Monday 3 October 2016

BT tops sustainability list of FTSE 100 firms – again

Telecommunications giant BT has been rated as having the best sustainablility strategy out of FTSE 100 companies for the third year running.

M&S and Unilever were awarded second and third place respectively in Carbon Clear's latest annual sustainability report.

Each company in the FTSE 100 was given a percentage score based on their carbon management strategy, targets, emissions reduction success and innovative approaches to sustainability reporting.

BT scored 89%, Marks & Spencer 88% and Unilever got an 86% rating.

The report stated: "BT has a continuously evolving approach to carbon and sustainability management. The company has also committed to the RE100 initiative and already sources 95% of electricity bought worldwide from renewable resources. BT met its target ahead of its 2020 goal, achieving an 81% reduction in their net emissions compared to their 1996/97 baseline."

It also found the number of FTSE 100 companies using and buying renewable energy has increased from 55 to 64 in the last year.

The report suggests the rise in the number of top UK firms going green could be due to the Paris climate change negotiations last December, influencing climate awareness.

The UK has claimed it will ratify the Paris Agreement this year and the EU fast-tracked its own official signing last week.

However, the report states many companies still have a long way to go in order to embed sustainability into their business, with 57 of the companies getting a rating of less than 50%.