Saturday, March 1, 2025

Clean200 List Shows Top Countries and Companies Transitioning to Sustainable Economy

The Carbon Clean200 list by Corporate Knights and As You Show, California-based advocacy groups, shows 200 publicly traded companies that have been transitioning to a sustainable economy. These companies are located in different countries like France, China, and the UK, and have generated $2.5 trillion in revenue from products and services, which has made them reduce their reliance on water and fossil fuels. The Clean200 data shows that major corporations make up 80% of the global market capitalization and their capital expenditures and sustainable revenues have grown more than twice compared to their other revenues in the past five years.

According to the Clean200 list, the top countries that have contributed the most to the Clean200’s performance are China, the US, France, Taiwan and Germany. These countries have tech hardware that is sustainably certified, and have electric vehicles and rail equipment. The top 10 companies that made it to the Clean200 list are Apple, Microsoft, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Contemporary Amperex Technology, Tesla, and Volkswagen.

Image: Apple Park headquarters / Carles Rabada Unsplash

There were 35 countries that were represented in the Clean200 list, with the US and China taking the lead. Most of the companies on the list are related to the industrial sector, with information technology, consumer discretionary, and materials companies being the most represented. There was a $10,000 investment in the Clean200 in 2016, which has now grown to $29,090 in 2025, while the fossil fuel benchmark has just $17,670.

The Clean200 ranks the world's top companies driving sustainability across sectors. Below is a look at the top 200.

Rank Name Country GICS Sector
1 Apple Inc United States of America Information Technology
2 Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd China Industrials
3 Microsoft Corp United States of America Information Technology
4 Tesla Inc United States of America Consumer Discretionary
5 Volkswagen AG Germany Consumer Discretionary
6 LG Energy Solution, Ltd. South Korea Industrials
7 LG Chem Ltd South Korea Materials
8 Schneider Electric SE France Industrials
9 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited Taiwan Information Technology
10 CRRC Corp Ltd China Industrials
11 HP Inc United States of America Information Technology
12 Daimler AG Germany Consumer Discretionary
13 Alphabet Inc United States of America Communication Services
14 Li Auto Inc China Consumer Discretionary
15 Alstom SA France Industrials
16 Merck & Co Inc United States of America Health Care
17 Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Germany Consumer Discretionary
18 Deutsche Telekom AG Germany Communication Services
19 Samsung SDI Co Ltd South Korea Information Technology
20 Vinci SA France Industrials
21 Vestas Wind Systems A/S Denmark Industrials
22 Iberdrola SA Spain Utilities
23 Cisco Systems Inc United States of America Information Technology
24 Lenovo Group Ltd Hong Kong Information Technology
25 GlaxoSmithKline PLC United Kingdom Health Care
26 Deutsche Post AG Germany Industrials
27 Sungrow Power Supply Co Ltd China Industrials
28 Rio Tinto Ltd Australia Materials
29 Siemens Healthineers AG Germany Health Care
30 Steel Dynamics Inc United States of America Materials
31 Nokia Oyj Finland Information Technology
32 Acciona SA Spain Utilities
33 Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd South Korea Consumer Discretionary
34 Johnson Controls International PLC Ireland Industrials
35 AT&T Inc United States of America Communication Services
36 NIO Inc China Consumer Discretionary
37 Banco do Brasil SA Brazil Financials
38 Central Japan Railway Co Japan Industrials
39 Ricoh Co Ltd Japan Information Technology
40 CEMIG Brazil Utilities
41 Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Sweden Information Technology
42 Neoenergia SA Brazil Utilities
43 Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. China Industrials
44 Adidas AG Germany Consumer Discretionary
45 Industria de Diseno Textil SA Spain Consumer Discretionary
46 EVE Energy Co., Ltd. China Industrials
47 Hanwha Solutions Corp South Korea Materials
48 Kering SA France Consumer Discretionary
49 Nike Inc United States of America Consumer Discretionary
50 China Tower Corp Ltd China Communication Services
51 CPFL Energia SA Brazil Utilities
52 East Japan Railway Co Japan Industrials
53 Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA Germany Health Care
54 Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd Hong Kong Consumer Discretionary
55 Essity AB Sweden Consumer Staples
56 Abb Ltd Switzerland Industrials
57 SAP SE Germany Information Technology
58 Intel Corp United States of America Information Technology
59 Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd Japan Consumer Discretionary
60 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co United States of America Information Technology
61 Nordex SE Germany Industrials
62 Orange SA France Communication Services
63 Volvo Car AB (publ.) Sweden Consumer Discretionary
64 Bharti Airtel Ltd India Communication Services
65 SoftBank Group Corp Japan Communication Services
66 Prysmian SpA Italy Industrials
67 Outokumpu Oyj Finland Materials
68 Abbvie Inc United States of America Health Care
69 Orsted A/S Denmark Utilities
70 Panasonic Corp Japan Consumer Discretionary
71 T-Mobile US Inc United States of America Communication Services
72 Enerjisa Enerji AS Turkey Utilities
73 Verbund AG Austria Utilities
74 Signify NV Netherlands Industrials
75 Yadea Group Holdings Ltd China Consumer Discretionary
76 Risen Energy Co Ltd China Information Technology
77 Ecopro BM. Co., Ltd. South Korea Industrials
78 Enel Americas SA Chile Utilities
79 Smurfit WestRock PLC Ireland Materials
80 Kone Oyj Finland Industrials
81 Aperam SA Luxembourg Materials
82 Renault SA France Consumer Discretionary
83 Astellas Pharma Inc Japan Health Care
84 Charter Communications Inc United States of America Communication Services
85 XPeng Inc. China Consumer Discretionary
86 Commercial Metals Co United States of America Materials
87 Trane Technologies PLC Ireland Industrials
88 Ball Corp United States of America Materials
89 AstraZeneca PLC United Kingdom Health Care
90 Gotion High-tech Co Ltd China Industrials
91 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG Germany Consumer Discretionary
92 DS Smith PLC United Kingdom Materials
93 Republic Services Inc United States of America Industrials
94 Sanofi SA France Health Care
95 WSP Global Inc Canada Industrials
96 Companhia Paranaense de Energia Brazil Utilities
97 GEM Co Ltd China Industrials
98 Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd Japan Health Care
99 Asustek Computer Inc Taiwan Information Technology
100 Henkel AG & Co KgaA Germany Consumer Staples
101 Xylem Inc United States of America Industrials
102 West Japan Railway Co Japan Industrials
103 Albemarle Corp United States of America Materials
104 Konica Minolta Inc Japan Information Technology
105 China Three Gorges Renewables Group Co Ltd China Utilities
106 Crown Holdings Inc United States of America Materials
107 H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB Sweden Consumer Discretionary
108 Brambles Ltd Australia Industrials
109 BCE Inc Canada Communication Services
110 Eiffage SA France Industrials
111 Dassault Systemes SE France Information Technology
112 Air Liquide S.A. France Materials
113 Acerinox SA Spain Materials
114 Darling Ingredients Inc United States of America Consumer Staples
115 Bridgestone Corp Japan Consumer Discretionary
116 GS Yuasa Corp Japan Industrials
117 Quanta Services Inc United States of America Industrials
118 Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd Hong Kong Utilities
119 ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA Spain Industrials
120 Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. China Materials
121 Canadian Solar Inc Canada Information Technology
122 Rengo Co Ltd Japan Materials
123 FirstGroup PLC United Kingdom Industrials
124 voestalpine AG Austria Materials
125 Giant Manufacturing Co Ltd Taiwan Consumer Discretionary
126 Ecolab Inc United States of America Materials
127 Canadian National Railway Co Canada Industrials
128 DaVita Inc United States of America Health Care
129 Flat Glass Group Co., Ltd. China Information Technology
130 Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co Ltd China Industrials
131 Newmont Corporation United States of America Materials
132 Autodesk Inc United States of America Information Technology
133 Manulife Financial Corp Canada Financials
134 Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd China Information Technology
135 Broadcom Inc United States of America Information Technology
136 Sims Ltd Australia Materials
137 Telus Corp Canada Communication Services
138 Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk PT Indonesia Communication Services
139 Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd Japan Industrials
140 Companhia de Eletricidade do Estado da Bahia Coelba Brazil Utilities
141 MLS Co Ltd China Information Technology
142 Norsk Hydro ASA Norway Materials
143 Rivian Automotive, Inc. United States of America Consumer Discretionary
144 Posco Chemical Co Ltd South Korea Industrials
145 Eisai Co Ltd Japan Health Care
146 Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp Taiwan Materials
147 Pandora A/S Denmark Consumer Discretionary
148 Kimberly-Clark Corp United States of America Consumer Staples
149 Acer Inc Taiwan Information Technology
150 Interconnection Electric SA ESP Colombia Utilities
151 Adani Green Energy Ltd India Utilities
152 Waste Connections Inc Canada Industrials
153 Sonoco Products Co United States of America Materials
154 Valeo SA France Consumer Discretionary
155 Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo SABESP Brazil Utilities
156 Umicore SA Belgium Materials
157 Shimano Inc Japan Consumer Discretionary
158 Greif Inc United States of America Materials
159 Arcelik AS Turkey Consumer Discretionary
160 CapitaLand Investment Ltd Singapore Real Estate
161 Engie Brasil Energia SA Brazil Utilities
162 Kurita Water Industries Ltd Japan Industrials
163 Equinix Inc United States of America Real Estate
164 Swatch Group AG Switzerland Consumer Discretionary
165 Emirates Telecommunications Group Co PJSC United Arab Emirates Communication Services
166 BT Group PLC United Kingdom Communication Services
167 China Railway Signal & Communication Corp Ltd China Information Technology
168 GFL Environmental Inc Canada Industrials
169 Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Canada Industrials
170 Olympus Corp Japan Health Care
171 Camel Group Co Ltd China Industrials
172 EDP Renovaveis SA Spain Utilities
173 Siemens Ltd India Industrials
174 Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp Taiwan Industrials
175 Amgen Inc United States of America Health Care
176 Pactiv Evergreen Inc United States of America Materials
177 Ferrovial SA Spain Industrials
178 Xerox Holdings Corp United States of America Information Technology
179 SK Telecom Co Ltd South Korea Communication Services
180 Etihad Etisalat Company SJSC Saudi Arabia Communication Services
181 Delta Electronics Thailand PCL Thailand Information Technology
182 Stadler Rail AG Switzerland Industrials
183 Rockwool A/S Denmark Industrials
184 First Solar Inc United States of America Information Technology
185 Andritz AG Austria Industrials
186 Cascades Inc Canada Materials
187 Advanced Micro Devices Inc United States of America Information Technology
188 Longchen Paper & Packaging Co Ltd Taiwan Materials
189 Stantec Inc Canada Industrials
190 Elia Group SA Belgium Utilities
191 Corporacion Acciona Energias Renovables S.A. Spain Utilities
192 SMA Solar Technology AG Germany Information Technology
193 Puma SE Germany Consumer Discretionary
194 Veralto Corp United States of America Industrials
195 City Developments Ltd Singapore Real Estate
196 Clean Harbors Inc United States of America Industrials
197 Solaredge Technologies Inc Israel Information Technology
198 Suzlon Energy Ltd India Industrials
199 Analog Devices Inc United States of America Information Technology
200 Sibanye Stillwater Ltd South Africa Materials

Read next: Bill Gates Says There’s More to Worry About In Today’s Time Than Just A Nuclear War
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

72% Use Personal Accounts for AI, 90% Bypass IT, Shadow SaaS Expands, Increasing Data Exposure

According to Enterprise GenAI Data Security Report 2025 by LayerX, there are major security risks of AI use in enterprises because 90% of the AI usage happens outside IT visibility. This can increase the risks of data leaks and unauthorized access, so enterprises should have proper training about how to use AI in workplaces. Even though there is a lot of hype around GenAI, its adoption in the industry is still moderate and only 15% of the employees are using GenAI tools daily. On the other hand, 50% of the employees use GenAI tools twice a week, which suggests that GenAI usage is going to increase soon.

Most of the users of GenAI (39%) are software developers, so they are more at risk for unknowingly leaking data, which could involve proprietary codes and can integrate insecure codes into computer systems. LayerX says that most of the employees are relying on Shadow SaaS and they use most of the GenAI tools without IT approval and 72% use them through their personal accounts. Only 12% of the employees who access GenAI tools through their corporate accounts do so with SSO (Single Sign-On). This means that 90% of the GenAI usage by the employees is invisible to the organizations, which makes them more vulnerable to unauthorized sharing of data and data leakage.

It was also found that employees who use GenAI daily tend to copy corporate data about four times on average in a day. The data includes customer data, business information, financial plans, and even source code, which increases the risks of data exposure in AI tools. This means that organizations need new security strategies to keep their data safe from GenAI. They have to integrate Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions in enterprises so GenAI can be safely incorporated without any risks.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Microsoft to Discontinue Skype on May 5, 2025, Urges Users to Switch to Teams
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Trust Over Rankings: Americans Prefer Familiar Brands and Organic Results in Search!

According to a new survey by Page One Power, most of the searchers prefer clicking on brands they know rather than the top results on Google search results. The survey found that 59% of Americans click on search results of the brands they are familiar with, while less than one-third click on top-ranked results. User trust is an important thing in SEO and building a brand that the audience recognizes has become very crucial. The brand doesn't even have to be large-scaled like Amazon or Google, but it has to be something the audience connects with.

49% of the Americans said that they trust and prefer organic results over the paid results, while 46% trust them equally. There are also 5% of Americans who trust paid results more than organic results. Millennials (56%) and men (54%) are more likely to trust organic results, while Gen-X (52%) and women (50%) trust paid and organic results equally.


The survey also found that there are different reasons why Americans click on search results and they vary from generation to generation.

Gen-X (52%) and Baby Boomers (50%) click on results because of their compelling headlines, while Gen-Z (63%) and Millennials (55%) click on results based on their ratings and reviews. 12% of the Americans said that they fully trust search results while 52% named search engines as their most trusted sources of information.

When asked what is America’s top choice for search engine, 44% of Baby Boomers, 55% of Gen-X, 64% of Millennials and 64% of Gen-Z answered Google. 28% of Americans said that their trust in search engines is increasing, while 27% said that their trust is decreasing, which means that search engines are stable in America. Google was named a monopoly by 25% of Americans while 33% said that Google’s clout is okay because of its performance and reach. But there were also 40% of Americans who believe that there are better alternatives to Google. Americans want a wide range of viewpoints (47%) and personalized content (28%) in their search results.

Read next: New Survey Shows that Most of the Users Feel that Google’s Search Results Quality has Deteriorated
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Friday, February 28, 2025

Microsoft to Discontinue Skype on May 5, 2025, Urges Users to Switch to Teams

Microsoft has announced that Skype will be discontinued on May 5, 2025, marking the end of an era for the once-dominant internet calling service. The company confirmed that existing Skype users will be able to migrate their chats and contacts to Microsoft Teams (free).

Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, making it the company’s largest purchase at the time. Over the years, the service was integrated into various Microsoft products, including Office and the now-defunct Windows Phone platform.

Despite a brief resurgence during the pandemic, Skype has steadily lost ground to competitors such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Cisco Webex. Additionally, Apple’s FaceTime and Meta’s WhatsApp further diminished its relevance. Meanwhile, Microsoft has invested heavily in Teams, which offers similar communication features and was introduced in 2017.

Skype was founded in Estonia in 2003 and quickly gained traction as a free alternative to expensive international calls. Its success led to eBay acquiring the company for $2.6 billion in 2005. However, that deal proved unfruitful, and eBay sold 65% of its stake to investors for $1.9 billion in 2009, before Microsoft’s full acquisition in 2011.

As the May 2025 shutdown approaches, Microsoft encourages users to transition to Teams (free) to maintain access to their conversations and contacts.

Image: Microsoft

Read next:

• Global Smart Glasses Shipments are Expected to Grow in 2025 After the Success of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

• New Survey Shows that Most of the Users Feel that Google’s Search Results Quality has Deteriorated
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

New Survey Shows that Most of the Users Feel that Google’s Search Results Quality has Deteriorated

According to a new survey of 2,000 US adults by Vox Media/TheVerge, 42% of the respondents feel that Google search is becoming useless. 53% of the millennials and 61% of the Gen-Z reported using AI tools for searching because traditional search engines like Google do not give them their desirable results. Google’s market share has dropped below 90% for the first time since 2015 and one of the reasons is that most users aren't preferring Google search for their queries. Most users say that they aren't liking the search quality on Google, so they are preferring to ask their queries on AI chatbots or searching social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

76% of the respondents said that when they search on Google, more than a quarter of the results are promoted or sponsored and only 14% of them said that those results are helpful. 55% said that they prefer getting information more from their community than Google search, because it never gives quality information, while 52% said that they are using alternative search engines and AI chatbots for getting information. 66% of the respondents said that Google's quality has decreased a lot and that's why they are unable to find reliable sources there.


Read next: Instagram Beats Facebook in Q1 2025 as Brands’ Preferred Platform for Marketing
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Meta’s Transparency Report Reveals Decline in External Links, Rising Engagement With Lighthearted Content

Tech giant Meta just shared the latest overview of transparency report, coupled with hacking attacks and feed engagement.

The latest ordeal entails a new arrangement of stats with notes on what users see on the app, what they report, and what is taking up most of their time. For instance, the latest content report on this front entails how the majority of feed posts across Facebook in the US didn’t entail an external-link. It’s quite different from the past where the figure stood at 86%.

It means that getting organic referrals from Facebook has become even more difficult now than before. We are also seeing the platform de-prioritize links as a means to move one step away from the domain of news. However, the recent changes made to the app are signaling more towards the return of politics on the platform.



The top ten viewed links last quarter had to do with junk topics that made many in the Facebook viewers happy. You’ll see people in space celebrating holidays, Neil Patrick singing festive tunes, and even an image of Mark Wahlberg.

You will get a bigger idea of the usual array of tabloid headlines from supermarket dominating the entire Facebook discussion, along with tales of holiday sentiments. Meanwhile, the most shared posts are also on a different level. You'll see a child asking Santa for help for his mother, rather than the usual list of toys.

As far as violations are concerned, there aren’t any major spikes during the time, but the company did share a rise in Violent and Graphic Content on the app. This is all thanks to adjustments it made to the proactive detection tech program.

Meta claims fake accounts stood for nearly 3% of the MAU for Facebook last quarter. That’s a great feature as there is really no way to figure out the real value but Meta continues to revise it down. This does mean the firm has more belief in the process of detection or it just altered the base figure.

The report doesn’t entail any data linked to the policy changes done for January this year. They are monitoring things and they’ve not seen any major impact of the rate of violence, although it’s not being proactive towards content removal. Some enforcement errors have declined with the new method being used.

The change on Meta’s controversial end towards Community Notes is drastic. We’re talking about third party fact checkers not being present anymore. They’ve similarly altered policies such as those linked to hate speech that are more in tune with what the Trump administration wants.

Yes, violations are rising but Meta feels that at least it’s not banning accounts by error. That’s what Facebook’s parent firm feels, but critics argue whether or not the right actions remain the same as it transforms to a less strict model for supervision.

As far as threats and attacks are concerned, Meta took pride in saying they encountered a few small-scale attempts during the last quarter. Most of them arose from China, Benin, and Ghana. Another major one was based in Russia called Doppleganger that has been observed for years.

Beginning in the middle of November, operators put a pause on targeting America, Poland, Ukraine through Meta’s apps. However, it does tend to target those in France, Israel, and Germany. Moreover, it does appear that after the recent US elections, Russian operations are no longer interested in impacting US sentiments and those in Ukraine, which is a unique shift.

Read next: ChatGPT Identifies Medical Emergency Doctors Missed, Helping Woman Get Critical Care
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

ChatGPT Identifies Medical Emergency Doctors Missed, Helping Woman Get Critical Care

A woman named Bethany Crystal, a writer for Hard Mode First shared how ChatGPT could be used for medical diagnosis because she used it for hers. She went to the doctor because she was feeling unwell but the doctors didn't find anything wrong with her after a general checkup. They sent her home with a diet recommendation but she could feel that something was wrong with her. One night, she used ChatGPT for some diet advice and the next day she spotted some tiny red spots on her leg. She shared the images of those spots with the AI model and ChatGPT suggested her dietary changes that could be the cure for it.

She was still feeling unwell so Bethany told ChatGPT her blood work results and ChatGPT warned her about her platelet count being dangerously low, and asked her to go to the ER immediately. At first, she dismissed it but then decided to go because no one had reviewed her blood work results yet. When she messaged her doctor, she got a response that they would get back to her in two days, but the red spots were spreading. ChatGPT asked her to seek medical help urgently and provided a step-by-step instruction about things she has to explain to the doctor so they can understand her condition.

Bethany Crystal said that ChatGPT simplified complex medical terms for her so she understood her condition well. ChatGPT saved her life because when she went to the hospital, she was diagnosed with an extremely low platelet count, which was a dangerous and rare condition. When doctors asked what made her come to the ER, she told them how she had used ChatGPT. Bethany also used ChatGPT to understand different procedures to her. She was taking help from ChatGPT at every step of her recovery and she didn't have to ask doctors to explain everything to her and that made her feel informed and at ease.

While ChatGPT helped Bethany, it’s important to remember that AI isn’t a doctor with practical experience. It can simplify medical jargon, highlight concerns, and offer insights, but it doesn’t replace professional medical advice. AI models don’t have full patient context, and relying on them alone can be risky. If something feels off, always cross-check with a real expert doctor. ChatGPT is a tool—useful, but not infallible.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next:

• New Report Confirms Nearly All Undergraduate Students are Using AI

• Instagram Beats Facebook in Q1 2025 as Brands’ Preferred Platform for Marketing

• Influencers Are Instilling Fear On Social Media to Promote Controversial Medical Tests, New Study Claims
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World