Mantz, Erika

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices12-5-2012TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OFSUSTAINABLE GROWTHErika MantzUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationMantz, Erika, "TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH" (2012). UNH Today. 4114.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/4114December 5, 2012 TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTHDURHAM, N.H. – The message coming from top name brands is clear: climate change poses a threat to business in the form of increased costs and risks associated with extreme weather. As a result, companies are prioritizing the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower their carbon footprint. These findings are gleaned from an annual rating of consumer brands performed by Climate Counts, an affiliated program of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire.     The latest scoring results show that 66 percent of companies rated have publicly available climate and energy strategies, compared to just 25 percent in 2007, the year the organization began rating companies. “When the financial crisis hit, it was as if the climate discussion fell into a coma,” said Mike Bellamente, director of Climate Counts. “Now we’re seeing major consumer brands calling climate change by name and meeting aggressive targets to slash emissions—all while turning a profit and growing their business. It’s still dismally quiet on Capitol Hill, but it is promising to see signs of leadership emerging from the private sector.”Five of the top six companies rated by Climate Counts — Unilever, Nike, UPS, Levi Strauss and L’Oreal — exhibited year­on­year revenue growth from 2010 to 2011 while reducing absolute emissions across some or all business units. Apple scored a respectable 62 points (out of 100), yet remained at the bottom of the 15­company technology pack. Wendy’s and Burger King continue to record single­digit scores for the fifth straight year, five and two respectively.Unilever, the top­rated company for the second straight year, showed visible progress on their Sustainable Living Plan, an initiative to double the size of their business by 2020 while reducing emissions by half in that same timeframe.  “Never before has it been so important for business to step up its leadership to address both the causes and the impacts of climate change,” said Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever. “Ordinary people are increasingly suffering the effects of extreme weather events and the associated food and water shortages. They are expecting us to be responsible in helping them to manage these challenges. Each of us—government, business and civil society—know what we need to do. It is time to take concerted action. While we welcome this acknowledgement by Climate Counts, we still have more to do and we encourage all of our stakeholders to accelerate their commitments to responsible growth since moving in concert is what is needed.”   UPS, a perennial top performer on the Climate Counts scorecard, continues to see emissions minimization as a key part of corporate citizenship. “UPS’s sustainability strategy is rooted in a commitment to transparency and responsibility,” said Scott Davis, UPS chairman and chief executive Media RelationsPage 1 of 3UNH News: TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/nov/em05brands.cfm.htmlofficer. “Being recognized as the top corporation in our industry is an honor and validates our efforts to act responsibly as a business, an employer, and as a corporate citizen. We continue to advance our efforts to measure, manage, and mitigate our carbon footprint while offering our global, socially conscious customers innovative products and services.”Climate Counts scores the largest 145 companies (by revenue) in 16 industry sectors on their actions to address climate change. The companies are assessed on a 100­point scale based on 22 criteria. The criteria measure a company’s efforts to assess their climate footprint, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support progress on climate legislation, and communicate their efforts clearly and comprehensively to consumers.With average scores having nearly doubled since 2007, Climate Counts found it necessary to create an additional tier for “soaring” companies that earn 85 points and higher on the 100­point scorecard.  Fifteen companies hit the soaring mark this year.  “The new tier of 'soaring' companies in the Climate Counts index is anything but an indication of mission accomplished. Far from it ­­ it's a two­pronged wake­up call,” said Wood Turner, Climate Counts board chair and vice president of Sustainability Innovation at Stonyfield Farm (which spearheaded the launch of Climate Counts in 2007). “First, it should remind lagging companies exactly how far off the pace they actually are in tooling themselves for a very different future marketplace.  And second, it should tell U.S. lawmakers that many of the world's biggest job creators consider climate leadership a winning and essential business strategy demanding serious and immediate public policy support." This year’s Climate Counts sector leaders are as follows:• Airlines: Lufthansa  (77)• Apparel/Accessories: Nike  (89)• Beer: Heineken  (79)• Banks: Bank of America (86)• Consumer Shipping: UPS  (89)• Food Products: Unilever  (91)• Food Services: Starbucks  (69)• Home and Office: Herman Miller  (66)• Hotels: Marriott  (70)• Household Products: L'Oreal  (87)• Internet/Software: Google  (64)• Large Appliances: AB Electrolux  (87)• Media: News Corporation  (67)• Pharmaceuticals: Johnson & Johnson  (82)• Technology (formerly Electronics): IBM  (86)• Toys & Children’s Equipment: Hasbro  (73)Page 2 of 3UNH News: TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/nov/em05brands.cfm.htmlA report and the full 2012­13 Climate Counts review are available at www.climatecounts.org and on their iPhone App. Climate Counts is a nonprofit organization based within the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire. The project aims to bring consumers and companies together to address climate change. The Climate Counts Company Scorecard was developed with oversight from a panel of business and climate experts from leading non­governmental organizations and academic institutions. Since 2007, Climate Counts researchers have used the scorecard to rate the climate actions of nearly 150 companies (representing approximately 3,000 brands) in 16 industry sectors. Companies are given the opportunity to provide public data sources. Information on all scored companies is available at www.climatecounts.org.Media Contact: Erika Mantz | 603­862­1567 | UNH Media Relations Secondary Contact: Mike Bellamente | 603­862­0121 | Climate Counts Copyright © 2018, The University of New Hampshire  •  Durham, NH 03824  •  UNH main directory: (603) 862­1234. Media Relations is a unit of Communications & Public Affairs which is a division of University Advancement. ADA Acknowledgement | Contact the Webmaster | UNH Today | UNH Social Media IndexPage 3 of 3UNH News: TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/nov/em05brands.cfm.html

TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
12-5-2012
TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Erika Mantz
UNH Media Relations
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Mantz, Erika, "TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH" (2012). UNH Today. 4114.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/4114
December 5, 2012 
TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
DURHAM, N.H. – The message coming from top name brands is clear: climate change poses a threat 
to business in the form of increased costs and risks associated with extreme weather. As a result, 
companies are prioritizing the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower their 
carbon footprint. These findings are gleaned from an annual rating of consumer brands performed 
by Climate Counts, an affiliated program of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New 
Hampshire.     
The latest scoring results show that 66 percent of companies rated have publicly available climate 
and energy strategies, compared to just 25 percent in 2007, the year the organization began rating 
companies. 
“When the financial crisis hit, it was as if the climate discussion fell into a coma,” said Mike 
Bellamente, director of Climate Counts. “Now we’re seeing major consumer brands calling climate 
change by name and meeting aggressive targets to slash emissions—all while turning a profit and 
growing their business. It’s still dismally quiet on Capitol Hill, but it is promising to see signs of 
leadership emerging from the private sector.”
Five of the top six companies rated by Climate Counts — Unilever, Nike, UPS, Levi Strauss and 
L’Oreal — exhibited year­on­year revenue growth from 2010 to 2011 while reducing absolute 
emissions across some or all business units. Apple scored a respectable 62 points (out of 100), yet 
remained at the bottom of the 15­company technology pack. Wendy’s and Burger King continue to 
record single­digit scores for the fifth straight year, five and two respectively.
Unilever, the top­rated company for the second straight year, showed visible progress on their 
Sustainable Living Plan, an initiative to double the size of their business by 2020 while reducing 
emissions by half in that same timeframe.  
“Never before has it been so important for business to step up its leadership to address both the 
causes and the impacts of climate change,” said Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever. “Ordinary people are 
increasingly suffering the effects of extreme weather events and the associated food and water 
shortages. They are expecting us to be responsible in helping them to manage these challenges. 
Each of us—government, business and civil society—know what we need to do. It is time to take 
concerted action. While we welcome this acknowledgement by Climate Counts, we still have more 
to do and we encourage all of our stakeholders to accelerate their commitments to responsible 
growth since moving in concert is what is needed.”   
UPS, a perennial top performer on the Climate Counts scorecard, continues to see emissions 
minimization as a key part of corporate citizenship. “UPS’s sustainability strategy is rooted in a 
commitment to transparency and responsibility,” said Scott Davis, UPS chairman and chief executive 
Media Relations
Page 1 of 3UNH News: TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/nov/em05brands.cfm.html
officer. “Being recognized as the top corporation in our industry is an honor and validates our efforts 
to act responsibly as a business, an employer, and as a corporate citizen. We continue to advance 
our efforts to measure, manage, and mitigate our carbon footprint while offering our global, socially 
conscious customers innovative products and services.”
Climate Counts scores the largest 145 companies (by revenue) in 16 industry sectors on their actions 
to address climate change. The companies are assessed on a 100­point scale based on 22 criteria. 
The criteria measure a company’s efforts to assess their climate footprint, reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions, support progress on climate legislation, and communicate their efforts clearly and 
comprehensively to consumers.
With average scores having nearly doubled since 2007, Climate Counts found it necessary to create 
an additional tier for “soaring” companies that earn 85 points and higher on the 100­point 
scorecard.  Fifteen companies hit the soaring mark this year.  
“The new tier of 'soaring' companies in the Climate Counts index is anything but an indication of 
mission accomplished. Far from it ­­ it's a two­pronged wake­up call,” said Wood Turner, Climate 
Counts board chair and vice president of Sustainability Innovation at Stonyfield Farm (which 
spearheaded the launch of Climate Counts in 2007). “First, it should remind lagging companies 
exactly how far off the pace they actually are in tooling themselves for a very different future 
marketplace.  And second, it should tell U.S. lawmakers that many of the world's biggest job creators 
consider climate leadership a winning and essential business strategy demanding serious and 
immediate public policy support." 
This year’s Climate Counts sector leaders are as follows:
• Airlines: Lufthansa  (77)
• Apparel/Accessories: Nike  (89)
• Beer: Heineken  (79)
• Banks: Bank of America (86)
• Consumer Shipping: UPS  (89)
• Food Products: Unilever  (91)
• Food Services: Starbucks  (69)
• Home and Office: Herman Miller  (66)
• Hotels: Marriott  (70)
• Household Products: L'Oreal  (87)
• Internet/Software: Google  (64)
• Large Appliances: AB Electrolux  (87)
• Media: News Corporation  (67)
• Pharmaceuticals: Johnson & Johnson  (82)
• Technology (formerly Electronics): IBM  (86)
• Toys & Children’s Equipment: Hasbro  (73)
Page 2 of 3UNH News: TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/nov/em05brands.cfm.html
A report and the full 2012­13 Climate Counts review are available at www.climatecounts.org and on 
their iPhone App. 
Climate Counts is a nonprofit organization based within the Sustainability Institute at the University 
of New Hampshire. The project aims to bring consumers and companies together to address climate 
change. The Climate Counts Company Scorecard was developed with oversight from a panel of 
business and climate experts from leading non­governmental organizations and academic 
institutions. Since 2007, Climate Counts researchers have used the scorecard to rate the climate 
actions of nearly 150 companies (representing approximately 3,000 brands) in 16 industry sectors. 
Companies are given the opportunity to provide public data sources. Information on all scored 
companies is available at www.climatecounts.org.
Media Contact: Erika Mantz | 603­862­1567 | UNH Media Relations 
Secondary Contact: Mike Bellamente | 603­862­0121 | Climate Counts 
Copyright © 2018, The University of New Hampshire  •  Durham, NH 03824  •  UNH main directory: (603) 862­1234. 
Media Relations is a unit of Communications & Public Affairs which is a division of University Advancement. 
ADA Acknowledgement | Contact the Webmaster | UNH Today | UNH Social Media Index
Page 3 of 3UNH News: TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/nov/em05brands.cfm.html


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TOP BRANDS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

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