By John Parnell
Unilever, Adidas and Pepsi have all been recognised as sustainability ‘sector leaders’ in a review compiled by consultancy KPMG and the investment specialists RobecoSAM.
The report underlines the investment multinationals in 58 sectors appear to be making in ensuring they use less energy and have a lighter environmental impact, although it warns that a lack of reporting standards makes comparisons difficult.
“Business is entering a period of unprecedented opportunity and risk due to a potent cocktail of megaforces including climate change, population growth, water scarcity, urbanization and ecological decline,” said Yvo de Boer, KPMG’s climate change & sustainability advisor.
“Investors should consider the companies awarded gold medals in The Sustainability Yearbook 2013 as among the best prepared within their own sectors to manage these challenges and make themselves fit for the future.”
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It is widely thought that most businesses are increasingly aware of the risks associated with climate change and the pressures it will place on resources.
A study by Accenture and the Carbon Disclosure Project found that 70% of the firms polled are concerned about climate change.
The current meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, will see a number of political and private sector leaders debate how to achieve economic growth without exploiting the environment.
Sustainability Handbook 2013
Gold medals winners
Airlines – Air France-KLM
Durable household goods – Electrolux
Clothing and footwear – Adidas
Food producers – Unilever
Food and drug retailer – J Sainsbury
Beverages – Molson Coors & PepsiCo
Automobiles – BMW
Biggest Improvers (by sector)
Beverages – Coca-Cola
Computer hardware – HP
Leisure goods – LG
Software – Microsoft
Communication Technology – Nokia
(Read the full report)