It’s no secret that the environmental impact of the corporate world can be significant. And job seekers are noticing. A 2019 Deloitte Study showed that one in four millennials and Gen Zs believe that companies should do their part to stop climate change and help the environment, but only 12% believe that corporations are actually working to actively be sustainable. RippleMatch’s Gen Z Job Seeker Report mirrors these results, with almost a third of respondents from the class of 2021 citing a company’s social impact initiatives as a factor in their job search. As the workforce becomes more socially conscious, job seekers are paying more attention to companies’ sustainability initiatives.
If social responsibility is a factor you’re considering as you evaluate companies for your first internship or job, you should look into these 12 companies who go above and beyond with their environmental initiatives.
Analog Devices, a semiconductor company specializing in data conversion, signal processing and power management technology, has focused on sustainability issues for many years. In 2020, they joined the UN Global Compact, committing to aligning their operations with the UNGC’s Ten Principles and working toward the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company also supports the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, ensuring they follow the strictest aims of the Paris Agreement. In April 2021, Analog Devices announced they are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050. As part of this goal, they plan to move to 100% renewable energy across all operations by 2025. Analog Devices also plans to release their “engineering good” report annually, providing stakeholders with updates to ensure accountability. This transparency is essential to their environmental efforts, and shows that they take their commitment to sustainability very seriously.
Avangrid is a leader in service, innovation, and investment in the sustainable energy industry. Sustainability is at the core of everything they do, so it’s no surprise they have been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies three years in a row. Avangrid’s employees deliver projects that power America’s future, providing clean energy, and improving customers’ lives and communities. Avangrid Renewables is one of the leading providers of clean, renewable energy in the U.S, providing more than 7,000 MW of owned and controlled wind and solar power facilities. Recently, CEO Dennis V. Arriola worked with the Biden administration to discuss and plan out the first commercial-scale offshore wind project to help lead the way to America’s clean energy future. Avangrid’s purpose is to work together “to deliver a more accessible clean energy model that promotes healthier, more sustainable communities every day.”
ComEd, a leading energy delivery company, prides itself on powering customers’ lives. The company has received the highest honor from ENERGY STAR and the US Department of Environmental Protection for nine years in a row, which is no surprise considering their commitment to clean energy and energy efficiency. They have made significant investments in technology that empowers customers to make smart choices to decrease their energy usage. They also share and report on how clean energy bills are delivering both environmental benefits and cost savings for ComEd customers. In addition to their efforts to improve energy efficiency, ComEd works to advocate for at-risk species. In the summer of 2020, ComEd partnered with Alveole to install two honey bee hives, which allow the bees to pollinate local flowers and provide a safe habitat for the creatures that are critical to our ecosystem. They even donated a portion of the 200 jars of honey they harvested to a local food pantry! Additionally, ComEd works to donate the branches and leaves of trees they trim around power lines to Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, so that the gorillas can have enrichment and supplemental food even during the colder months. Whether it’s with their commitment to clean energy or to wildlife, ComEd is constantly working to help the environment.
Cummins Inc., a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, engineer, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies. In 2020, only six years after announcing their first global sustainability plan, Cummins achieved three of its seven numeric goals. Milestone achievements include saving 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide since 2014, reducing their direct water use by 54% since 2010, and avoiding one billion gallons of water use since 2010. Moving forward, CEO Tom Linebarger and the rest of the Cummins team are dedicated to achieving several goals by 2030. One of the most exciting goals is reducing 300 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which would have a significant environmental impact. With sustainability at the top of mind in everything they do, it’s no surprise Cummins has been named to the Dow Jones Indices of the Most Sustainable Companies in North America for 14 years in a row!
DISH Network, a leading television provider based in Englewood, Colorado, is strongly committed to supporting the environment through their corporate and employee actions. A primary focus of the organization has been reducing paper waste, with DISH Cares launching a campaign to encourage customers to switch from paper to electronic billing. Paired with this effort, they partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant over 13,000 trees in the Sierra National Forest. In addition, DISH diverts over 3,000 tons of waste to recycling each year and recycles over 1,000 tons of cardboard, adding up to over 18,000 trees and almost 10,000 cubic yards of landfill space saved. Dish also works to refurbish over 5 million receivers, broadband hardware, and accessories annually to further limit the impact on landfills. Their commitment to the environment even extends to their offices, with their newest office being named one of the ten greenest buildings in Denver!
Saving lives by providing game-changing treatment and early detection of cancer is the essential mission of Exact Sciences. Naturally, a company built to save lives is also one devoted to bettering our planet. Exact Sciences has received numerous awards for its environmental efforts, most recently being named a 2020 Climate Champion by the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change. In the last year, Exact Sciences set up its first Freight Farm, a converted shipping container that houses a hydroponic farm, a sustainable alternative to traditional farming. The company uses the farm to grow nutrient-dense foods that they serve in their employee kitchens, reducing the environmental impact of the food supply chain for their headquarters. With efforts to reduce IT waste, responsible disposal of mercury waste, and more, Exact Sciences continues to innovate and expand its positive environmental impact every day.
A household name, Intel works to create world-changing technology that enriches the lives of every person on earth. The company has a long history of improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions, and conserving resources throughout their operations. Intel chooses to reduce their climate footprint by investing in alternative energy, and believes so strongly in their environmental goals that they tie a portion of employee compensation to the achievement of certain sustainability metrics. Since 2008, the company has invested more than $145 million in energy conservation products and installed more than 40 on-site projects that use solar, wind, fuel cell, and other alternative energy sources worldwide. They are also the largest voluntary purchaser of green power in the United States. As a global leader in innovation and technology, Intel plays a key role in addressing the planet’s sustainability challenges.
As one of the largest transportation logistics companies in North America, J.B. Hunt prides itself on being able to deliver more while using less. One major way J.B. Hunt stays energy efficient is by equipping their company-owned trailers and containers with solar-powered tracking units, which reduces empty miles and limits fuel consumption. J.B. Hunt also leads the industry in converting over-the-road shipments to intermodal, which is 250% more fuel efficient. This conversion led to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of almost 3.2 million metric tons in 2019 alone, the equivalent of removing 700,000 passenger cars from the roads for a full year. These efforts, along with measures like expanding the use of renewable biodiesel fuel and equipping drivers with iPads to reduce the use of paper, are just a few of the ways the company strives to be environmentally friendly. With these steps, J.B. Hunt aims to reduce their GHG emissions intensity 3% by 2025. By 2035, they plan to convert a quarter of their fleet to an alternative fuel source, cutting emissions even further.
As one of the United States’ largest nonprofit healthcare plans and medical groups, Kaiser Permanente believes it has an obligation to minimize their environmental impact. Their multifaceted environmental stewardship efforts include climate action, utilizing sustainable food, waste reduction, water conservation, and the management and accountability of their processes and materials. In 2016, Kaiser Permanente created an aggressive 9-year plan, aiming to achieve a long list of environmental management goals by 2025. One of their most ambitious goals is becoming carbon net positive by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, utilizing solar power as an energy source at one of their hospitals, and purchasing carbon offsets. They also plan to recycle, reuse, or compost 100% of their non-hazardous waste and reduce their water consumption by 25%.
Nordstrom, one of the country’s leading fashion retailers, has prioritized protecting the environment. In the goals the company laid out for 2025, Nordstrom pledged to contribute $250,000 in corporate grants to slow and prevent climate change, and to establish a science-based target to reduce Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The company has also pledged to reduce single-use plastics by 50%, use sustainably-sourced materials for 50% of Nordstrom Made products, ensure 15% of their products qualify as sustainable style, work to help customers extend the life of 250 tons of clothing, and more. Nordstrom has also announced a special Pop-In Shop for Earth Day. The shop, Package Free, includes everyday essentials that will help customers live a zero-waste lifestyle! These amazing goals showcase Nordstrom’s dedication to helping both customers and Mother Nature look and feel their best.
Toyota, one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, has a strong commitment to the environment. This commitment is made very clear through their environmental 6-step plan, called the “Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050.” With the challenge, Toyota aims to reduce or eliminate CO2 emissions from their vehicles, suppliers, dealers, and operations, to conserve water and protect water resources, and to support a recycling-based society. In order to achieve their own goals while aligning with the global community, Toyota is committed to supporting the United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although many of their most ambitious goals are long-term, Toyota has accomplished a lot already. The company estimates that by 2025, they will have sold 5.5 million electrified vehicles, and are proud of reducing GHG emissions by 14% over the last four years. They also recycled or reused 623 million gallons of water in 2019, the equivalent of what over 5,600 American families would use in a year, and recycled, reused, or composted over 92% of all waste. Toyota’s environmental efforts extend to suppliers and dealerships, as well. Almost 200 Toyota-affiliated sites across the country feature pollinator gardens to support migrating monarch butterflies, and the company worked with 70 dealerships across North America to become Leed-certified.
With a motto like “lets solve water,” it’s no surprise that Xylem is a leader in sustainability practices. The water technology company, which works to meet the world's water, wastewater and energy needs by creating innovative and smart technology solutions, puts their customers and communities at the focal point of their sustainability practices. For example, Xylem works to solve significant problems like water scarcity by enabling water reuse and conservation. The company has also committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing primarily on six of the goals: Good Health and Well-Being; Gender Equality; Clean Water and Sanitation; Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities and Communities; and Climate Action. By 2025, Xylem is committed to operating on 100% renewable energy and 100% process water recycling. These changes will also allow customers to save over 16.5 Billion cubic meters of water and will prevent over seven billion cubic meters of polluted water from entering communities. Xylem’s commitment to achieving their ambitious goals will help mitigate the growing water crisis, while supporting communities and the environment overall.
Interested in learning more about companies invested in social responsibility? Check out these companies with powerful social impact initiatives.