Identifying those businesses that are genuinly sustainable can often be a trial of endurance. To try and relieve some of the pain, Sustainable Business has recently released the 2008 SB20: the top twenty sustainable company stocks worldwide.
The aim is to showcase innovative companies which have either made considerable progress in making their management practices more sustainable or have grown significantly by providing green technology.
This year’s list has nearly half of its members coming from Europe, Asia and South America, demonstrating that leadership in sustainability can come from any quarter.
A second list of “core” companies has also been published. This highlights sustainable companies who have been listed in the SB20 for four years in a row and are thus considered models of excellence in their field.
Both lists are determined by a panel of judges drawn from the social and environmental investment sector. Selected businesses have to have passed stringent sustainability and financial criteria.
The interesting bit is that companies are selected according to progress made, rather than targets achieved or straightforward market capitalisation.
The lists are therefore an interesting mix which sees household names like IBM and Electrolux rubbing shoulders with less well known businesses like Chipotle Mexican Grill.
What do you think? Are lists of companies like this helpful in promoting sustainable business practices, or do they simply show which companies have the slickest PR departments?
I’d love to find out what you think. Post your comment below or start a debate on the Green Options Discussion Forum.
Posts related to sustainable business practices:
Xerox: Walking the Talk on Sustainable Business?
Good to Great: What does a ‘far, fast’ sustainable business leader look like?
Photo Credit: “Jungle Men” by biewoef on stockxchng.