The most sustainable companies in the world 2026 have been revealed, and this year’s list looks strikingly different from the past. Topping the ranking is Italian renewable-energy producer ERG SpA, which leapt from 18th place to first. The ranking comes from the authoritative Corporate Knights Global 100, published each January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which has assessed the world’s most sustainable corporations since 2005. For 2026, Corporate Knights evaluated more than 8,000 public companies with over $1 billion in revenue. Below are the leaders driving the low-carbon economy.
What changed this year is the methodology. Corporate Knights introduced a new metric — sustainable revenue momentum, which measures how fast a company is growing its green revenues — and made it a full third of each company’s score. The message, in the words of the firm’s CEO, is that “speed matters.” The result reshuffled the rankings dramatically and put renewable-energy and clean-technology firms at the very top. Let’s count down the most sustainable companies in the world for 2026.
Top 10 Most Sustainable Companies in the World 2026 – At a Glance
| Rank | Company | Country | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ERG SpA | Italy | Renewable energy |
| 2 | Pandora A/S | Denmark | Jewellery (recycled materials) |
| 3 | EDP Renováveis SA | Spain / Portugal | Renewable energy |
| 4 | Fluence Energy, Inc. | USA | Battery energy storage |
| 5 | Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp | Taiwan | Low-carbon transport |
| 6 | DaVita Inc. | USA | Healthcare |
| 9 | Ørsted A/S | Denmark | Offshore wind energy |
| — | Ricoh | Japan | Digital services (G100 member) |
| — | Lenovo | China / USA | Technology (G100 member) |
| — | Bakkafrost | Faroe Islands | Sustainable aquaculture (G100 member) |
Ranks 1–6 and #9 are confirmed 2026 Global 100 positions. The final entries are confirmed Global 100 members whose exact 2026 rank sits within the wider list; the full ordered table is on the Corporate Knights website.
How Green Are These Companies?
61%
17.3%
Share of total revenue that comes from sustainable sources. Global 100 firms earn up to 61% of revenue sustainably, versus 17.3% for other listed companies (Corporate Knights, 2026).
1. ERG SpA – The World’s Most Sustainable Company (Italy)
ERG SpA is the most sustainable company in the world in 2026. Once an oil-refining business, the Italian firm has completely reinvented itself as a pure-play renewable-energy producer, generating power almost entirely from wind and solar. That transformation — and a large increase in clean-energy revenue — propelled it from 18th place last year all the way to number one under the new momentum-focused methodology. ERG’s rise is a powerful example of how a traditional fossil-fuel company can successfully pivot to become a leader in the low-carbon economy. Over roughly two decades, the company methodically sold off its refining and oil assets and reinvested the proceeds into wind farms and solar plants across Italy and Europe, a deliberate long-term strategy rather than a sudden rebrand. Today it ranks among Europe’s significant independent renewable-power producers, and its journey is frequently cited as proof that even carbon-heavy legacy businesses can remake themselves entirely when leadership commits to the transition.
2. Pandora A/S – (Denmark)
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Danish jewellery giant Pandora, the world’s largest jewellery manufacturer by volume, rocketed from 48th to second place. The leap was driven by its bold commitment to sustainability: Pandora now crafts its jewellery using recycled silver and gold, and has moved to lab-grown diamonds, dramatically cutting the environmental footprint of its products. Its transformation shows that even fashion and luxury brands — industries not traditionally associated with sustainability — can become green leaders, and it is prompting other fashion giants to follow suit. Mining new precious metals is enormously resource-intensive, so Pandora’s switch to 100% recycled silver and gold removes a huge share of its supply-chain emissions at a stroke. Its move to lab-grown diamonds — chemically identical to mined stones but produced with a fraction of the environmental and social cost — was a bold bet for a mass-market jeweller, and its rapid climb up the ranking suggests the strategy is paying off both environmentally and commercially.
3. EDP Renováveis SA – (Spain / Portugal)
EDP Renováveis, the renewable-energy arm of Portuguese utility EDP, takes third place. One of the world’s largest producers of wind energy, with a growing solar portfolio, the company operates clean-power projects across Europe, the Americas, and beyond. Its consistently high share of sustainable revenue keeps it near the very top of the Global 100, reflecting the central role that dedicated renewable-energy companies play in the global energy transition. As one of the earliest large utilities to bet heavily on wind, EDP Renováveis built an international portfolio spanning onshore and offshore projects, and it continues to expand into emerging solar and storage markets as demand for clean electricity accelerates worldwide.
4. Fluence Energy, Inc. – (USA)
A newcomer to the ranking, Fluence Energy debuts at fourth place. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the company makes utility-scale battery energy storage systems — the giant batteries that store renewable power so it can be used when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. As grids worldwide add more wind and solar, energy storage becomes essential, and Fluence’s rapid growth in this critical sector reflects exactly the kind of momentum the new methodology rewards. The fundamental challenge with renewable power is intermittency — the sun sets and the wind drops — and grid-scale batteries are the bridge that lets clean energy run around the clock. Fluence, born as a joint venture between two established energy and technology companies, has become one of the largest dedicated players in this fast-expanding market, deploying storage systems on multiple continents to stabilise grids and unlock more renewable capacity.
5. Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp – (Taiwan)
Taiwan High Speed Rail rounds out the top five. Operating the high-speed line that runs down the western corridor of Taiwan, the company provides a low-carbon alternative to short-haul flights and car journeys for millions of passengers. Efficient electrified rail is one of the most effective ways to cut transport emissions, and Taiwan HSR’s strong sustainability profile highlights how public transport operators can rank among the world’s greenest corporations. A single high-speed train can replace hundreds of car journeys or dozens of short-haul flights, and Taiwan’s line has reshaped domestic travel on the island since it opened, carrying huge passenger volumes with a fraction of the per-traveller emissions of flying or driving.
6. DaVita Inc. – (USA)
DaVita, a Denver-based healthcare company specialising in kidney care and dialysis, is another new entry, debuting at sixth. Its inclusion demonstrates that sustainability leadership isn’t limited to energy and technology firms — healthcare providers can rank highly too, through efficient operations, responsible resource use, and strong governance and social practices. Dialysis is an especially resource-intensive form of care, consuming large amounts of water and energy, so a major provider making measurable efficiency gains has an outsized impact. DaVita was one of nine US companies joining the Global 100 for the first time in 2026.
7–10. Rounding Out the Global Leaders
Just behind the top six sit several more standout performers. Danish offshore-wind pioneer Ørsted holds ninth place — the only company to retain the exact same position as the previous year. Once one of Europe’s most coal-intensive utilities, Ørsted transformed itself into a global leader in offshore wind, and it remains a textbook case of corporate reinvention documented widely, including on its company profile. Also featuring prominently in the 2026 Global 100 are Japan’s Ricoh, recognised for the 14th time for embedding sustainability across its digital-services business; technology powerhouse Lenovo, whose sustainable revenue is now built into its products and services; and Bakkafrost of the Faroe Islands, ranked second in the world within the food and beverage group for its responsible salmon farming. Together these companies illustrate the sheer breadth of industries — from wind power to electronics to aquaculture — now competing to lead the sustainable economy.
What This Ranking Tells Us About Sustainability in 2026
The headline story of the 2026 Global 100 is momentum. By rewarding companies that are growing their green revenues fastest — not just those with a large sustainable business already — Corporate Knights is signalling that the pace of transformation now matters as much as its scale. The results are telling: Global 100 companies earn up to 61% of their revenue from sustainable sources, compared with just 17.3% for other listed firms, and their sustainable revenues are growing at double the rate of their other business lines. Notably, despite political headwinds against ESG in some markets, 20 US companies made the list — more than any other country — suggesting the shift toward a low-carbon economy has real commercial staying power. For businesses everywhere, the message is clear: sustainability has moved from a reputational nicety to a genuine engine of growth.
What Does “Sustainable Revenue” Actually Mean?
A key idea behind this ranking is “sustainable revenue” — and understanding it explains why the list looks the way it does. Rather than judging companies mainly on how well they manage risks like pollution or emissions, Corporate Knights measures how much of a company’s actual income comes from products and services that help the environment or society: renewable power, energy-efficient equipment, recycled materials, clean transport, and so on. This is assessed using an open-source “sustainable economy taxonomy” that classifies which revenues genuinely qualify. The approach favours companies whose core business is the solution — a wind-farm operator or a battery maker — over a company that simply pollutes a little less than its rivals. It also means a firm can rank highly even in an unexpected industry, as long as a large and growing share of its money comes from sustainable activities. Traditional environmental indicators like emissions, water use, workplace safety, and board diversity still feature, but they no longer dominate the score. This shift is why renewable-energy and clean-technology firms now occupy the top positions, and why fast-growing green businesses can leap up the ranking in a single year.
Interested in how the world is changing? Explore our Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the World and Top 10 Best Hospitals in the World.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most sustainable company in the world in 2026?
ERG SpA, an Italian renewable-energy producer, is the most sustainable company in the world in 2026 according to the Corporate Knights Global 100. It rose from 18th place to first after transforming from an oil business into a pure-play wind and solar generator.
What is the Corporate Knights Global 100?
The Global 100 is an annual ranking of the world’s most sustainable corporations, published by Corporate Knights since 2005 and announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It assesses publicly traded companies with revenues above $1 billion using transparent, data-driven metrics.
How are the most sustainable companies ranked in 2026?
The 2026 methodology uses three equally weighted metrics: sustainable revenue, sustainable investment, and a new “sustainable revenue momentum” measure that tracks how fast green revenues are growing. Companies are also penalised for issues like workplace fatalities and fines.
Which country has the most sustainable companies?
The United States has the most companies in the 2026 Global 100, with 20 — more than any other country — despite political debate over ESG. Nine US companies joined the list for the first time this year.
How much of these companies’ revenue is sustainable?
Global 100 companies earn up to 61% of their total revenue from sustainable sources, compared with just 17.3% for all other publicly listed companies, and their sustainable revenues are growing twice as fast as their other revenues.
Contributor at World Wide 10.
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