Introduction

Sustainability is now firmly on the agenda of every organization, although there are significant differences in how companies and sectors are evaluated in their approach to ESG aspects (environmental, social, and governance) and positive impact. Sustainability is also a top priority for ENVIEM, as evidenced by the SD400, the annual study conducted by business platform MT/Sprout, which assesses how business leaders rate organizations’ contributions to people, the environment, and good governance. In this study, ENVIEM secured the number 1 position in the “Industry” sector.

About the Study   

- Source: MT/Sprout -

The study was conducted by the Amsterdam Centre for Business Innovation at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), surveying over 2,700 business decision-makers in the Netherlands, commissioned by MT/Sprout. Approximately 1,700 companies and institutions were assessed on ecological and social sustainability as well as good corporate governance. The 400 companies with the highest scores collectively form the Sustainable Development 400 (SD400).

“These organizations understand that their mission is not just about maximizing profits,” said research leader Henk Volberda, Professor of Strategic Management & Innovation at UvA. According to the study, sustainability consultancies, manufacturers of sustainable consumer goods (such as furniture or household appliances), and software companies produce the highest number of sustainability leaders. Notably, companies in so-called ‘sin industries’ like oil and gas or aviation performed less poorly than expected. “Peers are more forgiving of companies like KLM and Shell than the general public,” Volberda explains. “They reason from the perspective of the transition these organizations must undergo and understand how significant that challenge is.”

Volberda observes that maintaining a strong focus on sustainability is difficult for many companies amid geopolitical tensions, sharp cost increases, and labor shortages. “While the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible, companies are scaling back their sustainability ambitions.” The rise of the anti-ESG movement in the United States also worries the professor. However, he believes this underscores the importance of studies like this one. “To keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as agreed in the Paris Accord, we need to accelerate sustainability efforts—not slow them down.”

Donovan van Heuven, editor-in-chief of MT/Sprout, adds: “Sustainability requires courage—not only to set ambitious goals but also to communicate them openly. Companies are increasingly keeping quiet, fearing criticism. The companies in the SD400 study have a responsibility to avoid greenhushing. Share both your successes and failures so that we can make faster progress together.”

Accountability

A total of 2,781 business decision-makers evaluated organizations in each of the three separate ESG domains. Additionally, respondents were asked to rate the impact selected organizations have on the transition to a sustainable economy. Naturally, this depends on the type of business activities and the size of the organization. In total, participants provided 7,814 evaluations covering 1,709 organizations. This resulted in 44 rankings across different sectors. These market segments have been grouped into the 12 main categories listed above. The complete SD400 ranking is available at www.mtsprout.nl/sd400