As consumers shift their buying habits to more sustainable purchases, Newsweek is making it easier for them to decide which companies they may want to support. 

The publication recently released the America’s Greenest Companies 2024 list, identifying “the top 300 companies in the U.S. based on environmental sustainability.” Of those, 10 are headquartered in the Garden State. 

“These companies have committed to being good stewards of the environment working to save the Earth and its resources for future generations,” Nancy Cooper, Newsweek’s global editor in chief, said on the publication’s newly launched Better Planet section of its website. 

“We hope this ranking helps consumers identify the companies that try to live sustainably, just like many of us,” Cooper added. 

According to the Global Sustainability Study 2021, conducted by Simon-Kucher & Partners, 85% of respondents said they have “shifted their purchase behavior toward being more sustainable in the past five years.” Additionally, more than 60% of those surveyed in 2020 by global management consulting company McKinsey & Co. said they would pay more for a product with sustainable packaging. 

To determine its findings for America’s Greenest Companies list, Newsweek, along with market data researcher Plant A and data and analytics firm GIST Impact, weighed companies’ “Earth-focused accomplishments and the paths they’re taking to a more sustainable future.” 

The organizations analyzed public data of the top 952 U.S. firms with a market capitalization of at least $5 billion. They evaluated the companies across greenhouse gas emissions; water usage; waste generation; and sustainability data disclosures and commitments. Click here to learn more about the methodology. 

The companies were listed by the number of “stars” they scored, with top companies earning 5, 4.5 and 4 stars. Advanced Micro Devices, based in Santa Clara, Calif., took the top spot overall. 

The New Jersey firms that were named to the America’s Greenest Companies 2024 are: 

5 stars 

• Prudential Financial, Newark 
  Industry: Financial services 

4.5 stars 

• Catalent, Somerset 
  Industry: Pharmaceuticals 
• Cognizant Technology Solutions, Teaneck 
  Industry: IT Services 
• Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick 
  Industry: Pharmaceuticals 
• Universal Display, Ewing 
  Industry: Electronics manufacturing 

4 stars 

• BD, Franklin Lakes 
  Industry: Other manufacturing 
• Church & Dwight, Ewing 
  Industry: Household and personal care 
• Organon, Jersey City 
  Industry: Pharmaceuticals 
• Quest Diagnostics, Secaucus 
  Industry: Health care 
• Verisk Analytics, Jersey City 
  Industry: IT services

The publication also listed Dun & Bradstreet Holdings among New Jersey firms, but that company relocated to Jacksonville, Fla., in 2021. 

“We are pleased to be recognized in Newsweek’s first ranking of America’s Greenest Companies for our efforts in positively managing UDC’s sustainability footprint,” Steven Abramson, president and chief executive officer of Universal Display, said in an Oct. 4 statement celebrating the company’s inclusion on the list. 

“Making a greener, more energy-efficient world is at the core of what we do, both as a company and with the groundbreaking materials and technology we discover, develop and commercialize,” Abramson added. 

Practical steps

Accurate, timely and verifiable ESG data is critical to a company’s strategic needs, according to Joe Holman, Withum’s ESG Advisory and Assurance practice leader. Click here for practical steps every company should take to improve their ESG strategy and structure.