Sometimes a blunt tool is what you need. And there’s no doubt that rankings that claim to compare companies on the basis of their social responsibility or their green credentials are a blunt tool. Every single one.

The latest is the Newsweek 2009 Green Rankings. It claims to rate the top 500 companies on their “actual environmental performance, policies and reputation”.

That is a big promise. Why? Because the problem with such rankings is always the impossibility of making comparisons. How do you compare an oil company with a bank? Every basis for measurement you choose can be shown to be invalid.

Upcoming Ethical Corporation conferences & events:
Social and Environmental Risk Assessment for Heavy Industries
Regent's Park Marriott Hotel, London, 22 – 23 March 2010 The Responsible Business Summit 2010
Novotel West Hotel, London, 4th – 5th May 2010 The Inaugural Ethical Corporation Awards
Novotel West Hotel, London, Evening of 4th May 2010
The Awards will be held at the Responsible Summit -
on the evening of the first day
Please login to view whole article - or subscribe here.
For a free two week trial to Ethical Corporation online, please click here.