The Canadian media and research organisation Corporate Knights, which has been publishing a ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies for years, has ranked the 50 most sustainable companies in Europe. Kesko ranks the highest among its ‘Grocery Stores’ peer group and of all Finnish companies included, and 26th on the list overall.
The ‘Europe 50’ list is based on the same corporate sustainability data as the ‘Global 100’ listing published in January 2026. It uses three main criteria to assess the sustainability of the companies, namely the share of sustainable investments and revenue and the growth momentum in sustainable revenue.
”The changes in our world require constant development from companies in all areas of sustainability. We can, for example, significantly reduce our transport emissions by growing the fleet of EV trucks. When it comes to sustainable choices, we can support our customers by offering products with e.g. origin labelling and sustainability certifications as well as healthier alternatives that align with nutrition recommendations,” says Noomi Jägerhorn, Kesko’s Vice President of Sustainability.
Kesko is continuously developing new operating models in areas such as the circular economy.
”We are currently piloting reusable take away containers in two of our grocery stores. In the building and technical trade division, we joined forces with a partner last year to develop the first industrial-scale material recycling solution in Finland for wood packaging waste,” says Jägerhorn.
Kesko’s new near-term and long-term science-based emission reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in January 2026. Kesko employs sustainability guidelines in the sourcing of products that contain raw materials identified as critical from a social and environmental responsibility perspective. Kesko aims to raise the share of women in its top management to 40% and in middle management to 45% by 2030.
Corporate Knights Inc. comprises the sustainability-themed Corporate Knights magazine and a research division that produces corporate sustainability rankings and ratings. Corporate Knights has been publishing its annual ‘Global 100’ listing since 2005, and launched the ‘Europe 50’ listing in 2025.
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