CBRE Group, Inc. has advanced to the third position on Barron's ranking of the 100 most sustainable U.S.-based companies for 2024, an improvement from its previous position at No. 4. This marks CBRE's seventh consecutive appearance on the prestigious list.
 
The evaluation process conducted by Barron's involves scrutinizing the performance of the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S.-based companies across more than 230 environmental, social, and governance metrics categorized into shareholders, employees, customers, community, and environmental impact. Each category's scoring is adjusted based on its financial significance within the respective industry.
 
This recognition from Barron's follows CBRE's attainment of an A- performance score from CDP in 2023 for its climate change disclosure efforts. CDP is widely regarded as the global standard for corporate transparency regarding climate-related impacts, risks, and opportunities. The A- score places CBRE within CDP's Leadership band, reserved for companies demonstrating exemplary practices in climate change governance.
 
CBRE received commendation from CDP for its initiatives in emissions reduction, promotion of low carbon products, thorough disclosure of opportunities and risks, robust risk management processes, establishment of targets, and management of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Moreover, CBRE's collaboration with Emitwise was highlighted by CDP as an innovative approach in addressing one of the major challenges of climate change—decarbonizing the supply chain.
 
Rob Bernard, CBRE's chief sustainability officer, expressed gratitude for the acknowledgment of the company's sustainability endeavors, emphasizing CBRE's role as a leader in driving sustainability within the commercial real estate sector. CBRE has also recently been recognized as the top-ranked commercial real estate company on Forbes' inaugural Net Zero Leaders list and has secured a place on 3BL's 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking for the fifth consecutive year.

Tetra Pak has been acknowledged for its exemplary corporate transparency and commitment to forest preservation by the global environmental non-profit CDP. This recognition has earned the company a coveted position on the prestigious 'A List' in CDP's annual assessment. Out of more than 21,000 companies evaluated, Tetra Pak is among the top 2% to achieve an 'A' score, as reported in CDP's 2023 Forests questionnaires.
 
In addition to excelling in forest conservation, Tetra Pak has also demonstrated noteworthy performance in addressing Climate Change and, for the first time, Water Security. Securing an 'A-' score in both categories further solidifies Tetra Pak's position as a leader within the CDP framework, distinguishing it as the sole representative from the carton packaging sector to attain such recognition.
 
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has issued warnings about the alarming rate of deterioration in natural ecosystems, largely attributed to human activities. Despite the critical role nature plays in sustaining global food systems, these systems remain a primary driver of nature loss. It is estimated that over half of the world's GDP, totaling $44 trillion in economic value generation, relies significantly on nature and its services.
 
Recognizing the urgent need to address and reverse this trend, Tetra Pak is committed to taking proactive measures to support nature conservation efforts. This commitment extends to aligning with the objectives outlined in the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals, with a shared goal of achieving a water-secure world.

“We rely on nature to provide us with the necessary building blocks for life: from clean air and water to material goods such as food. We believe that companies such as Tetra Pak need to act urgently, based on the currently available information, to reduce the impacts of our value chain, to restore landscapes and to contribute to the wider transformation of food systems,” said Gilles Tisserand, Vice President Climate & Biodiversity, Tetra Pak.

He went on to add, “Our approach to nature is closely linked with our ambitions on climate, circularity, social sustainability and food systems. Delivering on this requires certain enabling factors across the business, including people and processes, for example, capacity development, monitoring, reporting, and disclosure. As we strive to lead the way in corporate transparency, we are extremely pleased to be included in the CDP Forests A List for the eighth year running, as well as to be the only company in the carton packaging sector who is in this year’s leadership band across all the CDP areas of disclosure.”

“Congratulations to all the companies on CDP’s A List, and those companies that started or accelerated their journey towards environmental transparency in 2023 – we saw a 24% increase in disclosures last year and that trajectory is welcomed. It is only by laying the groundwork of disclosure that companies can show they take seriously the vital part they play in safeguarding the future," said Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP.

"Earning a place on the A List is about more than the score. It’s an indication of high quality and comprehensive data that equips companies with a holistic view of their environmental impact, serves as a baseline for transition plans and – crucially – enables them to follow through on their stated ambitions. As CDP continually raises the bar for what represents environmental leadership, the work of all companies should be celebrated, but is never complete. We must see corporate ambition ramp up on climate and nature-positive action. This has never been more crucial.”
 
CDP employs a thorough and impartial methodology to evaluate companies, assigning scores ranging from A to D- based on several factors. These include the extent of disclosure, awareness, and management of environmental risks, as well as the demonstration of exemplary practices associated with environmental stewardship, such as the establishment of ambitious and impactful targets. Companies that fail to disclose or provide insufficient information receive an F rating.
 
When assessing companies' performance in forest conservation, CDP focuses on four key commodities: timber, cattle products, soy, and palm oil. To qualify for inclusion on the Forests A List, companies must achieve an A score in at least one of these forest-risk commodities.

Click here to get a full list of companies that made this year’s CDP A List.