score: 71.50%
Country: United States
Industry: Food Products
#22: Sanofi SA
Overall Score: 71.90%
Country: France
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#21: Honda Motor Co
Overall Score: 71.90%
Country: Japan
Industry: Automobiles
#20: Allergan
Overall Score: 72.20%
Country: United States
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#19: Koninklijke Philips
Overall Score: 72.50%
Country: Netherlands
Industry: Industrial Conglomerates
#18: Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais CEMIG
Overall Score: 73.00%
Country: Brazil
Industry: Electric Utilities
#17: Bayerische Motoren Werke
Overall Score: 73.20%
Country: Germany
Industry: Automobiles
#16: Amadeus IT Group
Overall Score: 73.20%
Country: Spain
Industry: IT Services
#15: Pearson
Overall Score: 73.90%
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Media
#14: Natura Cosmeticos
Overall Score: 74.10%
Country: Brazil
Industry: Personal Products
#13: Merck
Overall Score: 74.30%
Country: United States
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#12: Enbridge
Overall Score: 74.90%
Country: Canada
Industry: Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
#11: Aareal Bank
Overall Score: 75.40%
Country: Germany
Industry: Thrifts & Mortgage Finance
#10: Samsung SDI
Overall Score: 75.80%
Country: South Korea
Industry: Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components
#9: Siemens
Overall Score: 76.70%
Country: Germany
Industry: Industrial Conglomerates
#8: Autodesk
Overall Score: 76.90%
Country: United States
Industry: Software
#7: Cisco Systems
Overall Score: 77.00%
Country: United States
Industry: Communications Equipment
#6: Amundi
Overall Score: 77.80%
Country: France
Industry: Capital Markets
#5: Outotec
Overall Score: 78.30%
Country: Finland
Industry: Construction & Engineering
#4: Ucb
Overall Score: 79.50%
Country: Belgium
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
#3: Valeo
Overall Score: 83.60%
Country: France
Industry: Auto Components
#2: Neste
Overall Score: 85.20%
Country: Finland
Industry: Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
#1: Dassault Systemes
Overall Score: 86.10%
Country: France
Industry: Software