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America’s most responsible company is right here in the Garden State – in Rahway, to be exact. 

That’s according to Newsweek, which released its 2024 America’s Most Responsible Companies list Dec. 6 and ranked pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. in the No. 1 spot. 

For the fifth year, the publication partnered with global research and data firm Statista on the annual list. The latest ranking includes 600 of the nation’s largest companies by revenue, up from 500 in 2022, according to Newsweek Global Editor in Chief Nancy Cooper, who penned an intro to the feature. 

In total, 18 firms from New Jersey were included in the list, which was based on companies’ “holistic view of corporate responsibility, as defined by ESG measures such as environment, social good and corporate governance,” according to Newsweek. 

Researchers analyzed data from 30 key performance indicators, as well as a corporate social responsibility reputation survey of 17,000 U.S. citizens. 

Cooper noted that Merck had “an impressive score of 92 out of 100,” topping Washington, D.C.-based water technology provider Xylem (No. 2) as well as HP (No. 3), the Palo Alto, Calif.-based tech company that had ranked No. 1 for the previous four years. 

Michael Bausch, senior analyst at Statista, clarified that “scoring 100 in one of the three pillars (environmental, social, corporate governance) doesn’t imply perfection in that particular area. Instead, it indicates superior performance compared to their peers.” 

Bausch also noted in Cooper’s intro that “It’s crucial not to underestimate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on various metrics, including emissions, energy and financial KPIs. A significant portion of rank changes can be attributed to these pandemic-related effects.” 

Josh Smith, Newsweek’s director of growth and strategic partnerships for rankings, added that the America’s Most Responsible Companies list “will be a particularly useful tool to those who may be reevaluating their career paths and want to understand the American firms that are leading the charge on efforts around corporate sustainability, governance and social good.” 

Merck’s most recent Impact Report, published in August 2023, recounted several company milestones. That included an update on its inaugural $1 billion sustainability bond aimed at supporting projects and partnerships in the company’s four ESG priority areas: Access to Health, Employees, Environmental Sustainability and Ethics & Values. 

“The positive impact we continue to have on patients, communities and society is a direct result of our commitment to innovation and the principles and values that shape our company,” Merck CEO and President Robert Davis said when the report was released. “At our core, we believe in operating responsibly, putting patients first and raising the bar on scientific excellence. This unwavering commitment enables us to deliver value to all our stakeholders as we work with speed and urgency to save and improve lives around the world.”

Merck did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Newsweek list. 

The New Jersey-based companies that made Newsweek’s 2024 America’s Most Responsible Companies list (as well as ranking, location and industry) are:

No. 1: Merck & Co., Rahway
Health Care & Life Sciences 

No. 51: Zoetis, Parsippany
Health Care & Life Sciences 

No. 59: Church & Dwight, Ewing Township
Consumer Goods 

No. 94: Organon & Co., Jersey City
Health Care & Life Sciences 

No. 165: Prudential Financial Inc., Newark
Financial 

No. 183: Catalent Inc., Somerset
Health Care & Life Sciences 

No. 188: AdvanSix, Parsippany
Materials & Chemicals 

No. 204: Campbell Soup Co., Camden
Consumer Goods 

No. 218: Cognizant Technology Solutions, Teaneck
Professional Services 

No. 304: Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck
Health Care & Life Sciences 

No. 305: Quest Diagnostics, Secaucus
Health Care & Life Sciences 

No. 323: Burlington, Burlington
Retail 

No. 343: American Water, Camden
Energy & Utilities 

No. 474: Avis Budget Group, Parsippany
Professional Services 

No. 481: Clearway Energy, Princeton*
Energy & Utilities 

No. 507: Movado, Paramus
Consumer Goods 

No. 552: Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Roseland
Software & Telecommunications 

No. 597: New Jersey Resources, Wall
Energy & Utilities 

*Newsweek listed Clearway, which is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Princeton, according to its website, as a New Jersey-based company. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:48 a.m. ET Dec. 8, 2023, to include Merck’s most recent Impact Report.