By CBE Blog Staff
With more and more companies vowing to embrace and incorporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies into their business practices, we want to highlight several top companies that have seamlessly demonstrated their commitment to upholding and integrating these standards into their business practices. Contrary to popular belief, ESG goes beyond just green initiatives — it extends into ethical business practices, corporate philanthropy, inclusive impact, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more. ESG standards create stronger partnerships between stakeholders, customers, and other businesses that aim to uphold similar standards. Moreover, ESG serves as a beacon of inclusivity by supporting marginalized identities and communities as a whole.
Climate Change and Sustainability
Nvidia Corporation is a Santa Clara, CA-based company that has made significant strides in the field of AI. As one of the most highly valued and innovative companies in the world, Nvidia’s largest product is its GPU chip which has increased in demand as the AI field continues to grow. Its corporate sustainability standards are no less — by the 2025 fiscal year, Nvidia expects to use 100% renewable energy for its office and data center use. As an effort to further reduce energy use and maximize efficiency, its GPU chips are estimated to be about 20x as efficient as traditional chips. As more and more industries shift towards AI technology, Nvidia has supported multiple companies across the globe to uplift their communities. In the healthcare technology industry, for example, Nvidia has offered its services to create AI models for healthcare services including prescription drug creation, screenings, and medical imaging. In partnership with Amazon Web Services, Nvidia’s AI Enterprise has increased its services to a variety of healthcare and life science companies across the industry to promote healthcare innovation. Due to its efficacy and efficiency, this initiative will speed up drug development across industries. A-Alpha Bio, a large biotechnology firm experienced a 10x efficiency in their engineering of protein samples.
Avocados are a tremendously popular food, known for their numerous health benefits and nutritional value; however, a significant number of avocado pits end up being thrown out which further contributes to global food waste. Bioengineering company, Biofase has made impressive strides in creating plastics from avocado seeds and reducing food waste. Traditionally, bioplastics are created from corn or potato-based grains. The Mexico-based company was founded by Scott Munguia in 2013 and has developed a technology that uses avocado pits to create 100% compostable and biodegradable utensils called Biocom compostables. The technology uses the biopolymer from the pits called polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) elements to replace traditional plastic consumption in the form of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Beginning in the production process, the avocado pits are cleaned and then converted to biopolymer plastic. They are then mixed with organic compounds and transformed into a resin that builds their heat tolerance. Their other offering includes a Biocom Hybrid product which is made up of about 60% composted vegetable matter. Since the creation of Biofase, they have been awarded numerous times including the 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 Latin America award, FRISA Award for Entrepreneurial Development, and the 2012 Cleantech Challenge.
In an industry where sustainability is just as important, Alleyoop is a cosmetic and wellness brand that offers products ranging from body care, to makeup brushes, and makeup pens. Founded in 2019, the company has received multiple awards from Elle and Allure magazine due to its cleaner ingredients free of parabens, aluminum, and latex. Their sustainability model prides itself on its “multifunctional” designed packaging which reduces the need for multiple items because the products and tools needed for a makeup object are already included in the design. Not only is their packaging locally and sustainably sourced, but it also uses far less land, water, and energy sources to create their packaging in the first place. Alleyoop has committed itself to net-zero plastic packaging and has reused about 21,000 lbs of plastic found in the ocean. To top it all off, all of Alleyoop’s products are vegan and cruelty-free to promote its dedication to preserving life and natural resources.
Social Responsibility and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sodexo, a French food and merchandise company founded in 1966 has won numerous awards for its gender-based DEI initiatives in the workplace. Serving over 100 million customers on a daily basis, the company was given a perfect disability equality index score, named Forbes’ 2022 best employer for diversity, Seramount’s best company for multicultural-identifying women, and Employer of the Year by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. The company continues to spearhead the DEI space through representation, inclusivity, and educational training. About 60% of the board of directors, 29% of its executive governing committee members, and over 55% of its total staff are women. Thousands of their company leaders and managers participate in DEI training annually.
Swiss-based company, Novartis is one of the leading global pharmaceutical companies in the world. Novartis strives to include historically underrepresented voices in the world of medicine and has been awarded for its gender equality and LGBTQ+ employment efforts. It was included in Bloomberg’s 2023 Gender Equality Index and awarded Stonewalls’ Top Global Employer in 2022. Novartis employees can join numerous Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to receive support and create bonds with those of similar backgrounds, interests, and perspectives. To impact underserved communities, it announced a 10-year-long partnership with over 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country to mitigate the ongoing impacts of healthcare disparities. As the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbates these impacts, Novartis aims to increase diversity “among trial participants…clinical trial investigators, medical school students, and physicians.” Novartis will support the education of future Black healthcare providers through mentorship in collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and by establishing Digitally Enabled Clinical Trial Centers for Excellence to increase racial diversity in medical trials which can be incorporated into textbooks and future studies.
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