America’s 32 Industry Leaders for Environmental Performance in 2022

As the world commemorates Earth Day this week, the need for ambitious climate action has become increasingly urgent. The latest report from the IPCC, the UN’s climate research body, found that, left unchecked, the world’s current emissions rate could cause warming of more than twice the 1.5°C goal set in the Paris Agreement. Companies have been stepping up to do their part and now, for U.S. companies, disclosing how they’re taking action could join items like profits and losses as a part of standard annual reporting.

In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) introduced a new proposal that would require publicly listed companies to disclose climate impacts and metrics in annual 10-K Reports filed with the agency. The move is one that the American public widely supports – along with major shareholders. Polling by JUST Capital and SRSS, conducted in partnership with Ceres and Public Citizen, found that 86% of Americans across the political spectrum are in favor of federal climate disclosure requirements and 80% would support a company if it was transparent with environmental data.

Transparency is moving to become the new norm for companies on environmental action. And while some metrics, like greenhouse gas emissions, could become standardized reporting for corporate America, each company’s journey toward sustainability will look different. Industry by industry, companies are going beyond standard disclosures to focus their sustainability efforts on elements most material to their business models.

In recognition of this, we took a look at what the companies that topped their industries in our 2022 Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies for their environmental performance are doing to manage their impact. From setting 1.5°C Science Based Targets to leveraging products and services to deploy unique climate solutions, read on to explore how these 32 industry leaders are taking action.

Bank of America Corporation

Industry: Banks
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 5

Bank of America is one of four companies in its industry to have set a net zero by 2050 target. The company also leads the industry in renewable energy use, sourcing 109% of its electricity from renewables – the highest among Banks JUST ranks. Bank of America offers sustainable finance products, including green bonds, and, as a signatory to the Equator Principles, evaluates environmental risks in financing decisions.

Apple

Industry: Technology Hardware
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 7

Apple’s verified 1.5°C Science Based Target is informed by its inclusion of suppliers in its clean energy efforts and its commitment to make its supply chain carbon neutral by 2030. Apple also has taken steps to reduce the impact of its packaging and products through conducting life cycle assessments and offering materials for self–service repair of its devices.

Mastercard

Industry: Commercial Support Services
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 13

Mastercard is one of three companies in its industry to have a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. The company also uses 100% renewable energy to power its operations and set an additional commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which is tied to its executive compensation along with other ESG goals.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc

Industry: Insurance
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 14

The Hartford Financial Service Group’s commitment to managing its environmental impact includes a policy to not underwrite projects for companies that derive a certain amount of revenue from coal. The company also sources 56% of its total energy consumption from renewable sources and recycles 62% of the waste it generates.

Ford Motor Company

Industry: Automobiles & Parts
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 20

Ford is the second Automobiles & Parts company to have a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target and, within this industry, uses the highest percentage of renewable energy (10% of its total electricity use). The company has also expanded investment in electric vehicles and recycles 90% of the waste it generates.

Equinix Inc

Industry: Real Estate
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 40

Equinix uses the highest percentage of renewable energy (91% of its electricity use) among Real Estate companies JUST ranks. The company is also only one of six in the industry to have a climate commitment that is a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. Within its operations, 69% of the company’s global properties are certified green buildings.

Lockheed Martin Corp

Industry: Aerospace & Defense
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 44

Lockheed Martin is one of six Aerospace & Defense companies to have set an emissions reduction goal, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 70% per dollar of gross profits by 2030. The company also uses the highest percentage of renewable energy in its industry, sourcing 9.9% of its energy mix from renewable sources.

Boston Scientific Corp

Industry: Health Care Equipment
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 50

Boston Scientific earns the number one rank among Health Care Equipment companies on renewable energy use. The company sources 35% of its total energy mix from renewable sources and has also set a goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity use from renewables by 2024.

VMware Inc

Industry: Software
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 55

VMware’s climate commitment is a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target, and is informed by its goal to reach net zero emissions by 2030 across its operations and supply chains and its analysis on the carbon impact of remote work. VMware is also among the top five highest renewable energy users JUST ranks in the Software industry.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc

Industry: Capital Markets
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 57

Goldman Sachs is one of seven Capital Markets companies we rank that has set a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The firm offers a suite of sustainable finance products across its businesses and sources 90% of its total energy mix from renewable sources.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

Industry: Computer Services
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 75

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company is the only company in its industry to have set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. HPE puts its commitment to helping build a circular economy into practice by recycling 87% of the waste it generates.

ExxonMobil Corporation

Industry: Oil & Gas
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 89

ExxonMobil captures and stores more carbon than any other Oil & Gas company we rank – nine million tonnes total. The company also performs biodiversity assessments, measuring the impact of its business and how to best mitigate it, for each of its operating sites.

Ecolab Inc

Industry: Chemicals
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 90

Ecolab has set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target, the only company in its industry working toward this goal. The company also performs life cycle assessments to both understand and lessen the environmental impact of its products.

Analog Devices

Industry: Semiconductors & Equipment
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 101

Analog Devices is the only Semiconductors & Equipment company we rank to have set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. The company also leads in renewable energy use, sourcing 53% of its total energy mix from renewables – the second highest percentage in its industry – and invests in energy efficient products.

Etsy Inc

Industry: Retail
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 102

Etsy discloses its complete environmental analysis in its annual 10-K Report and has offset emissions from its shipping operations since 2019. The company has also committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2030, a goal aligned with SBTi’s 1.5°C scenario, and assessed seven different Scope 3 categories in setting this target.

Moody’s

Industry: Consumer & Diversified Finance
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 104

Moody’s has set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target and helped to launch the Net Zero Financial Services Provider Alliance. The company leads its industry with both renewable energy usage (74%) and recycling rate (78%), and has also noted its plan to assess SBTi’s new Net-Zero Corporate Standard and use it as a framework to evolve its climate strategies.

Duke Energy Corporation

Industry: Utilities
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 109

Duke Energy is ranked second among Utilities companies for its climate commitments, which include a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The company also discloses its Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions as part of its climate impact reporting.

PVH Corp

Industry: Household Goods & Apparel
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 127

PVH’s climate commitment is verified by the Science Based Target initiative for a 1.5°C scenario and it earns the number two spot in its industry for offering sustainable products. PVH is one of seven Household Goods & Apparel companies to disclose the amount of cotton the company sustainably sources and is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

Starbucks Corporation

Industry: Restaurants & Leisure
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 140

Starbucks is one of two companies in the Restaurants & Leisure industry to have set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. The company also has the highest percentage of renewables in its energy mix among the industry, powering 72% of its global operations with renewable energy.

Netflix Inc

Industry: Media
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 142

Netflix is one of two Media companies we rank that has set a target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The company has the highest percentage of renewable energy use (100% of its total energy mix) in the industry.

AptarGroup Inc

Industry: Building Materials & Packaging
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 164

AptarGroup has the highest percentage of renewable energy use (85% of its total energy mix) among Building Materials & Packaging companies we rank. The company also performs life cycle assessments to understand and lessen the environmental impact of its products.

Stanley Black & Decker Inc

Industry: Commercial Vehicles & Machinery
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 174

Stanley Black & Decker is one of two companies in the Commercial Vehicles & Machinery industry to have set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. The company is also committed to developing sustainable products, exemplified in its Products with a Purpose line and additional electrification products.

T-Mobile US Inc

Industry: Telecommunications
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 184

T Mobile US has set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target, and is one of three companies in its industry to be working toward this goal. The company also ranks first among Telecommunications companies we evaluate for its renewable energy use.

Estee Lauder Companies Inc

Industry: Personal Products
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 208

Estee Lauder is one of two Personal Products companies we rank to have set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. The company also leads the industry in renewable energy use, sourcing 36% of its total energy mix from renewables.

Baker Hughes Company

Industry: Energy Equipment and Services
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 226

Baker Hughes is the only company we rank in the Energy Equipment and Services industry to commit to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The company also offers energy efficient, low-carbon services for its customers.

Xylem Inc

Industry: Industrial Goods
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 301

Xylem ranks first both overall and in its industry for its performance on developing sustainable products, and has focused on increasing the energy efficiency of its products. The company also has the highest percentage of renewable energy use (67% of its total energy mix) among Industrial Goods companies we rank.

Catalent Inc

Industry: Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 309

Catalent is one of six companies in its industry to have set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target. Of Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies JUST ranks, Catalent also uses the highest percentage of renewable energy (49% of its total energy mix) to power its operations.

International Paper Co

Industry: Basic Resources
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 324

International Paper ranks first when it comes to renewable energy usage both in its industry and among all companies JUST ranks. The company sources 72% of its total energy mix from renewable sources.

Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc

Industry: Food, Beverage & Tobacco
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 331

Keurig Dr. Pepper uses the second highest percentage of renewable energy (50% of its total electricity use) in its industry. The company’s climate commitment is also a verified 2°C Science Based Target and it recycles 92% of the waste it generates.

DaVita Inc

Industry: Health Care Providers
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 385

DaVita has set a verified 1.5°C Science Based Target, the only company in its industry to be working toward this goal. The company also leads Health Care Providers we rank in renewable energy use, sourcing 15% of its total energy mix from renewables.

Ryder System Inc

Industry: Transportation
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 475

Ryder, a transportation and supply chain management company, utilizes electric vehicles in its fleet and has equipped its facilities with EV maintenance and charging capacity. The company also sources 11% of its energy consumption from renewable sources.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc

Industry: Food & Drug Retailers
2022 America’s Most JUST Companies Rank: 548

Walgreens Boots Alliance has set a target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The company also uses the highest percentage of renewable energy among Food & Drug Retailers JUST ranks.

Note: Meta is ranked first for the Environment in the Internet industry in our 2022 Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies. However, we previously gave Meta a unique event treatment in our 2022 Rankings, which places it in the bottom quartile of the companies we rank (please see this post for more background). We’ve withheld its Top Company for the Environment Seal and inclusion in the list in-line with our unique event protocol.

Note: This data is based on JUST Capital’s evaluation of 954 companies from the Russell 1000 Index featured in our Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies.

Source: JUST Capital’s datasets, collected in Spring 2021.