Which software companies really care about the planet? We put together our ultimate Top 100 Software Sustainability Index 2023, featuring the software businesses that we believe have the most impressive ESG and Net Zero policies.
We’ve divided it into sections of ten, with a breakdown of each company’s goals and highlights, plus links to their policies. We weighted our list towards companies who are going above and beyond.
For example, we would expect Apple to have more significant policies than Dropbox, but this list rewards those who have made it a key focus of their business.
How many of your software tools make our top 100?
Editor’s note:
If you think we’ve missed something, let us know at [email protected]. We will evaluate accordingly, and credit you at the bottom.
To help you navigate our rankings, select as many of the below as you like.
Most Sustainable Software Index: Top 10 Rankings
Sustainable software is on the rise.
This guide is designed to help you explore how sustainable your tech stack is, and help both future customers and potential employees see which software brands align with their values.
Here is our top 10 most sustainable software companies.
Rank | Company | Category | Sustainability & Net Zero policies |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Adobe | Design & Video | https://www.adobe.com/uk/corporate-responsibility/sustainability.html |
2 | Microsoft | Technology services | https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability https://www.hubspot.com/sustainability |
3 | Search | https://sustainability.google/ | |
4 | Salesforce | CRM | https://www.salesforce.com/company/sustainability/ |
5 | Dropbox | Search | https://www.dropbox.com/en_GB/esg |
6 | Social media | https://sustainability.fb.com/ | |
7 | Workday | CRM | https://www.workday.com/en-us/company/corporate-responsibility/sustainability.html |
8 | Canva | Design | https://www.canva.com/sustainability/ |
9 | Apple | Communication | https://www.apple.com/uk/environment/ |
10 | Social media | https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/environmental-sustainability |
1. Adobe
Adobe
– Net Zero by 2025.
– Committed to 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2035
– More than 70% of our employees work in LEED-certified offices
– With our transition from a physical supply chain to a fully digital one, we’ve reduced the environmental impact of our products, including waste, by more than 95%.
Adobe comes out ahead of the likes of Microsoft and Google because its climate commitments go well above and beyond considering the size of its company compared to others.
Adobe also shows great diversity in its actions, from net zero, to renewable energy, to supply chain. We’re impressed with where it is now, but also its ambition for the future.
Impressive commitments in every area
Adobe is truly one of the world’s leading companies when it comes to ESG, environmental impact, sustainability and overall CSR.
It’s not the only software company in the design and visual multi-media software category, with other impressive performers including Canva, as well as hardware organizations such as Sony.
Aiming to be net zero by 2025, Adobe is also committed to 100% of its energy to come from renewables by 2035, and has a wide range of commitments to reducing the impact of its environmental products.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft
– By 2030, we’ll be carbon negative, and by 2050, we’ll remove our historical emissions since our founding in 1975.
– By 2030, we’ll be replenishing more water than we use.
– By 2030, we’ll be zero waste across our direct waste footprint.
– We’ll protect more land than we use by 2025 and build a Planetary Computer.
Microsoft scores highly across all categories, especially their dramatic ambition to remove all their historical emissions by 2050, making them net positive throughout their history.
They’re also focused on water, waste and land.
3. Google (Alphabet)
– We’re decarbonizing our energy consumption so that by 2030, we’ll operate on carbon-free energy, everywhere, 24/7.
– Maximize the reuse of finite resources across our operations, products, and supply chains and enable others to do the same.
– We’ll replenish 120% of the water we consume by 2030, and we’re actively supporting water security and ecosystems where we operate.
– In 2007, became first major company in history to be carbon neutral.
Google is leading the charge when it comes to water and energy consumption.
They’ve also invested over 150 million in renewable energy, and made the largest corporate purchase of renewable energy in history.
4. Salesforce
Salesforce
– Accelerating the world’s largest businesses to net zero, sequestering 100 gigatons of carbon through conserving.
– Growing 1 trillion trees, protecting our oceans, and energizing the ecopreneur revolution.
– Salesforce has net zero residual emissions today. Our mission extends beyond our own operations to help the world’s largest businesses accelerate to net zero.
Driven by its six steps, Salesforce has a clear and tangible plan to tackle environmental issues. As one of the leading CRM platforms, it holds significant influence in the software space. Its six factors relate to both its own services and beyond.
Here are Salesforce’s six sustainability steps:
5. Dropbox
Dropbox
By 2030, Dropbox will:
– Achieve carbon neutrality in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and in Scope 3 business-travel emissions
– Use 100% renewable energy for operations
– Fund organizations working for climate action
Dropbox’s attitude towards sustainability can be summed up by this quote from founder Drew Houston:
We have a responsibility to create a more sustainable and equitable world. The mission at Dropbox is to design a more enlightened way of working—and we’re committed to achieving our sustainability goals, investing in social-good initiatives, and being a force for positive change.
Dew Houston, co-founder and CEO Dropbox
6. Facebook (Meta)
– In 2021, we announced our goal to expand our net zero goal to include our value chain in 2030.
– Our climate program is aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and guided by the latest science on what is necessary to transition to a zero-carbon future. We will continue to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in line with climate science by increasing the efficiency of our operations and maintaining 100% renewable energy.
– In 2020, we achieved net zero GHG emissions in our direct operations (Scopes 1 and 2) by reducing our emissions by 94% compared to 2017 levels.
Facebook is somewhat uniquely placed to tackle climate change, but not necessarily in the way they operate.
Facebook’s biggest impact is in tackling climate misinformation, and helping to educate the world. The ripple effect of that is impossible to quantify.
Here’s their statement on climate misinformation:
7. Workday
Workday
– We made a bold commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions and operate on 100% renewable electricity by 2021—and we did it a year early.
– We have committed to set science-based emissions reduction targets, that are consistent with keeping global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This will help our world transition to a net-zero future by 2050.
– We use 100% renewable electricity in our offices and data centers.
– And we offset 100% of our emissions from natural gas, data center cooling, and business travel.
8. Canva
Canva
– We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and excited about our big goals
2021 CARBON NEUTRAL GLOBALLY
+90% DECREASE IN EMISSIONS FROM CLOUD SERVICES
5M+ TREES COMMITTED
800+ CLIMATE TEMPLATES
Canva is one of the most quietly impressive sustainability software companies, with a series of eye catching achievements and commitments.
Already carbon neutral, it’s pledged to plant over 5 million trees in the future.
9. Apple
Apple
– We’ve been carbon neutral since 2020. By 2030, all our products will be too.
– We’re already carbon neutral across our corporate operations and are on the way to making carbon-neutral products by 2030. Learn more about our latest efforts to reduce our remaining carbon footprint, fight climate change and support equity.
– 10GM of clean energy brought online in our manufacturing supply chain
Apple is one of the most active companies in the world when it comes to sustainability and climate.
They rank just within our top ten because their size, scale, reach and impact means that these commitments aren’t unexpected.
We all need Apple to succeed in their sustainability goals because as both a software and hardware company, the influence they hold is significant.
10. Linkedin
– We’re reducing our carbon footprint (including Scope 3 emissions from travel and suppliers) by 55% by 2030, and offsetting all remaining and historic emissions.
– We conserve potable water, source reclaimed water at some of our largest sites, and report our water footprint to the Carbon Disclosure Project Water report every year.
– We implement best practices for healthy buildings in conjunction with WELL Health & Safety.
– We’re driving to achieve Zero Waste certification by 2030 through a circular economy approach, buying less, and keeping products in use.
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 11-20
Ranking | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
11 | Shopify | E-commerce platform | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
12 | Oracle | Database software | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2025 |
13 | Box | Cloud storage | 100% renewable energy by 2024 |
14 | NVIDIA | Graphics processing units | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 |
15 | Veritas Technologies | Data management | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
16 | Rapid7 | Cybersecurity software | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2027 |
17 | Fortinet | Cybersecurity software | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
18 | UiPath | Robotic process automation | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
19 | Zoominfo | Marketing intelligence | Carbon-neutral by 2022 |
20 | Carbon Black | Endpoint security software | Carbon-neutral by 2021 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 11-20
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
21 | Okta | Identity and access management software | Carbon-neutral by 2022 |
22 | PagerDuty | Incident response software | Carbon-neutral by 2021 |
23 | Qualtrics | Experience management software | Carbon-neutral by 2021 |
24 | Rackspace | Managed cloud computing | Carbon-neutral by 2022 |
25 | RingCentral | Cloud communications platform | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2025 |
26 | Nutanix | Cloud Computing | Carbon Neutral by 2025 |
27 | Cisco | Networking | Net Zero by 2040 |
28 | HPE | IT | Net Zero by 2040 |
29 | PTC | Product Lifecycle Mgmt | Carbon Neutral by 2021 |
30 | HP Inc. | Printing & Imaging | Climate Positive by 2040 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 31-40
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
31 | ServiceNow | IT | Net Zero by 2030 |
32 | Atos | IT | Net Zero by 2028 |
33 | Cadence | Electronic Design | Net Zero by 2050 |
34 | Cognizant | IT | Net Zero by 2025 |
35 | Pegasystems | CRM | Carbon Neutral by 2021 |
36 | Ansys | Simulation | Net Zero by 2025 |
37 | F5 | Networking | Net Zero by 2050 |
38 | Splunk | IT | Net Zero by 2025 |
39 | Infosys | IT | Net Zero by 2040 |
40 | Twilio | Communications | Carbon Neutral by 2023 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 41-50
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
41 | Accenture | IT | Net Zero by 2025 |
42 | Dassault Systèmes | 3D Design | Net Zero by 2040 |
43 | Epicor | ERP | Carbon Neutral by 2021 |
44 | Red Hat | Cloud Computing | Net Zero by 2021 |
45 | Nuance | AI | Net Zero by 2021 |
46 | Synopsys | Electronic Design | Net Zero by 2024 |
47 | Microchip | Semiconductor | Carbon Neutral by 2030 |
48 | Mentor Graphics | Electronic Design | Carbon Neutral by 2030 |
49 | Progress Software | Application Development | Net Zero by 2023 |
50 | BlackBerry | Enterprise Software | Net Zero by 2040 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 51-60
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
51 | Databricks | Data Analytics | Net Zero by 2030 |
52 | Schneider Electric | Energy Management | Carbon neutrality by 2025 |
53 | Siemens | Industrial Automation | Climate neutral operations by 2030 |
54 | IBM | IT Services | Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 |
55 | SAP | Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) | Carbon neutral by 2023 |
56 | Autodesk | Design Software | 100% renewable energy by 2020 |
57 | Atlassian | Project Management | 100% renewable energy by 2050 |
58 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise | IT Infrastructure | 100% renewable energy by 2025 |
59 | Intel | Semiconductors | 100% renewable energy by 2030 |
60 | Social Media | Carbon neutral by 2020 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 61-70
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
61 | Amazon | E-commerce | Net-zero carbon by 2040 |
62 | Dell | IT Infrastructure | Net-zero emissions by 2050 |
63 | HP | Computer Hardware | Carbon neutrality in global operations and supply chain by 2030 |
64 | Lenovo | Computer Hardware | 100% renewable energy by 2030 |
65 | NetApp | Data Storage | 100% renewable energy by 2021 |
66 | Symantec | Cybersecurity | 100% renewable energy by 2025 |
67 | VMware | Virtualization | 100% renewable energy by 2020 |
68 | Cisco Systems | Networking Equipment | 100% renewable energy by 2020 |
69 | eBay | E-commerce | 100% renewable energy by 2025 |
70 | Fitbit | Wearable Technology | Carbon neutrality by 2020 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 71-80
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
71 | GoPro | Action Cameras | Carbon neutral by 2020 |
72 | Intuit | Accounting & Payroll Software | Carbon neutrality in global operations by 2020 |
73 | Zoom | Video Conferencing | Achieve net-zero emissions by 2023 |
74 | Slack | Collaboration Software | Achieve carbon neutrality and 100% renewable energy by 2025 |
75 | Tesla | Electric Vehicles | Accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy |
76 | Uber | Transportation | Net-zero emissions by 2040 |
77 | Lyft | Transportation | 100% electric vehicles by 2030 |
78 | Airbnb | Vacation Rentals | Commitment to become a net-zero emissions company |
79 | Etsy | E-commerce | Net-zero emissions by 2030 |
80 | Expedia Group | Travel | Carbon neutrality by 2025 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 81-90
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
81 | Expensify | Expense Management | Carbon neutrality by 2021 |
82 | Fastly | Content Delivery Network | Carbon neutral by 2020 |
83 | GitHub | Software Development | 100% renewable energy by 2025 |
84 | Hootsuite | Social Media Management | Carbon neutral by 2020 |
85 | HubSpot | Marketing Automation | Carbon neutrality in global operations by 2020 |
86 | Infor | Enterprise Software | 100% renewable energy by |
87 | Ecosia | Web Search Engine | Carbon neutral and plant one tree for every search |
88 | Mozilla | Web Services | Carbon neutral and 100% renewable energy for data centers |
89 | Netflix | Streaming | Net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2022 |
90 | Sony | Electronics | Net zero emissions by 2050 |
Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 91-100
Rank | Company | Category | Key commitment |
---|---|---|---|
91 | Spotify | Music Streaming | Carbon neutral and 100% renewable energy by 2022 |
92 | Bright Power | Energy Management | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
93 | Greenbyte | Renewable Energy Software | Enable a 100% renewable energy system |
94 | Goby | Sustainability Reporting | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
95 | Vizzuality | Data Visualization | Carbon-neutral by 2021 |
96 | Fresh Energy | Renewable Energy Software | 100% carbon-neutral by 2030 |
97 | Breezometer | Air Quality Monitoring | Carbon-neutral by 2022 |
98 | Lucid | Building Management | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 |
99 | Blue Pillar | Energy Management | Enable a 100% renewable energy system |
100 | Fieldwire | Construction Management | Net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 |
Software Sustainability Index 2023: Our conclusion
Sustainability and net zero goals are being pursued ever more aggressively by software companies around the world.
Their ability to act on their policies will affect the progress we’re all able to make in the fight against climate change.
Sustainability and ESG policies also affect:
- Consumer buying decisions
- Ability to attract and retain top talent
- A mandate from the wider community
- A trend to put pressure on other organizations, to tackle climate issues together.
With more and more companies achieving net zero, turning to renewables and creating more sustainable supply chains, software organizations will continue to influence the future of our planet.
We hope you enjoyed our Top 100 software sustainability index.
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