The Most Sustainable US Companies in 2022
Companies in the US and around the world are increasingly adopting sustainability initiatives to green their enterprise footprint. So what companies out there are the most sustainable?
First, let’s dive into what makes a sustainable company.
What Makes a Sustainable Company?
Businesses can green their footprint in all sorts of ways. Depending on the industry, companies can take all sorts of paths towards increasing their sustainability.
Here are just a few of the most basic things companies can do to reduce their carbon footprint:
Ways Companies Can Become More Sustainable
- Switch to renewable energy
- Reduce energy usage through high-efficiency appliances
- Reduce food waste and water usage
- Introduce compost and recycling programs
- Remove single-use items from commercial spaces
- Introduce public transportation incentive programs
- Publicly advocate for climate change solutions
The 10 Most Sustainable Companies in the US
Our list of the most sustainable companies are those that create products that effectively fight climate change by having a positive impact on the environment. Also on the list are those companies that create products or services that have an unavoidable carbon impact, but whose manufacturing processes integrate sustainability wherever possible to lighten their footprint.
Atmos Financial
Atmos is a US-based banking services provider with the mission of helping everyone, everywhere take action towards a clean, fair, and transformed economy. Atmos’s goal is to “provide permanent positive environmental and societal impact by shifting money away from activities that directly harm our planet and towards those that help preserve it.”
When you put your money in a bank, it doesn’t just sit in a vault — the bank invests it to make money. Traditionally, banks like JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, have supported the largest emitters of fossil fuels. By investing huge sums of money (your money) in fossil fuel extraction and other extractive business practices, these banks have negligently contributed to climate change in an overwhelming way.
Atmos only uses its customers’ money to support climate-positive initiatives, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency overhauls, electric transportation, green construction, and regenerative agriculture. It enables everyone, everywhere to contribute to a better world.
Atmos also further supports individual action by offering cash-back checking accounts that earn up to 5% on climate-positive brands and products. If you’re looking for an easy way to use your personal savings as a voice for positive environmental action, Atmos is your best sustainable banking option.
BlocPower
BlocPower is an energy technology startup offering smart, all-electric heating, cooling, and hot water systems to building owners for no money down. The Brooklyn-based energy technology company has completed green energy projects in more than 1,200 buildings since its founding in 2014.
BlocPower specializes in installing heat pump systems, as well as converting outdated systems, such as oil boilers. Besides being eco-friendly, BlocPower’s heating, cooling, and hot water systems can save property owners and renters 20-40% on their annual energy bills, creating a positive social impact in addition to the environmental impact of the company.
Carbon Collective
Carbon Collective is an ESG investment brokerage that helps investors find and start investing in a portfolio of assets that aligns with their social and environmental values. When you sign up with Carbon Collective, you fill out a brief survey to help you choose the right account and portfolio for your goals.
For example, you can choose to focus your investments on only climate initiatives, or a broader set of core values. Once you’ve determined the right type of account and investment portfolio for you and your values, you can fund your account and start earning on your investments. Carbon Collective integrates easily with your bank account, allowing you to set up recurring deposits to continue growing your green investments.
Dr. Bronners
Dr. Bronner’s is a sustainable soap company, and is the largest personal care company certified under USDA’s National Organic Program (since 2003). Dr. Bronner’s soap and other personal care products come in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. The company is committed to being a zero-waste company by 2025 and has focused on using renewable energy, efficient transportation, and raw materials sourced from farmers who use regenerative organic agricultural practices. Because of the regenerative organic practices used on farms they source from, Dr. Bronner’s is on track to actually be a climate-positive company. This means that not only will they not be adding carbon to the atmosphere, they will actually be removing it.
Patagonia
Patagonia is an American clothing and outdoor gear brand that frequently tops lists of the world’s most eco-friendly companies. Patagonia strives to limit the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes as much as possible. A large part of the raw materials they use to make clothing and gear are recycled or organically grown. Demonstrating commitment to impact, Patagonia organizes local workshops where people can learn how to repair their own clothing and gear, thus doing their part to reduce the amount of waste in the fashion industry.
Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is a US manufacturer of eco-friendly cleaning products and has been committed to sustainable business practices since it was founded in 1988. The company’s name comes from their mission to “transform the world into a healthy, sustainable, and equitable place for the next seven generations.”
All of Seventh Generation’s sustainable products are made from recycled or sustainably sourced raw materials. Even their packaging is made from recycled materials and is designed to be 100% recyclable itself. In addition to a goal of becoming a zero-waste corporation by 2025, Seventh Generation actively supports other environmental initiatives, such as the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign, which advocates for “an equitable and affordable energy system powered by 100% clean, renewable energy by the year 2050.”
Solstice
Solstice’s mission is to make solar power available for every American. The non-profit company was founded on the belief that every American household can and should be powered by renewable energy. Solstice is working for greater energy equity and a future where household income, credit scores, and other factors don’t bar any American from having access to affordable renewable energy.
Solstice installs community solar systems, so that people who don’t have the rooftops or other means to install solar power systems can still access solar energy, especially in low-income and BIPOC communities. They also focus on organization, education, innovation, and policy solutions. In summary, Solstice empowers communities to get involved in their local energy systems and make informed energy-related decisions that are better for their families and for the world.
SunRun
SunRun is another company dedicated to sustainability in the solar energy sector. They offer solar leases, solar loans, and solar system purchase plans, along with expert guidance to make going solar easier for everyone. SunRun tries to demystify the switch to clean energy.
Customers receive one-on-one consultations to discuss all the ins and outs of solar power, from installation to understanding solar energy bills. SunRun also provides 100% custom solar system design services, tailoring each of their solar power systems to your home’s unique energy profile and requirements.
Stripe
Stripe is an online payment processing company that makes it easy for all businesses, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to accept payments and manage their online businesses. Stripe Climate allows business owners to contribute a portion of their revenue to helping scale emerging carbon removal technologies and has dedicated a significant amount of its own capital to driving carbon markets forward for the benefit of all. This means that every time someone makes a purchase through Stripe, it can help lead to removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Tesla
Tesla is leading the way when it comes to electric vehicles, as well as solar and other forms of clean energy. Their mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy, and they’ve been doing just that. According to Tesla’s 2020 impact report, “Tesla customers helped accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy by avoiding 5.0 million metric tons of CO2e emissions.”
From making personal EVs more attainable, to offering among the lowest-cost solar panels available in the US, Tesla is striving to overhaul the world’s most carbon-intensive industries. The company even offers smaller eco-friendly home goods, such as smart humidifiers and air purifiers.
Final Thoughts
Every company has some type of environmental impact, and it’s up to business leaders to decide what they want that impact to be.
Large corporations can take action to fight climate change in all sorts of ways, including the initiatives they support, resource and supply-chain management, advocacy and by prioritizing sustainability in the workplace.
Using renewable fuels, supporting the recycling industry, and implementing other sustainability measures are just a few examples of how sustainable companies can earn worldwide recognition for their efforts.
Companies looking for ways to improve their own sustainability and have a positive impact on climate change can take some cues from the companies above, who’ve all set sustainable standards in their own unique ways.
