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September 23, 2009 - Newsweek released its 2009 Green Rankings this week, rating the 500 largest U.S. companies on the sustainability of their practices. 4 of the top 5 slots were given to technology companies.

The Newsweek rankings do have inherent shortcomings; certain industries are much dirtier than others which creates an apples-to-oranges situation, many companies keep this data close to the chest, and for many variables there is no uniform standard, so many organizations report numbers differently. In light of this, the rankings do communicate to companies how their efforts are perceived by the public and give them benchmarks to shoot for - and may even foster some much-welcomed competition.

The stated goal of the ranking is to open a conversation about sustainability and environmental performance by the world's largest companies - and this conversation will in turn push companies toward better performance. While the top 5 is sure to generate some controversy, that is just what we need to kick start the conversation.

Newsweek's Top 5

1. Hewlett-Packard: Strong programs to reduce GHG emissions. The first major IT company to report GHG emissions associated with its supply chain. Has made an effort to remove toxic substances from its products, but Greenpeace has targeted it for failing to do better.

2. Dell: Ranks 4th among the top U.S. corporate users of renewable energy; headquarters uses 100% renewable energy. All its desktop and laptop computers will consume up to 25% less energy by 2010. Became carbon neutral in 2008 by using offsets and other methods; plans to maintain its carbon neutrality for the next five years. Leads the industry with its product take-back and recycling programs.

3. Johnson & Johnson: Its commitment to climate change is rare for its peer group and has strong environmental management in place, but has not pledged to become carbon neutral. Has largest fleet of hybrid vehicles in the world. However, a top emitter of toxic pollutants compared to other companies within its industry.

4. Intel: Largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the US, equivalent to 46% of company's US energy use. Energy efficiency is major focus of product development. Rather than focusing solely on increasing speed, aim is to reduce energy consumption of its chips while increasing their speed. Leads its peers with strong programs to reduce waste and release of toxics.

5. IBM: Has had formal environmental policies since 1971. All new employees undergo environmental awareness training. Ultra carbon-conscious, it's the only company to receive EPA's Climate Protection Award twice. Participated in pilot program to reduce Stockholm's traffic congestion, which led to 40% decrease in inner-city greenhouse gases. London is next. Spending $1 billion a year to double the capacity of data centers by 2010 without increasing their power consumption.