The annual Climate Counts scorecard of the world's more environmentally and socially conscious businesses is out, and for the first time in four years, athletic apparel company Nike didn't manage to claim the No. 1 spot. That distinction went to consumer products giant Unilever.
In the latest Climate Counts report, Unilever earned 88 out of a possible 100 points. The clincher was the U.K. company's extensive Sustainable Living Plan, which contains a pledge to reduce the impact of Unilever's more than 400 different brands by half while moving toward 100 percent sustainable sourcing of agricultural items by the end of this decade.
The non-profit said the latest report represents a "tipping point" in terms of environmental and sustainable best practices. In the report, Climate Counts Project Director Mike Bellamente writes:
"This year, 17 of the largest 20 companies assessed demonstrate what we consider to be a 'striding approach' to climate leadership by scoring 50 points or better on our scorecard. As a frame of reference, the largest 20 companies we score represent 21 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the U.S."
Here's how the scoring levels work on the list:
Unilever is "striding," of course, as is Nike, which earned 85 points for all the various criteria that Climate Counts studies. The non-profit looks at 22 different criteria in all, related to reduction efforts, ongoing management of greenhouse gas emissions, policy stances related to the environment, and reporting initiatives.
There were four "striding" companies in all: Unilever (88), AstraZeneca (86), Nike (85) and Siemens (85).
Here are some other stats that caught my attention:
I'll leave you with the top 12 "striding" companies on the list:
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