Corporate Knights - Reports and Rankings

Reports and Rankings

Corporate Rankings

• The Global 100

In 2005, CK announced the first list of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies. The Global 100 has been recognized for its industry-leading standard of transparency and objectivity. This annual ranking is considered the world’s most extensive data-driven corporate sustainability assessment. Corporate Knights’ partners in this initiative are Global Currents, Inflection Point Capital Management and Phoenix Global ADVISORS LLC.

The Global 100 seeks to mainstream sustainability in the business community. It demonstrates that large, successful companies in a range of industries can be fiscally responsible, financially successful and focused on sustainability.

• S&P 500 Clean Capitalism Ranking

New in 2012, this report transparently ranks companies in the S&P 500 (a free-float capitalization-weighted index published since 1957) based on 11 key sustainability performance indicators (KPIs). They include carbon productivity, energy productivity, safety productivity, executive pay to average employee ratio, leadership diversity, and percent of tax paid in cash. Data is collected by Corporate Knights and verified with the Bloomberg Professional service. Companies are ranked relative to others in their industry.

• 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada

Since 2001, CK has published the definitive annual list of Canada’s top corporate citizens. Companies are transparently ranked on their relative carbon, water, waste and energy impacts as well as citizenship indicators including pension fund quality, board diversity, ratio of CEO-pay to lowest paid worker, and tax dollar generation, as well as sector specific indicators such as renewable energy investments (for financial companies) and respect for human rights (for resource extraction companies). Through this ranking CK creates dialogue about economic inequality.

• Cleantech 10 and Next 10

Since the Cleantech 10™’s inception in 2007, it has outperformed the S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) Composite by 23%. The Cleantech 10™ was compiled by Corporate Knights Inc. and Cleantech Group LLC, the world’s leading provider of cleantech indices and information. The TSX and TSX Venture Exchange are the leading growth markets for clean technology companies. Almost 130 clean technology companies are listed on the Exchanges. In 2010, the TSX launched the S&P/TSX Clean Technology Index, a benchmark maintained by Jantzi-Sustainalytics that tracks 23 domestic firms that develop and deploy green technologies. Several of these firms are in the Cleantech 10™.

The Cleantech 10™ and Next 10 represent Canada’s best publicly and privately held companies in the Cleantech realm, and span a range of sectors from desalination to water power to solar technology. CK states that Canada has a unique opportunity inherent in sustainably managing its vast natural resources.

The Corporate Knights Next 10 is selected by an advisory panel of Canada's foremost authorities on cleantech. The panel uses four judging criteria: creativity and original approach, solving a business problem, clear business objective, and best chance of breaking through.

• US Cleantech

Launched in 2012, this ranking reports the top ten US-listed Cleantech companies. The major finding is that established, deep-pocketed corporations are embracing cleantech as a core (and growing) part of their business.

Other Rankings and Reports

• The Responsible Investing Guide

The annual Responsible Investing Guide was launched in 2001 as a resource to help investors make educated judgements on which funds do the best job of fusing the social, environmental, and financial values they bring to the table. Charts make information accessible so investors can make their own assessments based on each fund's characteristics.

• The Knights Schools Ranking

The Knights Schools Ranking has been published since 2005. This report analyzes how Canadian universities fare in integrating sustainability into the school experience. Modeled after the US-based Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey, Knights Schools evaluates programs based on institutional support, student initiatives, and course work. In reviewing MBA and undergraduate business programs, Corporate Knights adopted a broad definition of sustainability that encompassed environmental and social concerns. Issues of social justice, human rights, professional conduct, cultural diversity, climate change, and conservation were considered. Beginning as an assessment of business programs, Knights Schools has expanded to review law schools, teacher education and engineering programs.

• Green Provincial Report Card

In 2009, CK produced the first Green Provincial Report Cards which considered environmental performance across ten equally weighted categories, including greenhouse gases, organic food, green energy, cancer rates, water use, biodiversity and car dependency. The survey methodology adjusts for size of population and economy. In 2010 the report examined new indicators, such as the number of endangered species in each province and asthma rates, and improves the data sources for existing indicators based on feedback from previous reports. High scores result from green certified new buildings, energy efficiency, organic food consumption, protected land set aside, low water consumption, and low rates of cancer.

• Diversity Index

Beginning in 2007, the Diversity Index has provided an annual ranking of ethnic and gender balance in Canada’s boardrooms. The survey covered a control group of 120 large Canadian corporations, including all the constituents of the S&P/TSX 60. The rationale for the creation of this ranking is that Statistics Canada estimates that, by 2031, the percentage of the Canadian population belonging to a visible minority group will roughly double to 30 per cent of the general population. To be representative of the population diversity in the boardroom would have to increase four-fold. Another challenge is that improvements in female representation in the boardroom have leveled off.

• Most Sustainable Cities in Canada

The Most Sustainable Cities in Canada have been declared annually by Corporate Knights, since 2007. The three categories are small, medium and large cities and some examples of phenomena that help cities score big are both gender and visible minority representation on city council, best voter turnout, economic security, low long-term household debt, greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality, neighbourhood energy utilities, residential solar hot water program, requiring new dwellings to be “solar ready” and green roof bylaws.

• Greenest Prime Minister

This was a one-of award. In 2006, Corporate Knights solicited the input of prominent Canadians, including Elizabeth May, Maude Barlow, Sheila Copps and Monte Hummel, to rank the environmental impact of Canadian Prime Ministers.

Selected as having accomplished the most to improve Canada's environment, Brian Mulroney was honoured at an Earth Week Gala dinner in Ottawa as the 'Greenest PM in Canadian History'. The event brought together current Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Quebec Premier Jean Charest, television host Ben Mulroney, US Ambassador David Wilkins and other dignitaries to recognize Mulroney's positive environmental impact. His government established the Acid Rain Accord, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Great Lakes Action Plan, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and ratified the Montreal Protocol.

Canadian comedian Rick Mercer provided commentary throughout the evening, which was broadcast live on national television.