Frequently Asked Questions

 

What’s the aim of the Global 100?

The aim of the Global 100 is to raise questions about the role of the corporation in society, to add momentum to sincere corporate sustainability initiatives, and to help the public see corporations in a broader sense. For more information about the Global 100’s goals, please see our Mission Statement.

How are the Global 100 ratings compiled by Innovest?

The Innovest methodology compares companies to their sector peers on a best-in-class basis, rather than appraise them on absolute performance. For the Global 100, Innovest selected 100 leaders from the MSCI World that demonstrate exceptional capacity to address their sector-specific environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities. Innovest does not believe that it is particularly insightful, or even methodologically possible, to give companies absolute ratings, as different industries face vastly different sets of social and environmental dynamics. To find out more about the company selection process, please visit our Methodology section.

A company which I think is doing a great job is not on the Global 100. Why not?

Is that company in the MSCI World? If not, that could be why. If the company is in the MSCI World and is not part of the Global 100, the first thing you should do is read the Methodology section. If this does not answer your questions, you can contact Innovest, and they will be happy to discuss the company with you.

Why limit yourselves to the MSCI World?

Because it is one of the most widely used and recognized equity indices in the world, it provides the necessary diversity in terms of company size, geographic location and industry sector representation to minimize various biases, and it is the mainstream index which overlaps most with Innovest’s own research universe. Are there very strong performers that, because they are not part of the MSCI World, were excluded from the list? Yes. But we had to delineate a universe that was both workable from a research point of view and mainstream and diverse enough to mirror the global business space as it currently looks.

I’d like to invest in a financial product based on the Global 100. Is this possible?

Unfortunately, at this time, it is not. We will advise people through this website should this situation change.

How can a fast food company and a weapons maker be in the Global 100?

The Global 100 does not discriminate on the basis of how companies earn their revenues. Despite the fact that certain industries face greater social and environmental challenges than do others, some companies within those higher-impact industries may still be strong social and/or environmental performers. We believe that the blanket exclusion of companies based solely on which sector they belong to is a short-sighted approach, as there are no two companies exactly alike.

I have a concern with one or more companies that made the Global 100 and I would like to either discuss it with Innovest or provide feedback directly to the company.

You have two choices:

  • If you would like to discuss one or more of the selected companies directly with Innovest, you may contact them, and someone will direct you to the analyst responsible for the company. The analyst will then be happy to discuss her/his choice(s) with you.
  • If you feel you would like to provide feedback directly to a firm, please send an e-mail to ideas@global100.org, and we will to do two things:
    • Post a link to your suggestion on the company’s profile page on this web site (profiles will become available in late February).
    • Forward the suggestion to Innovest to facilitate the feedback loop that is part of their research process.