As we reported in our Top 5 Sustainability Communications Trends for 2010, companies will continue realigning their core business values to adhere to new demands for greater transparency from stakeholders, competitors, regulators, and consumers.
Today’s Forbes/Corporate Knights ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies is a key proof point for this trend, as the list shows more of the world’s largest companies are communicating sustainability proactively, transparently, and as a core business value.
The list is dominated by companies in Europe and the US that have succeeded in communicating the link between their sustainability initiatives and core strengths and values. Congratulations to to GE and PG&E for breaking the mold and achieving the number one and two rankings respectively.
Over the next 11 months, there will be more opportunities for US companies to show their wares. New 2010 sustainability rankings will be released by the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good indices, Newsweek’s Green Rankings of the S&P 500, the Carbon Disclosure Project Leadership Index, and many others. Given the market volatility throughout 2009, noting which companies rose and fell in the rankings this past year tells us much about how sustainability factored into companies’ responses to the economic downturn.
Submitted by Grant Draper, FD Element