Launched in 2005, the Global 100 claims to be the most extensive data-driven corporate sustainability assessment in existence. Inclusion is limited to a select group of the top 100 large-cap companies in the world.
The list was announced at the end of at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The top‐ranked company in this year’s Global 100 was Umicore (EBR: UMI), the Belgium‐based materials technology and recycling company. The top 5 were rounded out by Natura Cosmeticos, Statoil, Neste Oil and Novo Nordisk.
In total, 56 of the top 100 are companies headquartered in Europe including Scandinavia. Listed names that are notable for their corporate sustainability include oil and energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, car parts manufacture Bayerische Motoren Werke, US computer harware giants Intel and Cisco, Swedish truckmaker Scania and Spanish energy business Enargas, at 22 on the list Germany’s Siemens came in 31st place, arguably lower than many would think given the industrial group’s vast investments in sustainability.
Belgian diversified materials group Umicore topped the list, followed by Brazil’s Natura Cosmeticos SA and Statoil of Norway in third.
The highest placed US company was Biogen Idec, in eight place behind Philips of the Netherlands.
