The 10 Greenest Companies You Can Invest In
1: Dell Technologies
Dell employs a robust strategy when it comes to the environment. Dell has worked to minimize their own greenhouse gas emissions and even goes a step further by working with their suppliers to help them strive for reduced carbon emissions as well. Dell also takes a strong stance on water conservation. Many of their own facilities utilize closed loop water systems, and rain water collection to minimize their needs. They have also requested in that all of their suppliers in water deprived areas, or involved in water intensive production processes bring them a water risk mitigation plan. Where Dell truly shines is in product sustainability. They do this by an extensive end of life recycling system for computer parts that have exceeded their usable lifespan. They seek to refurbish and reuse any components that can be salvaged and sustainably recycle those that can’t. Most impressive about the company is the painstaking efforts taken to constantly analyze and review all of their partners to ensure clean practices are being maintained.
Learn more about Dells environmental policies here.
2: AptarGroup
You may not have heard of Aptar, but you’ve likely held their products in your hands. They make the packaging and delivery systems for many of your every day essentials from shampoo to bottled water. Why is a company that produces packaging so high on this list? Their focus is on creating sustainable packaging that aligns with what they refer to as a circular economy. They have three main focuses;
Eliminate items that are not needed, which may include unnecessary packaging components.
Circulate used plastic and packaging to keep it in the economy and out of the environment.
Innovate so that necessary plastic and packaging are designed to be safely reused, recycled or composted.
Learn more about what they are doing here.
3: IBM
IBM issued their first corporate report on environmental affairs in 1971. That alone should tip you off to the fact that they make huge efforts to protect the environment. Their environmental mission statement included a whopping nine different objectives. In addition to the efforts the company is making to minimize their own impact, they employ the use of their powerful artificial intelligence and supercomputers to help identify potential threats to the environment.
Learn more about IBM here.
4: Mastercard
Mastercard was the first financial company to set targets that would put them in line with achieving the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. They focus their efforts in four areas; reducing greenhouse gases, building green facilities, using renewable energy, and supplier engagement. They are also investing heavily in parter integrations that will help businesses and consumers better understand the environmental impacts of the decisions they make, and work to reduce them.
Learn more here.
5: Microsoft
The company has been carbon neutral since 2013, and has a goal to be carbon negative by 2030. They have six published environmental principals;
Conserve, reuse, and recycle
Reduction and disposal of waste
Sustainable products and packaging
Continually improve performance
Responsibly source raw materials
Demonstrate responsibility and transparency
You can learn more about their strategy here.
6: Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs began their environmental programs in 2005. They started by focusing on their own business operations. The reason they make our list though has a lot more to do with what they help facilitate. They have developed business channels that funnel investment and capital to underserved areas and industries to help them invest in green projects. It is not a stretch to say that they make possible many of the improvements we are seeing today by financing the expenses that come with sustainable sourcing.
Learn more here.
7: Alphabet (Google)
Though it’s not terribly surprising, Google actually has an entire web domain devoted to their sustainability efforts. The planet has been important to Google for some time, and they take carbon very, very seriously. The company has been carbon neutral since 2007 (the first major company to do so) and aims to be carbon free by 2030 (which would likely be another first). They care about carbon so much that they actually looked back at the years before 2007 and calculated their total carbon emissions since founding. Then they went out and purchased enough high quality carbon offsets to neutralize them. If you’re tracking, that makes them the first completely carbon neutral company out there.
Learn more here.
8: Cisco
Cisco makes this list primarily because of what they do to engage their employees. They have a channel whereby any employee can submit ideas and recommendations to help improve environmental efficiency and reduce waste. They offer a two month employee volunteerism campaign to help employees celebrate the earth. They have an internal green team that leads sustainability projects. They offer a virtual sustainability platform to help educate and train employees on on living more sustainable lives. There is more, but suffice it to say, a big part of Ciscos efforts are about getting people involved, and leading change.
Learn more here.
9: NVIDIA
NVIDIA is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and providing a safe and healthy environment for employees, contractors, and communities. Their goal is to drive innovation, conserve natural resources, and minimize the environmental impact from our products, supply chain and operations, leaving a healthier planet for future generations. Their commitment to the environment is reflected in policies, programs and practices for conducting operations in an environmentally, as well as economically, responsible manner.
Learn more here.
10: Best Buy
After a flurry of tech companies make the list, we saved the last spot for a humble retailer. Best Buy has two main environmental targets; become carbon neutral by 2040, and reduced the carbon emissions of their customers by 20% in the next ten years. Best buy offers robust electronic and battery recycling programs, and through their geek squad puts a noticeable dent in the amount of products that would otherwise reach the end of their life.
Learn more here.