His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales participating in today's release of annual ranking of World's 100 Most Sustainable Corporations

TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2021 /CNW/ - Corporate Knights 17^th annual ranking of the world's 100 most sustainable corporations is being released this morning, at a virtual event opening with live remarks from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The ranking is based on a rigorous assessment of 8,080 companies with more than US$1 billion in revenues. According to the Toronto-based sustainable-business research company's latest analysis, the world's most sustainable corporation in 2021 is Schneider Electric SE, a French company providing digital energy and automation solutions. 

In recent decades, Schneider has shifted its focus to data centers; storage and other distributed energy resources; and smart solutions that advance electrification, energy efficiency and renewability. It now earns 70% of its revenue from, and directs 73% of its investments toward, sustainable solutions. Schneider also performs strongly in racial and gender diversity and in resource productivity and safety.

The collective performance of this year's ranked companies further demonstrates the reality that forward-looking companies have maintained (if not enhanced) their sustainability commitment in the face of the daunting challenge of building back from the disruption of the pandemic.

"We are honoured and grateful to be ranked number one by Corporate Knights," said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Schneider Electric's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "It is a major encouragement for our teams and partners, and a great recognition of more than 15 years of engagement to make our company and the world greener and more inclusive. Sustainability is a journey that we accomplish with our people, partners, suppliers, customers and communities where we operate. This recognition goes also to all of them."

Analysis of financial performance and corporate longevity continues to demonstrate that the most sustainable companies tend to both outperform and outlast. From its inception on February 1, 2005, to December 31, 2020, the Global 100 Index¹ has generated a total investment return of 263% compared to 220% for the MSCI ACWI (see Appendix A below for long-term trend). The average age of a Global 100 company in 2021 is 74 years, while the average age of a company in the MSCI ACWI is 53 years.

"This year's analysis and results strongly suggest that the world's leading companies learned a lesson from the aftermath of the 2008/09 financial crisis," says Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights. "Rather than de-prioritizing sustainability when confronted with a major shock, they've recognized that it will drive the success of recovery strategies."

This year's ranking was based on several new performance indicators that reflect social concerns highlighted by both the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. They include paid sick leave, executive and board racial diversity, and clean investments (capital expenditures, R&D and acquisitions). On average, one-third of investments on the part of Global 100 companies are clean, in contrast to less than one-quarter for their peers, while the percentage of Global 100 companies that offer at least 10 days of paid sick leave (86%) is more than double that of their peers on the MSCI ACWI (41%).

Global 100 companies earn on average 41% of their revenues from products or services aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, compared to just 8% for their peers.

Metric	Global 100	MSCI ACWI
Clean revenues (from products or services with beneficial environmental or social impacts as % of total revenues)	41%	8%
% of investment (Capex, R&D, acquisitions) with beneficial environmental or social impacts	33%	22%
% of non-males on boards	32%	24%
Executive pay linked to sustainability measures (% of companies having such a link)	80%	25%
% offering at least 10 days of paid sick leave	86%	41%

The 20 American and 13 Canadian companies were the largest national contingents in the 2021 Global 100, although in regional terms Europe dominated, occupying 41 positions in this year's ranking. The Nordic countries in particular continued to punch notably above their weight. New entrants on the Global 100 from Turkey and India reflect a growing and potentially transformative Asian presence among the world's most sustainable companies.

Normally announced at an event concurrent with the World Economic Forum in Davos, this year's Global 100 launch include a virtual CEO roundtable discussion, focusing on the imperative for businesses to speed up the race to a net-zero-emission economy. This event takes place 2–3PM Central European Time with opening remarks from Prince Charles, and the involvement of Sanda Ojiambo (head of the United Nations Global Compact) and the CEOs of four perennial Global 100 companies: McCormick & Co, Natura & Co, Ørsted and Schneider Electric. Free registration is available at tinyurl.com/2021G100.

Twenty-eight of the Global 100 companies have signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C commitment, an initiative by a global coalition of UN agencies and business leaders to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

For full Global 100 rankings and methodology details, please see corporateknights.com/global100

About Corporate Knights: Corporate Knights Inc. includes the sustainable-business magazine Corporate Knights and a research division that produces rankings and financial product ratings based on corporate sustainability performance.

 Appendix I: 2021 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World

Rank	Company	Sector		Country
1	Schneider Electric SE	Industrial Conglomerates		France
2	Ørsted A/S	Power Generation		Denmark
3	Banco do Brasil SA	Banks and Investment Services		Brazil
4	Neste Oyj	Oil & Gas		Finland
5	Stantec Inc	Consulting and Professional Services		Canada
6	McCormick & Company Inc	Packaged and Processed Food and Ingredients		USA
7	Kering SA	Clothing and Accessory Retail		France
8	Metso Outotec	Construction & Engineering Services		Finland
9	American Water Works Company Inc	Water Utilities		USA
10	Canadian National Railway Co	Freight		Canada
11	Rexel SA	Industrial Distributors		France
12	Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure PLC	Power Generation		UK
13	Cisco Systems Inc	Communications Equipment		USA
14	Storebrand ASA	Insurance		Norway
15	Owens Corning	Building Materials		USA
16	Eisai Co Ltd	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		Japan
17	Cascades Inc	Packaging		Canada
18	Brambles Ltd	Assorted Business Support Services		Australia
19	Iberdrola SA	Power Generation		Spain
20	Taiwan Semiconductor Mnfg. Co Ltd	Electronic Products		Taiwan
21	Vestas Wind Systems A/S	Electronic Products		Denmark
22	UPM-Kymmene Oyj	Forest Products		Finland
23	Osram Licht AG	Electronic Products		Germany
24	Chr Hansen Holding A/S	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		Denmark
25	Siemens AG	Industrial Conglomerates		Germany
26	Trane Technologies PLC	Building Materials		USA
27	Verbund AG	Power Generation		Austria
28	Akzo Nobel NV	Chemicals		Netherlands
29	IGM Financial Inc	Banks and Investment Services		Canada
30	Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co	Technology Hardware		USA
31	Acciona SA	Construction & Engineering Services		Spain
32	Sysmex Corp	Healthcare Equipment		Japan
33	ABB Ltd	Industrial Conglomerates		Switzerland
34	Arcelik AS	Home Appliances and Houseware		Turkey
35	BT Group PLC	Telecommunications		UK
36	Novozymes A/S	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		Denmark
37	ING Groep NV	Banks and Investment Services		Netherlands
38	Johnson Controls International PLC	Industrial Machinery Manufacturing		Ireland
39	Alstom SA	Construction Machinery & Industrial Vehicles		France
40	City Developments Ltd	Real Estate		Singapore
41	Konica Minolta Inc	Technology Hardware		Japan
42	Natura & Co Holding SA	Personal Products		Brazil
43	Autodesk Inc	Software and Related Services		USA
44	National Australia Bank Ltd	Banks and Investment Services		Australia
45	Transcontinental Inc	Packaging		Canada
46	BNP Paribas SA	Banks and Investment Services		France
47	Bank of Montreal	Banks and Investment Services		Canada
48	Ball Corp	Packaging		USA
49	Allianz SE	Insurance		Germany
50	HP Inc	Technology Hardware		USA
51	Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd	Chemicals		Japan
52	Comerica Inc	Banks and Investment Services		USA
53	Standard Bank Group Ltd	Banks and Investment Services		South Africa
54	Telus Corp	Telecommunications		Canada
55	Dassault Systèmes SE	Software and Related Services		France
56	Intesa Sanpaolo SpA	Banks and Investment Services		Italy
57	Sims Metal Management Ltd	Construction Materials		USA
58	CapitaLand Ltd	Real Estate		Singapore
59	Intel Corp	Electronic Products		USA
60	Samsung SDI Co Ltd	Electronic Products		South Korea
61	Accenture PLC	IT Consulting & Services		Ireland
62	Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd	Packaged and Processed Food and Ingredients		Hong Kong
63	Essity AB	Forest Products		Sweden
64	CNP Assurances SA	Insurance		France
65	Sanofi SA	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		France
66	Valeo SA	Vehicles and Parts		France
67	Commerzbank AG	Banks and Investment Services		Germany
68	Cogeco Communications Inc	Telecommunications		Canada
69	Sun Life Financial Inc	Insurance		Canada
70	Xerox Holdings Corp	Technology Hardware		USA
71	Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		Japan
72	Tech Mahindra Ltd	IT Consulting & Services		India
73	Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd	Mining		Canada
74	Analog Devices Inc	Electronic Products		USA
75	Pearson PLC	Human Resource Services		UK
76	Adidas AG	Footwear		Germany
77	Prologis Inc	Real Estate		USA
78	Lenovo Group Ltd	Technology Hardware		China
79	Unilever PLC	Personal Products		UK
80	StarHub Ltd	Telecommunications		Singapore
81	Orkla ASA	Packaged and Processed Food and Ingredients		Norway
82	AstraZeneca PLC	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		UK
83	Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd	Banks and Investment Services		South Korea
84	SAP SE	Software and Related Services		Germany
85	Canadian Solar Inc	Electronic Products		Canada
86	Nordea Bank Abp	Banks and Investment Services		Finland
87	Kesko Oyj	Grocery and Diversified Stores		Finland
88	Henkel AG & Co KgaA	Personal Products		Germany
89	Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson	Communications Equipment		Sweden
90	Alphabet Inc	Internet Companies		USA
91	Teck Resources Ltd	Mining		Canada
92	Industria de Diseno Textil SA	Clothing and Accessory Retail		Spain
93	Koninklijke KPN NV	Telecommunications		Netherlands
94	BYD Co Ltd	Vehicles and Parts		China
95	Workday Inc	Software and Related Services		USA
96	Maxim Integrated Products Inc	Electronic Products		USA
97	Tesla Inc	Vehicles and Parts		USA
98	Novo Nordisk A/S	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology		Denmark
99	Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd	Grocery and Diversified Stores		Canada
100	NVIDIA Corp	Electronic Products		USA

¹ Calculated by Solactive and available via Bloomberg and Refinitiv, this index is composed of Global 100–ranked companies. It is equally weighted and mirrors the sector composition of the MSCI ACWI on a percentage basis.

SOURCE Corporate Knights Inc.

Toby Heaps, CEO, Corporate Knights, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]

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