The company makes environmental sustainability a priority. “We believe it’s quite urgent that we respond to the climate emergency, and it has been the driving ambition of our company to contribute to a world that runs entirely on green energy,” Poulsen says. “We’ve been quite forceful and had a lot of urgency transforming our company because we fundamentally think it’s time to take real action.”
As part of its transformation, the business has created 20 sustainability programs, including a decarbonization initiative with a goal of getting Ørsted coal-free by 2023. The company’s offshore wind farms bring green power to more than 13 million people, and the aim is to reach 50 million by 2030. Nearly half the companies on Corporate Knights’ list are based in Europe , including Chr. Hansen Holding, which this year is No. 2 after claiming the No. 1 spot last year. The Denmark-based bioscience company develops natural solutions for the food, beverage, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Chr. Hansen uses “good” bacteria to ensure that food stays fresh as it moves from farm to market.
Rounding out the top three for the second year in a row is Neste Oyj. Some 25% of the Finnish oil refining and marketing company’s revenue comes from its biofuel business, making it a major supplier of renewable jet fuel in Europe, andThe organizations that make up this list have made significant strides toward sustainability, but there’s still much work to be done, and it’s in their best interest as businesses to do it.