The Most Ethical Companies In The World

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volunteer,csr,ethical

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We’re so used to hearing about corporate scandals, lawsuits, and corruption today that it's easy to assume most companies bend the rules to their benefit. But it turns out that there are plenty of businesses that are giving back to the community through volunteer work, promoting ethical business standards, and being transparent about their corporate practices.

In an effort to honor those companie s that are leading their industries in compliance, corporate governance, and social responsibility, the Ethisphere Institute released its eighth annual list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.

Thousands of companies from around the globe were nominated for this year’s list. A total of 144 companies were ultimately selected, representing 41 industries in 22 countries.

To compile the list, Ethisphere, an independent research center that promotes best practices in corporate ethics and compliance, issued a survey with a series of multiple-choice questions that were intended to “capture a company’s performance in an objective, consistent, and standardized way.” Scores were then generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance programs; reputation, leadership, and innovation; governance; corporate citizenship and responsibility; and culture of ethics.

If and when a company’s score warranted further consideration, Ethisphere relied on independent research, supporting documentation , and interviews with company leadership.

“Placement on this list helps companies attract and retain key stakeholders such as employees and customers,” says Tim Erblich, CEO of the Ethisphere Institute. “This in turn helps companies drive growth and performance, especially as they expand into new markets around the world.”

The final list, which includes 21 newcomers, is not a ranking. All selected companies are equally winners.

Here are the 144 most ethical companies in the world:

Company

Country

Category

3M Company

USA

Industrial manufacturing

ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd

Switzerland

Energy, oil and gas

Accenture

USA

Business services

Adobe Systems Incorporated

USA

Computer software

AECOM

USA

Engineering and design

AES Corporation

USA

Energy and utilities: electric

Aflac Incorporated

USA

Insurance: health

All Good Organics

New Zealand

Food and beverage products manufacturing

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company

USA

Energy, oil and gas

Applied Materials, Inc.

USA

Electronics

Aramark

USA

Food service

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

USA

Insurance: brokerage

Atlas Copco AB

Sweden

Industrial manufacturing

Autoridad del Canal de Panama

Panama

Transportation and logistics

Avnet, Inc.

USA

Electronics

Banco do Brasil S.A.

Brazil

Banking

Baptist Health South Florida

USA

Healthcare services

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina

USA

Insurance: health

Blue Shield of California

USA

Insurance: health

Capgemini

France

Business services

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

USA

Insurance: health

CBRE

USA

Real estate

Cementos Progreso

Guatemala

Industrial manufacturing

CH2M Hill

USA

Rngineering and design

Cisco Systems, Inc.

USA

Telecommunication equipment

Cleveland Clinic

USA

Healthcare services

Colgate-Palmolive Company

USA

Consumer products manufacturing

CRH plc

Ireland

Construction

Cummins Inc.

USA

Automotive

CUNA Mutual Group

USA

Financial services

Deere & Company

USA

Industrial manufacturing

Dell Inc.

USA

Computer hardware

Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B)

USA

Business services

Eastman Chemical Company

USA

Chemicals

Eaton

USA

Industrial manufacturing

eBay Inc.

USA

Retail

Ecolab

USA

Chemicals

Elbit Systems of America

USA

Aerospace & defense

Encana Corporation

Canada

Energy, oil and gas

Energias de Portugal, S.A. (EDP)

Portugal

Energy and utilities: electric

ENMAX Corporation

Canada

Energy and utilities: electric

Ethical Fruit Company Ltd

UK

Agriculture

Express Scripts Holding Company

USA

Healthcare services

Fluor Corporation

USA

Engineering and design

Ford Motor Company

USA

Automotive

Gap Inc.

USA

Apparel

Gemological Institute of America (GIA)

USA

Professional, scientific and technical services

General Electric Company

USA

Industrial manufacturing

Google, Inc.

USA

Computer services

Granite Construction Inc.

USA

Construction

H. B. Fuller

USA

Chemicals

Hasbro, Inc.

USA

Consumer products manufacturing

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Germany

Consumer products manufacturing

Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M)

Sweden

Apparel

Henry Schein, Inc.

USA

Healthcare products

Hitachi Data Systems

USA

Computer hardware

Holland America Line

USA

Leisure and hospitality

Holland America Line-Seabourn

USA

Leisure and hospitality

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)

USA

Healthcare services

Iberdrola, S.A.

Spain

Energy and utilities: electric

IHCC (International Hospitals Construction Company)

Saudi Arabia

Construction

illycaffè spa

Italy

Food and beverage products manufacturing

Ingredion Incorporated

USA

Food and beverage products manufacturing

ING U.S.

USA

Financial services

Intel Corporation

USA

Computer hardware

International Paper

USA

Forestry, paper and packaging

Johnson Controls

USA

Industrial manufacturing

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated

USA

Real estate

Juniper Networks, Inc.

USA

Telecommunications equipment

Kao Corporation

Japan

Consumer products manufacturing

Kellogg Company

USA

Food and beverage products manufacturing

Kennametal Inc.

USA

Industrial manufacturing

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

USA

Consumer products manufacturing

Knights of Columbus

USA

Insurance: life

L'ORÉAL

France

Health and beauty

Levi Strauss & Co.

USA

Apparel

ManpowerGroup

USA

Business services

Marks and Spencer

UK

Retail

Marriott International, Inc.

USA

Leisure and hospitality

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

USA

Insurance: Life

Mattel, Inc.

USA

Consumer products manufacturing

Microsoft Corporation

USA

Computer software

Milliken & Company

USA

Industrial manufacturing

National Australia Bank

Australia

Banking

National Grid

USA

Energy and utilities: electric

Natura Cosméticos

Brazil

Consumer products manufacturing

NextEra Energy, Inc.

USA

Energy and utilities: electric

NiSource, Inc.

USA

Energy and utilites: natural gas

Noblis, Inc.

USA

Professional, scientific and technical services

Northern Trust Corporation

USA

Financial services

Northumbrian Water Group

UK

Energy and utlities: water

Novation, LLC

USA

Healthcare services

Old National Bancorp

USA

Banking

Parsons Corporation

USA

Engineering and design

Paychex, Inc.

USA

Business services

PepsiCo, Inc.

USA

Food and beverage products manufacturing

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.

USA

Retail

PKN ORLEN S.A.

Poland

Energy, oil and gas

Premier, Inc

USA

Healthcare services

Premier Farnell plc

UK

Electronics

Realogy Holdings Corp.

USA

Real estate

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

USA

Electronics

Rockwell Collins

USA

Aerospace & defense

Safeway Inc.

USA

Retail

salesforce.com, inc.

USA

Computer software

Saltchuk Resources, Inc.

USA

Transportation and logistics

SCA, Svenska Cellulosa AB

Sweden

Consumer products manufacturing

Schneider Electric SA

France

Industrial manufacturing

Sempra Energy

USA

Energy and utilites: natural gas

Sharp HealthCare

USA

Healthcare services

Shiseido Company, Limited

Japan

Health and beauty

SingTel

Singapore

Telecommunications services

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.

Japan

Insurance: property and casualty

Sonae

Portugal

Retail

Spectra Energy Corp.

USA

Energy, oil and gas: natural gas

Starbucks Coffee Company

USA

Retail

Swiss Re

Switzerland

Insurance: re-insurance

Symantec

USA

Computer software

TATA Power Company

India

Energy, oil and gas

Teachers Mutual Bank

Australia

Banking

Ten Thousand Villages

USA

Retail

Teradata Corporation

USA

Computer software

Texas Instruments Incorporated

USA

Electronics

The Aerospace Corporation

USA

Aerospace and defense

The Hartford Financial Services Group

USA

Insurance: general

The Nature Conservancy

USA

Environmental services

The Rezidor Hotel Group

Belgium

Leisure and hospitality

The Timken Company

USA

Industrial manufacturing

Thomson Reuters

USA

Professional, scientific and technical services

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

USA

Financial services

Time Warner Inc.

USA

Media

T-Mobile USA, Inc.

USA

Telecommunications services

Unibail-Rodamco SE

France

Real estate

University Hospitals

USA

Healthcare services

UPS

USA

Transportation and logistics

Visa Inc.

USA

Financial services

Waste Management

USA

Environmental services

Westpac Banking Corporation

Australia

Banking

Weyerhaeuser Company

USA

Forestry, paper and packaging

William E. Connor & Associates Ltd.

Hong Kong

Consumer products manufacturing

Wipro Limited

India

Computer software

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation

USA

Insurance: health

Xerox Corporation

USA

Business services

Click here to see the full list and methodology.



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