Canadian research firm Corporate Knights releases its annual list of most sustainable corporations in the world, with some new entries in the top 10.
From Microsoft going carbon negative to Starbucks announcing a (somewhat vague) goal to become “resource positive,” it seems that major companies are announcing new sustainability efforts every day. But which ones are doing the most for our environment? An annual ranking from Canadian research firm Corporate Knights, revealed January 21 at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, scrutinized more than 7,000 companies to identify the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world.
In the top spot on Corporate Knights’ Global 100 list this year is Danish renewable energy provider Ørsted. A decade ago, 85% of the energy company’s production was from fossil fuels, with only 15% from renewable energy; today Ørsted has reversed those shares, according to Corporate Knights, and has a target to “essentially become carbon neutral” by 2025. Last year’s No. 1 company, Chr. Hansen, a Danish bioscience company that uses “good bacteria” in food production to preserve food and reduce food waste, came in second this year. Rounding out the top three was Neste, an oil refiner from Finland, which, Corporate Knights notes, “is switching from refining crude oil to using cooking waste and other bio-based materials.”
