Another year, another report card…and another year Apple comes in dead last.
ClimateCounts has released its annual scorecard tallying up how major companies stack up on a set of 22 environmental criteria, including the extent to which they’ve publicly disclosed their climate-related actions, whether they support (or block!) progressive climate laws, reduce their impact on global warming, and attempt to measure their climate footprint. Last year, Apple came in dead last among electronics companies; this year, nothing has changed, with Apple scoring only 11 out of a possible 100 points. Even Finland’s Nokia, which placed next-to-last, managed 37 out of 100.
Top scores in the electronics category went to IBM, Canon, Toshiba, HP, Sony, and Motorola. In the Internet/software sector, only Google managed a passing score of 55, with eBay and Amazon.com landing even lower than Apple on the 100 point scale, managing just 5 points apiece. But it could be worse: in food services, Wendy’s, Darden (which owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and others), and Burger King all got goose eggs.
ClimateCounts compiles their scorecards as a way to draw attention to climate issues and apply pressure to major brands to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices and polices. “We’ve been excited by the response from consumers all over the world who have told us over and over again how ready they are to align themselves with companies that reflect their own concern for global warming,” the organization wrote in its blog. “Consumers have told us—through their emails and calls to us and to the companies we’ve scored—that they are ready to vote with their dollars to stimulate meaningful corporate climate action.”
In the past, Apple has tried to dismiss reports like ClimateCounts’—and Greenpeace—by saying it prefers to actually do something about environmental issues rather than issue policy statements. (And the company has made moves to reduce toxins in its products, and pioneered e-waste recycling efforts.) However, Apple’s lack of visible action continues to garner bad press, and has spurred demands from shareholders that the company put on a more visible green face.
ClimateCounts is a non-profit funded by organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm.
