Four Finns feature in global sustainability ranking

The 20th annual Global 100 ranking evaluated over 6 700 companies with revenue exceeding one billion US dollars across 38 industry sectors, using 25 metrics. The key measurements include sustainable investment and revenue, diversity and corporate governance. 

Neste was the top performer among its Finnish peers and placed 19th in the ranking, up from 29th the year before. The oil company was also named best in the energy sector. This year marked the company's 18th consecutive appearance on the list.

“I am proud of how we have incorporated sustainability as part of our business and how we have made systematic progress towards our long-term sustainability commitments,” said Carl Nyberg, executive vice president of renewables supply chain and sustainability at Neste.

Neste refines waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels, and has become the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. 

Another stalwart on the list, Kesko, made a significant leap in the rankings, from 74th last year to 29th in the latest edition. In addition, the retail giant topped the consumer stables sector. It can now boast being the world’s only company to have made the list every year since its inception in 2005.

“I believe that the rise in Kesko’s ranking on the list can be attributed to our constant progress in all areas of sustainability,” commented Riikka Joukio, Kesko’s EVP of sustainability and public affairs. “We recently committed to setting long-term net zero emission targets for our whole value chain.”

A newcomer on the list, Elisa, went straight to the 59th spot. The telecom provider was second in its sector, boosted by its investments in sustainability. CEO Veli-Matti Mattila reminded that the company embarked on a mission to leverage digitalisation to achieve a sustainable future almost five years ago.

“The results can be seen in practice, as our 5G network already covers more than 90 per cent of Finns and our solutions are helping our customers to operate in more climate-friendly ways. We have improved the energy efficiency of our mobile network by 78 per cent since 2016,” he said.

Finally, Nordea placed 84th in the ranking, a rise of ten spots from the previous list. This established it among the top six most sustainable banks worldwide. Nordea has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 40–50 per cent by 2023 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.