Apple. Google. Anhueser-Busch. Nike. Did you know that some of your favorite brand name companies are profiled in Climate Counts' rating of climate-friendly companies?

This past week Climate Counts, a new non-profit group, ranked 56 companies widely known in the British and North American mainstream as leaders in their respective industries. Based on four categories subdivided into 22 criteria, the list provides a snapshot of environmentally conscious- and the not so environmentally conscious practices of popular companies. In effect, it offers interested consumers an opportunity to make environmentally sound choices.

Each company was scored on a 100 point scale with the most weight given to the amount of carbon reduction ( other points were distributed around global warming impact, support of carbon reduction public policies and accessibility of climate change information.) Starbuck's scored the highest in the sector -food services- that scored the worst overall (the Colonel was part of the food services company, Yum Brands, that fared poorly). Meanwhile, rising to the top was the electronics/computer sector with Canon leading the way.

Not surprising to those who have followed Apple's green woes (and eventual policy change), Apple was one of the worst performers scoring only 2 points on the 100 point scale.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognized that, "We face a genuine danger that recent gains in poverty reduction will be thrown into reverse in coming decades, particularly for the poorest communities on the continent of Africa." It is vital that rich and poor nations alike recognize that halting the climate crisis is an important step in the overall process of ending extreme poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

What does this mean for you? Climate Counts hopes that if you are one of the many concerned citizens that wants to do something about climate change, you will keep this list in mind before you make your next purchase. Buy from climate conscious companies and you send a message to the market that climate change matters to you. To learn more, visit climatecounts.org.

In the meantime, keeping snapping away on that Canon Digital, knowing that you support a climate-friendly company.