The 25 most sustainable private companies in the world
Art Hunter
Worldwide, there are more than 95,000 private companies with annual revenues over US$100 million, compared to only 10,000 public companies over that threshold, according to a 2023 report from investment management firm Hamilton Lane. Private market assets grew to US$9.7 trillion in 2022, thanks to an increasing number of private equity funds and assets, up from about US$600 billion in 2000. And while private equity markets declined the past two years, McKinsey’s Global Private Markets Report for 2025 shows that a rebound is underway, with 30% of respondents saying they plan to increase their allocations.
Historically, private companies are more, well, private. They don’t have the same regulatory requirements to disclose information that public companies do, especially when it comes to revenues and profits. But with sustainability, there are reasons to be more forthcoming. Private companies are increasingly eager to report on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and their sustainability investments amid the public’s growing appetite for companies that are trying to be good corporate citizens. For example, a McKinsey study found that products making ESG-related claims grew on average 8% faster than those that don’t.