- New research by Compare the Market AU has analysed factors such as green power source, green power usage and net zero commitment date to reveal the greenest companies
- Switch Ltd ranked top with a score of 66.47, with salesforce.com (61.18) and Google LLC (54.49) making up the top three
Corporate sustainability is a widely discussed topic, with many large corporations paying closer attention to their environmental footprint. So, with US$495 billion invested in renewable energy overall in 2022¹, which companies are leading in terms of green energy usage?
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The 10 Greenest Companies
In order to investigate this, Compare the Market AU has revealed an index ranking of the greenest companies based on three factors: annual green power usage (kWh), the percentage of total electricity use that’s green power, and their target year for achieving net zero.
With companies spanning industries from technology and telecoms to retail, the top 10 were revealed as:
| Rank | Organisation | Annual Green Power Usage (kWh) | Green Power % of Total Electricity Use | Net Zero Commitment Target | Total Score |
| 1 | Switch, LTD | 983,690,210 | 100% | Achieved | 66.47 |
| 2 | salesforce.com | 543,792,117 | 73% | Achieved | 61.18 |
| 3 | Google LLC | 9,100,267,846 | 105% | 2030 | 54.49 |
| 4 | Apple Inc | 2,477,186,342 | 104% | 2030 | 54.29 |
| 5 | Microsoft Corporation | 8,324,914,969 | 100% | 2030 | 53.51 |
| 6 | Equinix, Inc | 2,458,915,894 | 100% | 2030 | 53.51 |
| 7 | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | 439,693,637 | 100% | 2030 | 53.51 |
| 8 | The Boeing Company | 573,362,000 | 30% | Achieved | 52.75 |
| 9 | ALDI, Inc | 1,008,421,949 | 93% | 2030 | 52.14 |
| 10 | University of California | 467,983,801 | 44% | 2025 | 51.79 |
Ranking first was technology and telecom company Switch, Ltd which drew in a total score of 66.47. Relying on solar power resources, the company have reported committing 100% of their energy usage to green power (which is over 983 million kWh in total). Not only that, but Switch report they are net zero2 making them the greenest company on Compare the Market’s list.
Not far off with a total score of 61.18 were salesforce.com, who also report they have achieved their net zero target – however the company’s percentage green power usage still has some way to go at 73% of overall electricity usage.
Overall, the technology and telecom industry dominated the top ten with Google LLC, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corporation among the top 10, each achieving a total score above 50. In fact, almost all companies in the top ten have set a target to achieve their net zero commitment by 2030.
For the transport industry, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the greenest in Compare the Market’s ranking, with their green power resources acquired from solar and wind, making up 100% of the company’s total electricity usage. ALDI, Inc leads the way for retail reporting that 93% of their total electricity usage comes from green power, and a 2030 target to achieve net zero status.
Commenting on the research, Compare the Market’s Head of Energy, Meredith O’Brien, said: “With the climate crisis dominating discourse in media over the past few years, increased pressure has been put on companies to re-evaluate their corporate sustainability efforts – therefore, many companies have made a conscious effort to reduce their emissions.
Our data has shown that some US companies have clearly made a huge push towards this, with companies across industries from technology and telecom to retail, committed to achieving their net zero target.”
“For those looking to become more environmentally friendly in their own home, assessing your energy usage is a great start. This can be in the form of small changes such as lowering the heat setting on your wash cycle or switching to more energy-efficient lightbulbs.
However, you can also compare energy plans to see if any providers in your area offer a carbon-neutral energy plan so that you can support ongoing investment into renewable energy production.”
To find out more about the greenest companies, please visit Comparethemarket.com.au.
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Comparethemarket.com.au is an online comparison service that takes the hard work out of shopping around. We help Australians to quickly and easily compare and buy insurance, banking, and energy deals from a wide range of providers.
