Skip to content

Top 100 Software Rankings: Best Sustainability & Net Zero Policies

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.

Software Sustainability Index 2023
Software Sustainability Index 2023

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.


Top 100 Software Sustainability Index 2023
Top 10 Rankings
Rankings 11-20
Rankings 21-30
Rankings 31-40
Rankings 41-50
Rankings 51-60
Rankings 61-70
Rankings 71-80
Rankings 81-90
Rankings 91-100

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.

RankCompanyCategorySustainability & Net Zero policies
1AdobeDesign & Videohttps://www.adobe.com/uk/corporate-responsibility/sustainability.html
2MicrosoftTechnology serviceshttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability
https://www.hubspot.com/sustainability
3GoogleSearchhttps://sustainability.google/
4SalesforceCRMhttps://www.salesforce.com/company/sustainability/
5DropboxSearchhttps://www.dropbox.com/en_GB/esg
6FacebookSocial mediahttps://sustainability.fb.com/
7WorkdayCRMhttps://www.workday.com/en-us/company/corporate-responsibility/sustainability.html
8CanvaDesignhttps://www.canva.com/sustainability/
9AppleCommunicationhttps://www.apple.com/uk/environment/
10LinkedInSocial mediahttps://socialimpact.linkedin.com/environmental-sustainability
Top 10 most sustainable software

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.

Net Zero Tracker

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)

Google

– 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.

Google’s sustainability policies and commitments

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)

Facebook

– 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:

Facebook’s 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

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

RankingCompanyCategoryKey commitment
11ShopifyE-commerce platformNet-zero carbon emissions by 2030
12OracleDatabase softwareNet-zero carbon emissions by 2025
13BoxCloud storage 100% renewable energy by 2024
14NVIDIAGraphics processing unitsNet-zero carbon emissions by 2040
15Veritas TechnologiesData management Net-zero carbon emissions by 2030
16Rapid7Cybersecurity softwareNet-zero carbon emissions by 2027
17FortinetCybersecurity softwareNet-zero carbon emissions by 2030
18UiPathRobotic process automationNet-zero carbon emissions by 2030
19ZoominfoMarketing intelligenceCarbon-neutral by 2022
20Carbon BlackEndpoint security softwareCarbon-neutral by 2021
Sustainability rankings for software companies: 11-20

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 11-20

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
21OktaIdentity and access management softwareCarbon-neutral by 2022
22PagerDutyIncident response softwareCarbon-neutral by 2021
23QualtricsExperience management softwareCarbon-neutral by 2021
24RackspaceManaged cloud computingCarbon-neutral by 2022
25RingCentralCloud communications platformNet-zero carbon emissions by 2025
26NutanixCloud ComputingCarbon Neutral by 2025
27CiscoNetworkingNet Zero by 2040
28HPEITNet Zero by 2040
29PTCProduct Lifecycle MgmtCarbon Neutral by 2021
30HP Inc.Printing & ImagingClimate Positive by 2040

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 31-40

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
31ServiceNowITNet Zero by 2030
32AtosITNet Zero by 2028
33CadenceElectronic DesignNet Zero by 2050
34CognizantITNet Zero by 2025
35PegasystemsCRMCarbon Neutral by 2021
36AnsysSimulationNet Zero by 2025
37F5NetworkingNet Zero by 2050
38SplunkITNet Zero by 2025
39InfosysITNet Zero by 2040
40TwilioCommunicationsCarbon Neutral by 2023

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 41-50

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
41AccentureITNet Zero by 2025
42Dassault Systèmes3D DesignNet Zero by 2040
43EpicorERPCarbon Neutral by 2021
44Red HatCloud ComputingNet Zero by 2021
45NuanceAINet Zero by 2021
46SynopsysElectronic DesignNet Zero by 2024
47MicrochipSemiconductorCarbon Neutral by 2030
48Mentor GraphicsElectronic DesignCarbon Neutral by 2030
49Progress SoftwareApplication DevelopmentNet Zero by 2023
50BlackBerryEnterprise SoftwareNet Zero by 2040

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 51-60

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
51DatabricksData AnalyticsNet Zero by 2030
52Schneider ElectricEnergy ManagementCarbon neutrality by 2025
53SiemensIndustrial AutomationClimate neutral operations by 2030
54IBMIT ServicesNet-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
55SAPEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Carbon neutral by 2023
56AutodeskDesign Software100% renewable energy by 2020
57AtlassianProject Management100% renewable energy by 2050
58Hewlett Packard EnterpriseIT Infrastructure100% renewable energy by 2025
59IntelSemiconductors100% renewable energy by 2030
60TwitterSocial MediaCarbon neutral by 2020

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 61-70

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
61AmazonE-commerceNet-zero carbon by 2040
62DellIT InfrastructureNet-zero emissions by 2050
63HPComputer HardwareCarbon neutrality in global operations and supply chain by 2030
64LenovoComputer Hardware100% renewable energy by 2030
65NetAppData Storage100% renewable energy by 2021
66SymantecCybersecurity100% renewable energy by 2025
67VMwareVirtualization100% renewable energy by 2020
68Cisco SystemsNetworking Equipment100% renewable energy by 2020
69eBayE-commerce100% renewable energy by 2025
70FitbitWearable TechnologyCarbon neutrality by 2020

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 71-80

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
71GoProAction CamerasCarbon neutral by 2020
72IntuitAccounting & Payroll SoftwareCarbon neutrality in global operations by 2020
73ZoomVideo ConferencingAchieve net-zero emissions by 2023
74SlackCollaboration SoftwareAchieve carbon neutrality and 100% renewable energy by 2025
75TeslaElectric VehiclesAccelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy
76UberTransportationNet-zero emissions by 2040
77LyftTransportation100% electric vehicles by 2030
78AirbnbVacation RentalsCommitment to become a net-zero emissions company
79EtsyE-commerceNet-zero emissions by 2030
80Expedia GroupTravelCarbon neutrality by 2025

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 81-90

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
81ExpensifyExpense ManagementCarbon neutrality by 2021
82FastlyContent Delivery NetworkCarbon neutral by 2020
83GitHubSoftware Development100% renewable energy by 2025
84HootsuiteSocial Media ManagementCarbon neutral by 2020
85HubSpotMarketing AutomationCarbon neutrality in global operations by 2020
86InforEnterprise Software100% renewable energy by
87EcosiaWeb Search EngineCarbon neutral and plant one tree for every search
88MozillaWeb ServicesCarbon neutral and 100% renewable energy for data centers
89NetflixStreamingNet zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2022
90SonyElectronicsNet zero emissions by 2050

Most Sustainable Software Index: Rankings 91-100

RankCompanyCategoryKey commitment
91SpotifyMusic StreamingCarbon neutral and 100% renewable energy by 2022
92Bright PowerEnergy ManagementNet-zero carbon emissions by 2030
93GreenbyteRenewable Energy SoftwareEnable a 100% renewable energy system
94GobySustainability ReportingNet-zero carbon emissions by 2030
95VizzualityData VisualizationCarbon-neutral by 2021
96Fresh EnergyRenewable Energy Software100% carbon-neutral by 2030
97BreezometerAir Quality MonitoringCarbon-neutral by 2022
98LucidBuilding ManagementNet-zero carbon emissions by 2030
99Blue PillarEnergy ManagementEnable a 100% renewable energy system
100FieldwireConstruction ManagementNet-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.

Please share and link to this article. Help spread the word about which software companies are going furthest when it comes to sustainability.