10 US companies taking a stand on worker rights, racial justice, and climate change

Marguerite WardOct 14, 2020, 23:04 IST

More Americans are calling on company leaders to take a stand against inequality, racial injustice, and work to fight climate change, multiple polls show.
But which companies are actually incorporating these causes into their business models?
Just Capital, an independent research firm founded by the billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones, surveyed 4,500 Americans and collected data points from multiple government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and third-party data vendors to find out.
Companies were evaluated on the extent to which they champion diversity, equity and inclusion, pay employees a decent wage, and take steps to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The top companies include Microsoft, Intel, and Apple.

Now more than ever, Americans want companies to stand against inequality, speak out on racial injustice, prioritize worker rights, and protect the environment, multiple data show.

It's part of a broader business movement, unfolding right now, toward stakeholder capitalism: the idea that companies should be held accountable not only to shareholders, but also to workers, customers, communities, and the environment.

Which companies are leading the pack? Just Capital, an independent research firm founded by the billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones, surveyed 4,500 Americans and collected data points from multiple government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and third-party data vendors to come up with the ranking.

In it's 2021 company report, published Wednesday, analysts at Just Capital ranked Russell 1000 companies, assigning them a score based on how respondents answered a series of questions. For example, respondents were asked if the company pays a livable wage, if the company champions diversity, equity, and inclusion through its policies and practices, and whether the company makes efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Here are the top 10 companies doing good for society, per the analysis, along with the company scores out of 100, and sample data points.

10. Adobe had an overall score of 80.8

Adobe's CEO Shantanu Narayen Adobe

Liveable wage score: 98, versus an industry average of 90

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 50

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

Liveable wage score: 98, versus an industry average of 90

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 50

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

9. Cisco Systems had an overall score of 81.7

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins Cisco

Liveable wage score: 86, versus an industry average of 68

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 58

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 59

Liveable wage score: 86, versus an industry average of 68

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 58

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 59

8. AT&T had an overall score of 82.4

AT&T CEO John Stankey Reuters

Liveable wage score: 92, versus an industry average of 68

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 92, versus an industry average of 62

Climate change score: 58, versus an industry average of 57

Liveable wage score: 92, versus an industry average of 68

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 92, versus an industry average of 62

Climate change score: 58, versus an industry average of 57

7. Salesforce had an overall score of 82.4

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Liveable wage score: 124, versus an industry average of 90

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 116, versus an industry average of 50

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

Liveable wage score: 124, versus an industry average of 90

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 116, versus an industry average of 50

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

6. JPMorgan had an overall score of 83

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Liveable wage score: 87, versus an industry average of 46

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 102, versus an industry average of 52

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

Liveable wage score: 87, versus an industry average of 46

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 102, versus an industry average of 52

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

5. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, had an overall score of 83.6

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Liveable wage score: 120, versus an industry average of 78

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 85, versus an industry average of 52

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

Liveable wage score: 120, versus an industry average of 78

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 85, versus an industry average of 52

Climate change score: 60, the same as the industry average

4. Intel had an overall score of 89.5

Intel CEO Robert "Bob" Swan Christoph Dernbach/Getty Images

Liveable wage score: 90, versus an industry average of 59

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 111, versus an industry average of 54

Climate change score: 58, versus an industry average of 55

Liveable wage score: 90, versus an industry average of 59

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 111, versus an industry average of 54

Climate change score: 58, versus an industry average of 55

3. Apple had an overall score of 91.6

Apple CEO Tim Cook Apple/Business Insider screen capture

Liveable wage score: 83, versus an industry average of 68

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 58

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 59

Liveable wage score: 83, versus an industry average of 68

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 58

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 59

2. NVIDIA had an overall score of 93.4

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Liveable wage score: 125, versus an industry average of 59

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 54

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 55

Liveable wage score: 125, versus an industry average of 59

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 96, versus an industry average of 54

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 55

1. Microsoft had an overall score of 97.4

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch

Liveable wage score: 123, versus an industry average of 90

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 93, versus an industry average of 50

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 60

Liveable wage score: 123, versus an industry average of 90

Diversity, equity, and inclusion score: 93, versus an industry average of 50

Climate change score: 60, versus an industry average of 60

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10 US companies taking a stand on worker rights, racial justice, and climate change

10. Adobe had an overall score of 80.8

9. Cisco Systems had an overall score of 81.7

8. AT&T had an overall score of 82.4

7. Salesforce had an overall score of 82.4

6. JPMorgan had an overall score of 83

5. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, had an overall score of 83.6

4. Intel had an overall score of 89.5

3. Apple had an overall score of 91.6

2. NVIDIA had an overall score of 93.4

1. Microsoft had an overall score of 97.4