Arup and IBM on first Fortune Change the World list

Advisories Arup and IBM have been listed on Fortune Magazine’s inaugural ‘Change the World’ list, which contains 51 companies that positively influence social or environmental issues by integrating them into their competitive strategy. The list is led by Vodafone and Safaricom (#1 spot), Google (#2) and Toyota (#3).

‘Change the World’
Fortune Magazine has for the first time released its ‘Change the World’ list, which contains the 51 companies that, according to the company, are “doing well by doing good”. The thought behind the list is that businesses in pursuit of their profits still offer “the best hope of addressing many of mankind’s most deeply rooted problems” and should be encouraged and recognised. The list sheds light on those companies that have made progress in addressing social or environmental concerns as a part of their core business strategy.

To make the list, company strategies are reviewed on four criteria: the degree of business innovation involved, the measurable impact at scale on an important social challenge, the contribution of the shared-value activities to the company’s profitability and competitive advantage, and the significance of the shared value effort to the overall business. The companies that score the highest on the criteria and secured a #1 spot are Vodafone and Safaricom, followed by Google on #2 and Toyota on #3.

Two firms from the consultancy industry also made the list. IBM, found on #20, is praised for IBM Watson, its cognitive system that is used by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in Kenya to treat cancers. Arup, found on #40, received credits for its green method of working, including its work on 20 zero-net energy-efficiency projects, the California Academy of Sciences and the BIQ House in Hamburg, the world’s first building powered by algae.