Toyota maintains #1 spot in Interbrand’s 2nd annual Best Global Green Brands Report

Brand consultancy and author of the annual Best Global Brands report, Interbrand has released its 2012 Best Global Green Brands report revealing Toyota as #1.

The 2012 Best Global Green Brands report also saw Johnson & Johnson (#2), and Honda (#3) top the ranking with Danone (#9), Ford (#15), Starbucks (#36) and UPS (#43) as this year’s top risers. This year’s report shows that industries around the world are taking actionable and quantifiable measures to improve both their sustainability performance and their degree of external reporting.

As sustainability initiatives continue to gain relevance in the C-suite and with consumers, companies in all sectors are striving to strike a winning balance between building a green business and effectively communicating sustainable practices in the global marketplace. Interbrand’s 2012 Best Global Green Brands report examines the gap that exists between corporate environmental practices and consumer perception of those practices using its 2011 Best Global Brands report, extensive consumer research and performance data provided by Deloitte – data based upon publicly available information.

Says Jez Frampton, global chief executive officer of Interbrand: “Sustainability has proven to be a strategic and profitable aspect of business and a brand-strengthening asset.

“It is crucial that consumers’ impressions of a brand are in close alignment with that brand’s actual environmental performance. Otherwise, a brand’s efforts in this area could serve as an under-utilized asset, or, conversely, suffer due to accusations of ‘greenwashing.'”

Says David Pearson, global sustainability leader, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited: “It is becoming increasingly clear that sustainability is a ‘must have’ rather than a ‘nice to have’ for a lot of companies. It matters from a growth perspective; it matters from a cost and margin perspective; it matters from a brand value perspective. Closing the gap between sustainability performance and market perception is an incredibly important part of taking and continuing the sustainability journey.”

Says James Bickford, managing director Interbrand New Zealand: “If New Zealand wants to re-ignite its fading reputation for being ‘pure’ its brands need to start demonstrating their leadership in sustainability and transparency. The ‘planet’ agenda is no longer a governmental or cause related issue it is a partnership in which brands can lead and which the global community will judge our ‘pure’ credentials.”