2Sustain

Climate Counts has released its third annual corporate climate scores for 90 well-known consumer companies.

The results show that even in the recession, leading corporations appear to be strengthening their voluntary response to climate change. In fact, Climate Counts found a 22 percent increase in scores by 81 of the companies, as well as significant gains among those previously in the index’s lowest tier.

Climate Counts uses a 22-criteria scorecard to track corporate climate action in four key areas:

• measurement of impact,

• reduction of impact,

• engagement on public policy related to climate change, and

• openness and transparency with consumers on corporate climate activities.

Here are a few highlights from this year’s scorecards:

• For the second straight year, Nike topped the list. Nike scored 83 points (out of a possible 100).

• For the first time, all 12 of the companies scored in the electronics sector and all four of the companies scored in the consumer shipping sector have now earned a score above 50 points.

• Scores surged for previously low-scoring companies like eBay (a jump of 48 points), US Airways (up 43 points to match most of the top scorers in a relatively low-scoring sector), Apple (up 41 points), and Levi Strauss (up 36 points).

“Competition – the most fundamental tenet of a thriving global marketplace – will define the future of corporate climate action and sustainability,” says Climate Counts Executive Director Wood Turner. “Our scores show that companies are motivated to act when they may not measure up to other companies on their response to issues that matter to people. Climate change is certainly one of those issues, and companies in every major consumer sector have dialed up their efforts in an evolving economy to make the reduction of global warming pollution a competitive advantage.”

You can see the complete Climate Counts Company Scorecards here.