Newsweek recently published "green rankings" for the top 500 companies in America. With the exception of Johnson & Johnson, the top five companies were all in the computer business: HP, Dell, Intel, and IBM. "Many of the companies that finished in our Top 100 are recognized leaders in sustainability," notes the publication. "Intel, No. 4 in Newsweek's ranking, recently launched an initiative in which every employee's annual bonus is tied, in part, to how well the company does in meeting sustainability goals. Wal-Mart, No. 59, recently announced plans to create a Sustainability Index that will help consumers better understand which products sold in its stores are greener than others."
What IndustryGamers found interesting in looking over this list was that video game companies were nowhere near the top 100. Clearly, the game industry needs to do a better job being "green." GameStop placed at 228, Electronic Arts at 381, and Activision Blizzard at 416. Activsion's ranking is actually worse than ExxonMobil (#395), whose oil spils have really tarnished the environment. Newsweek compiled the rankings with help from three research firms. You can read the methodology here.
This isn't the first time that game companies have come under some scrutiny for their lack of environmental standards. Greenpeace has been highlighting the "green rankings" for the consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, with Nintendo bearing the brunt of the criticism for a couple years now.
3 Comments
September 30, 2009
I wonder how much they paid to be ahead of Activision...
October 1, 2009
I think it's common knowledge by now that Activision is spending the money they make, and it certainly is not on green initiatives. Go Steelers!
October 1, 2009
Uh, the methodology used for this report (at least from what you can understand from the explanations) does not really allow various industries to be compared apples-apples.
EA and ATVI, for instance, spend most of their energy not making a tangible product, but in making code and ideas for a product. And in the case what is manufactured, it's typically done in third party facilities not associated with the publishers. Whereas most other companies in the list, including the tech companies, make specific products through manufacturing and much of the R&D and assembly line is part of the company itself.
This but one of numerous issues that do not corollate when you read the methodology.
I call bogus on this BS article.