The report, which is compiled annually by Corporate Knights, a Canadian media organisation specialising in the area of corporate sustainability is the most extensive data-driven assessment and is based on the financial, social and environmental performance of around 4,000 of the world’s largest listed companies
The award assesses a cross-section of global corporation using 12 quantitative indicators that cover the financial, social and environmental performance of around 4,000 global businesses.
Top of this year’s list was Westpac Banking Corporation of Australia, followed by US pharma business Biogen and Finnish capital goods player Outotet, but the cosmetics industry also made its mark on the list:
Rankings for cosmetics manufacturers and suppliers, 2013:
12) BASF (which also encompasses its Care Creations personal care arm)
28) Croda
45) L’Oreal
57) Johnson & Johnson
93) Unilever
Croda’s result represents the second consecutive year that it has made the list, and comes just a day aftersustainability analysts, Trucost, identified Croda as being one of just 34 Natural Capital Decoupling Leaders, which underlines a company’s ability to increase its capital revenue, while decreasing its natural capital impact.
“Sustainability is a major point of differentiation for our business and I am delighted that both our Global 100 position and the recognition from Trucost endorses this,” said Steve Foots, Chief Executive of Croda.
“We are confident our strategy will generate even greater benefits for the environment in which we operate, our customers, the people that we work with and for our shareholders.”
BASF gets highest ranking
BASF was the best performing business with operations in the personal care segment, which the company believes reflects the importance it has continued to place on sustainability in recent years.
“For BASF, inclusion in this index is recognition of how we create chemistry for a sustainable future by combining long-term oriented economic success with social and environmental sustainability,” said Charlene Wall-Warren, Director of Sustainability for BASF in North America.