Global data analytics provider Verisk and pharmaceutical giant Merck ranked in the top 10 of the 100 Best ESG Companies by Investor’s Business Daily (IBD).
Verisk, headquartered in Jersey City, and Kenilworth-based Merck, placed third and ninth, respectively, on the publication’s fourth annual list of companies with superior environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings and strong stock performance.
Mann
In a statement, Verisk Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Mann, said, “Our ranking on the Investor’s Business Daily list recognizes both our passion and commitment to sustainability, and the ability of our strong and growing business to meet customer and investor expectations.”
She added, “Whether it’s designing industry-first solutions that enable organizations’ ESG ambitions or partnering with charitable organizations that use our unique data analytics and professional expertise to help maximize their impact, it’s the people at Verisk who foster our culture and make an honor like this possible.”
Verisk provides data-driven analytic insights and solutions for the insurance and energy industries as a way to empower its clients to strengthen operating efficiency, improve underwriting and claim outcomes, combat fraud and make informed decisions about global issues, like climate change, political topics and ESG initiatives.
As part of its own ESG strategy, Verisk has:
- helped research greenhouse emissions from satellite data
- developed geospatial analytics that identify the exposure of 80 sectors to 52 different ESG and political risks across 198 countries
- provided claims estimating insights to help volunteers plan and report on their recovery efforts after disasters
- hosted and mentored interns from diverse and underserved communities, many of whom found full-time roles at Verisk
Merck headquarters in Kenilworth. – MERCK
For Merck, the ranking is the latest recognition of its progress on ESG-related initiatives.
The pharmaceutical company was included in Fortune magazine’s 2022 Change the World List for working to expand global access to its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.
A representative from Merck did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its inclusion in IBD’s rankings.
“ESG investing has attracted a growing number of investors interested in matching their investments with their personal values,” said Susan Warfel, managing editor of IBD. “That’s why ESG has quickly become a staple of corporate programs. But its rise has also generated provocative conversations about greenwashing and the integrity of ESG reporting. We hope this list provides greater clarity about companies we’ve found to be leaders in this space based on our unique methodology.”
“In 2020 and 2021, the ESG focus was mainly on social challenges as a result of the pandemic and movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo,” said Ricardo Aceves, who heads ESG and Impact Investing Research at Dow Jones. “But recent data suggests a shift toward environmental concerns, such as greenhouse gas emissions and air quality. And more recently, there’s increased focus on environmental issues related to energy management and the physical impacts of climate change on people, workforces and businesses.”
To determine the 2022 100 Best ESG Companies, IBD started with a company’s environmental, social and governance sustainability score created by Dow Jones Newswires.
After that, the list was whittled down by removing non-public companies and companies with stock prices below $10 a share or those that lacked sufficient data to create an IBD composite rating. Then, the 100 companies with the highest composite rating were named to the list. Click here to view the full list.
