This story is part of Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators 2022. Explore the full list of companies that are leading incubators of internal innovation talent.
To help address the climate crisis, these companies are pursuing innovative internal strategies to create more sustainable processes and products.
Winner
Kohler
Kohler, Wisconsin
Since its launch in 2011 by a small group of associates, the company’s Innovation for Good program—which emphasizes socially and environmentally conscious innovation—has spawned the Relief Showering Trailer, used during the pandemic by healthcare professionals; Intelligent Power, which provides clean water to refugee camps; and the I-Prize, an annual Shark Tank-style competition that since 2018 has generated scores of sustainability ideas, many of which have received a total of nearly $1 million in funding for further development.
Initially launched to alleviate traffic congestion, Automotus is now incentivizing the use of electric vehicles through partnering with Santa Monica and Los Angeles to create Zero Emissions Delivery Zones.
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles, California
A nonprofit organization serving as a leader in the push to expand electric vehicle usage through its promotion of the EVs for All bill, LACI has done everything from launching EV car-sharing programs in low-income neighborhoods to investing in women- and BIPOC-owned startups.
MilliporeSigma
Burlington, Massachusetts
The creation of the company’s DOZN tool—used to evaluate the greenness of a company’s chemical products—has allowed users to both manufacture more sustainable chemicals and gain awareness of what chemical products are best for the environment through DOZN’s aggregate scoring system.
Nestlé USA
Arlington, Virginia
The food company has expanded its sustainability efforts in recent years, hosting its first ever “Sustainability Expo” in April 2021 and creating new, fully recyclable packaging.
T-Mobile
Bellevue, Washington
The mobile communications company became the first U.S. wireless provider to source 100% of its operations from renewable energy in 2021.
Vicinity Energy
Boston, Massachusetts
The largest district energy provider in the U.S. has committed to reaching carbon neutrality across all of its operations by 2050 and introduced eSteam, the first carbon-neutral district energy steam product.
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