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Adobe

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Praises, some criticism

Software

Software brands include Acrobat, PDF, Photoshop, Illustrator and Premier. Acquired Macromedia in 2005.

Adobe Inc   USA     website      facebook   twitter

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Adobe Inc
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of A
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A.
Source: CDP (2022)
Business Ethics 77.2/125 at JUST Capital
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2023 rankings JUST Capital asked a representative sample of 3,002 Americans to compare 20 different business Issues on a head-to-head basis, producing a reliable hierarchy of Issues ranked in order of priority. Issues are organised under the headings Workers, Customers, Communities, the Environment, or Shareholders & Governance. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 25th of 951 companies, and 4th of 63 Software companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2023)
Environment B rating at ClickClean.org
Greenpeace's 2017 report 'Clicking Clean' looks at the energy footprints of large data centre operators and popular websites and applications, and calls on these companies to power their data centres on renewable energy. Companies are graded (A,B,C,D,F) on their commitment to and procurement of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency, transparency and advocacy. This company's final grade was B.
Source: Greenpeace (2017)
Social 100% on Corporate Equality Index
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Source: Human Rights Campaign (2021)
Business Ethics 75.4/100 in Newsweek rankings
America's Most Responsible Companies 2022 by Newsweek and Statista recognises the Top 500 most responsible companies in the United States. Companies were evaluated in three areas: environmental (waste, energy use, etc.), social (leadership diversity, employees and philanthropy) and governance (transparency and economic performance). This company received a total score of 75.4/100, ranking 14th in the Software & Telecommunications sector, and 197th overall.
Source: Newsweek (2021)
Business Ethics 68/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 68/100 in the Software category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 21 Oct 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022)
Business Ethics CEO Pay Ratio of 266:1
In 2019 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$147,115. The CEO was paid 266 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Source: AFL-CIO (2020)
Business Ethics Retirement plan investments
The Invest Your Values Corporate Retirement Plan Sustainability Scorecard by As You Sow rates retirement plans on seven environmental and social sustainability issues. This company's default corporate retirement plan offered to employees is the Vanguard Target Retirement Fund which is rated Fair for gender equality and civilian firearms, and Poor for fossil fuels, deforestation, prison industrial complex, military weapons and tobacco. This retirement plan has millions of dollars invested in fossil fuels, deforestation-risk agribusiness, and arms manufacturers.
Source: As You Sow (2022)
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2022 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Shantanu Narayen came in at number 35 on the list, having been paid US$45,889,954 in 2021. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Source: (2022)
Business Ethics Wage fixing
This company was one of four companies that agreed to pay a total of US$324m to settle a class action lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to hold down salaries in Silicon Valley by agreeing not to recruit or poach employees from each other. However in Aug 2014 a US court rejected this settlement on the basis that more than 60,000 top-level workers were affected, saying that the amount should be larger. The settlement amount was changed to US$415m in 2015. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]
Source: news article (2015)
Environment Climate action commitments
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: commit to 100% renewable power, adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2021)
Social Gender equality
This company appears on the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, signifying a commitment to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency.
Source: Bloomberg (2021)
Business Ethics Corporate responsibility claims
This company has corporate responsibility claims on its website, particularly in the areas of green building, energy conservation, waste reduction and charitable donations.
Source: company website (2014)
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website (2017)
Business Ethics OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Public company
Founded 1982
Revenue 15.8 billion USD (2021)
Employees 25,988 (2021)
Subsidiaries Adobe Systems Pty Ltd 

Computer software

Contact Details

Address San Jose, California, USA
Website www.adobe.com

Products / Brands

Adobe Australia
Adobe Software


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