Big corps play a significant role in our fight for sustainability and a more equitable society. Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is imperative to understand in any review of a business’s practices. CSR is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public¹. In the field of sustainability and in the discussion of how to work towards a greener planet, a lot of the problems will start with big corporations and a discussion of how they can honor CSR. While it is true that our individual efforts may not be able to offset the harm that our corporations have done to our planet, I do believe that the average human, in collaboration with the efforts of corporations, can achieve great things. So, while many large corporations of today’s world are doing more harm than good to our planet, I think it is important to highlight the corporations that are “doing it right”.

1. AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a large and well-known British owned biotechnology company. The company has an estimated market cap of over $200 billion and is the 49th most valuable company by market capitalization². As such a leader in biological innovation and pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, undoubtedly, has a huge responsibility to operate sustainably.

AstraZeneca focuses on multiple pillars of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) – including sustainability strategy, access to healthcare, environmental protection, and ethics & transparency³. The corporation puts out a yearly sustainability report of well-supported data.

In their access to healthcare pillar, AstraZeneca has a 2025 target of reaching 50 million people through healthcare programs, and as of 2022, they have reached 44.6 million⁴. Next, in their environmental protection pillar, the company is aiming to reduce absolute Scope 1 (direct greenhouse gas emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect greenhouse gas emissions) by 98% from 2015⁵. As of 2022, they have reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by nearly 60% and are on track to hit their goal⁶. They have also established a goal to use 100% renewable electricity globally by 2025, and in 2022, 91% of their electricity was renewably sourced⁷. Another 2025 target was to reduce water use by 20% from 2015, and in 2022, they had a 18.7% reduction⁸. In their last pillar of ethics and transparency, AstraZeneca, in 2022, had a 72% reduction in reportable injury rate within the workforce since 2015, and they are well on track to hit their target of 75% reduction from 2015 by 2025⁹.

2. Cisco

Cisco is an American digital communications company that specializes in networking. The San Francisco-based company has a market cap of $212 billion and is the world’s 48th most valuable company by market capitalization¹⁰.

In their 2022 Purpose Report, the tech giant has outlined specific and clear sustainability goals, including ethics and inclusivity.

In their sustainability goals, in 2022, Cisco has achieved a 39% reduction in Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 compared to 2019 and used 89% renewable energy¹¹. Additionally, they have goals specific to circular design and packaging. One of these goals is to reduce foam usage in Cisco products by 75% from 2019, which they are on track to hit with a 23% reduction in 2022¹². In 2022, Cisco achieved their goal of improving large rack-mounted equipment system power efficiency from 77% in 2016 to 87%¹³.

Cisco is also dedicated to social justice within and outside of their community. In 2022, they achieved their goal of maintaining 80% community impact participation (as measured by employees’ actions, including advocating for causes, volunteering, donating, and more) for the third consecutive year¹⁴. Moreover, they have impacted 893 million people through social impact grants and signature programs¹⁵.

3. Unilever

Unilever is a British packaged goods company, specializing in food, home care, and beauty. The massive corporation has a market cap of $131.51 billion and is the world’s 94th most valuable company by market capitalization¹⁶.

Unilever has continued to recognize how sustainability, apart from its moral benefits, is an effective business model and strategy. Their sustainability practices go beyond strategical benefits, however.

On their website, Unilever links several data sheets available to the public for transparency and authenticity. On their climate action sheet, data from 2015 to 2022 is recorded on over 40 categories of their environmental impact. These numbers show a 68% reduction in Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 and a 66.5% increase in renewable energy use from 2015¹⁷. On their environmental and occupational safety sheet, Unilever had a 96% decrease in total waste sent for disposal compared to 2008¹⁸. On a similar note, the company reuses, recycles, and recovers 97% of waste¹⁹.

4. Siemens AG

Siemens AG is a German technology and manufacturing company focusing on healthcare, transportation, and industry. The Munich-based corporation has a market cap of $131.29 billion, making it the worlds 95th most valuable company by market capitalization²⁰.

Siemens AG has been ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies for years as they recognize their role as a manufacturing giant in the fight for climate justice. The company posts comprehensive sustainability reports each year, with over 100 pages of data. In their most recent report (2022), Siemens AG has achieved a 46% reduction in emissions, as they work to reach their goal of -55% by 2025²¹. Siemens AG has also shown up on the ethics side of sustainability, training 99.9% of their workforce on their Business Conduct Guidelines every 3 years²².

Another reason why Siemens AG is recognized as a leader in corporate sustainability is due to their innovations. Last year, Siemens introduced their platform, Siemens Xcelerator to digitally transform businesses. By using their platform, companies can assess environmental risks and rewards through data. Xcelerator enables businesses to measure, simulate, reduce, and track their product carbon footprint in the development stage, as well as provide data on hazardous materials and solutions to transition to net zero²³ .

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is imperative that we recognize big corporations who go above and beyond to respect their Corporate Social Responsibility. As important as it is to call out corporations that dishonor their social responsibility, it is just as important to see how businesses are innovating to achieve sustainability.