Climate Week NYC 2025 is underway, and corporate climate leadership is front and center. At 3BL, we know that the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list is more than recognition — it’s a data-driven snapshot of where companies stand on critical climate issues, and where they still have work to do.

Take corporate disclosure of climate change risks. Just four years ago, in 2021, only 25.7 percent of Russell 1000 companies disclosed quantifiable climate risks. Today, in 2025, that number has jumped to 79.1 percent. Meanwhile, companies offering only “general” disclosures have dropped from nearly 40 percent to just 15 percent. The message is clear: companies are moving from vague statements to concrete, measurable accountability.

But when we look at approved net-zero Science Based Targets (SBTis), the picture is more complicated. Progress peaked in 2023, when 18.2 percent of Russell 1000 companies had a net-zero SBTi commitment. By 2025, that figure has slipped back to 12.8 percent. While transparency is on the rise, the momentum behind ambitious, science-aligned targets is showing signs of stagnation.

These trends highlight both the achievements and the gaps in corporate climate action. Companies are more willing than ever to disclose their risks, but fewer are following through with rigorous, future-focused climate commitments. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens list reflects this reality, showcasing the companies leading the way while offering benchmarks for others to catch up.

As global leaders, activists, and businesses gather this week in New York, the data reminds us: leadership is not static. It evolves with expectations, accountability, and action. For companies, that means the bar is higher than ever — and the time to act is now.

If you’d like to dive deeper into the factor-level data behind the 100 Best and explore how your organization can use these insights in communications and stakeholder engagement, contact our sales team in the links below.

The 2025 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking reveals major ESG trends, from tighter competition and performance-focused factors to Paris Agreement-aligned lobbying. Explore what this means for corporate responsibility.

Every year, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking acts as a benchmark for ESG leadership. This year, the results point to three major shifts:

1. ESG competition is intensifying. With scores up 2.5% year-over-year, companies are doing more to disclose and perform across 219 ESG factors. The tighter score gap between the top and bottom of the list proves that every company in the Russell 1000 is under pressure to step up.
2. Performance matters more than ever. Following methodology updates in 2024, the 2025 ranking increased the weight of performance-based ESG factors, emphasizing what companies do over what they say.
3. Political influence is under scrutiny. Since 2021, the ranking has incorporated InfluenceMap’s analysis of corporate lobbying. In 2025, VF Corp. was the only company to earn a “green flag” bonus for lobbying in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

Together, these shifts reflect a broader reality: transparency and accountability are now baseline expectations, not optional extras.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Sept 3, 2025

Sixty-six percent of U.S. consumers believe businesses should continue their sustainability efforts regardless of the political climate. Yet many corporate communicators feel pressure to pause or scale back their messaging, especially in the U.S., where political scrutiny is rising. In fact, media mentions of top companies tied to sustainability have already dropped more than 10% in the first four months of 2025 compared to last year. At first glance, pulling back might seem like the safer option. But here’s the reality: the risks of speaking out are often overstated, while the cost of staying silent is only increasing. Consider this: most sustainability-related media coverage remains neutral to positive, and the American public still expects companies to lead. 3BL’s latest research report, Say Less, Risk More: Sustainability Silence Is Undermining Trust, explores:

• The new era of corporate greenhushing
• The brewing crisis of trust
• Key industry findings
• Guidance for navigating your messaging, and more

Key insights from the report include:

• When asked about the role of business in sustainability, only 8% of consumers said they expect companies to step back.
• 80% say they prefer to shop with brands that support DEI.
• Nearly 1 in 4 consumers now say they “rarely” or “almost never” believe corporate sustainability claims, up from 15% just 18 months ago. Many perceive companies as only supporting causes when it’s profitable or trendy.

In a politically charged climate, staying silent on sustainability may be the riskiest move of all.

As political and legal scrutiny mounts in the U.S., many companies are scaling back public communication around their sustainability efforts. But according to new research from 3BL, the real risk isn’t saying too much, it’s saying nothing at all. Our report, “Say Less, Risk More: Sustainability Silence is Undermining Trust,” draws on media analysis and original polling to expose a growing crisis of confidence in corporate sustainability claims. The findings signal a clear warning: greenhushing may feel safe, but it’s undermining public trust and putting market share on the line. This new analysis paints a complicated picture. While public dialogue around sustainability is declining, consumer expectations have not. Americans across the political spectrum say they want businesses to maintain their efforts, regardless of changing political winds. Silence (even if motivated by legal caution or perceived risk) increasingly reads as inaction to the public.

A Few Key Findings From the Report: 

• A Decline in Corporate Voice: Media mentions of top U.S. companies tied to sustainability topics dropped nearly 10% in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
• Consumers Still Expect Business to Lead: Even in a shifting political landscape, most Americans expect the role of business in sustainability to grow or remain the same.
• Trust Is Slipping: Nearly a quarter (23%) of consumers now say they “rarely” or “almost never” trust what companies say about their sustainability goals, up from just 15% in December 2023. 

A Wake-Up Call for Communicators
The findings suggest that companies that pause their communications risk eroding hard-earned trust, alienating values-driven consumers, and falling behind competitors that continue to show up. What matters most isn’t perfection, it’s progress, transparency, and consistency. The full report, including sector-specific insights and communications recommendations, is now available.