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Google, HP Get High Marks on Environmental Scorecard

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 12:00 CDT

Google and Hewlett-Packard get a green pat on the back in an environmental scorecard released this morning. Apple and eBay get black marks.

The second Climate Counts Company Scorecard rates 56 companies in nine consumer segments, ranging from clothing companies and beer-makers to some of Silicon Valley's heavyweights.

Companies are rated on 22 criteria, such as how well they measure their carbon footprints, how much they've done to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions, how actively they support progressive climate legislation and how much they talk about their efforts.

Google topped the Internet/software category, earning 55 out of 100 points. Yahoo was third with 37 points and eBay was last with only five points. The San Jose company recently opened its first green building, on its North First Street campus.

Among electronics companies, Hewlett-Packard ranked fourth with 68 points, and Apple was 12th, and last, with just 11 points. IBM, Canon and Toshiba topped this category.

Other top-rated companies include Nike (apparel/accessories), Anheuser-Busch (beverages/beer), General Electric (media), Starbucks (food services) and Procter & Gamble (household products).

Overall, 84 percent of companies improved their scores from the 2007 survey. Nike was the top overall company, while Google had the most improvement.

Climate Counts is a non-profit seeking to combat global warming. It was launched and funded by Stonyfield Farms, a dairy

company and a subsidiary of Groupe Danone. It acknowledges that link in a news release on the survey, even as it rates Stonyfield Farm as the top green player in the food products category.

Contact Matt Nauman at mnauman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5701.

Source: San Jose Mercury News

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