The top 10

Oil and gas (BP, Shell and Chevron) and automotive companies (Ford, Peugeot), whose businesses are often criticised as environmentally damaging, again dominate the top of the ranking. This reflects the strength of their response to society’s questions about their long-term impact.

Indeed, companies that face the toughest social and environmental challenges are often the first to figure out how to turn risk into long-term business opportunity. This point is supported by the presence in the top 10 of two companies from the utilities, telecoms and other services sector (Tokyo Electric Power and EDF) that are influenced by environmental concerns, in this case over nuclear power and climate change.

But the top 10 also includes companies that have previously not been seen as ‘high impact’. Vodafone, the mobile telephony operator, leads the utilities sector, reflecting in part its approach to the opportunity to widen access to credit and other services using wireless technology.

Significantly, HSBC Holdings’ score has leapt since 2004. It now leads all financial services players, most of which have fairly recently begun investing in their corporate responsibility programmes.

The other top-10 company is Carrefour, the global retailer. It appears to have recognised the value of answering questions such as how it manages its market power and the risks in its global supply chain.