Ethisphere Announces the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies®

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 11, 2025--

Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, today announced the 136 companies that have earned the coveted designation of the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2025. This year’s honorees span 19 countries and 44 industries.

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2025 marks the 19 th annual World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition. As in previous years, honorees have demonstrated a commitment to ethical business practices through robust programs that positively impact employees, communities, and broader stakeholders, as well as contributing to sustainable, long-term business growth.

The full list of the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies can be found at WorldsMostEthicalCompanies.com/honorees.

Eleven companies on this year’s list are being recognized for the first time. There are also six companies—Aflac, Ecolab, International Paper, Kao Corporation, Milliken & Company, and PepsiCo—that have been recognized 19 times, every year since the inception of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® in 2007.

“Congratulations to this year’s class of honorees. These organizations understand that strong ethics is good business. Integrity-driven companies outperform financially, create talent-rich work environments, and build trust,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair, Ethisphere. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“We are honored to be named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 19th consecutive year,” said Halsey Cook, President and CEO of Milliken & Company. “At Milliken, ethical behavior is not just a goal, but a fundamental part of who we are and how we operate. We remain steadfast in our commitment to serving our customers, supporting our communities, and upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct.”

"We are incredibly proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies," said Taryn Owen, President and CEO of TrueBlue. "Our dedication to ethical decision-making and responsible business practices has always been integral to our mission of connecting people and work. This recognition is a testament to our entire team’s ethical leadership and collective commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and accountability each and every day."

The Ethics Premium: Integrity Outperforms

Ethisphere’s Five-Year Ethics Premium for 2025 is 7.8%. This represents the margin by which publicly traded companies recognized in this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies outperformed a comparable index of global companies over a five-year period from January 2020 to January 2025.

“For the many years that Ethisphere has tracked the equity performance of public honoree companies, the Ethics Premium has shown consistently that the programs and practices behind a World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition are also market-tested for success,” Salmon Byrne added. “The Ethics Premium proves without a doubt that strong ethics really is good business.”

Methodology

The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient®, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance; governance; a culture of ethics; environmental and social impact; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.

Each applicant receives access to an analytical Scorecard experience providing an overview of how the applicant scored against the World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees in key categories along with expert insights and resources.

Follow the conversation on social media: 2025 #WorldsMostEthicalCompanies

About Ethisphere

Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Companies turn ethics, compliance, and culture into a business advantage by leveraging Ethisphere’s data-driven program and culture assessments featuring the latest guidance and the practices of hundreds of global organizations across the 8 pillars of an ethical culture, and 240+ ethics, compliance, social, and governance data points delivered through a proprietary software platform. Ethisphere also honors superior integrity programs through World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition, brings together a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and advances ethical business practices through the Global Ethics Summit, Ethisphere Magazine and the Ethicast podcast. For more information, visit Ethisphere.com.

Ethisphere’s Five-Year Ethics Premium for 2025 is 7.8%. This represents the margin by which publicly traded companies recognized in this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies outperformed a comparable index of global companies over a five-year period from January 2020 to January 2025. (Graphic: Business Wire)

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals continued to invest in their pass rush Friday night by selecting Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell with their first pick of the NFL draft.

Howell was the 41st overall player taken in the draft and the third edge rusher in the second round. He was an Associated Press first-team All-American and the SEC's defensive player of the year.

Howell is 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds, which is leaner than the Bengals typically go for on the defensive line. He offers the Bengals speed around the edge and upgrades their pass rush depth. Howell recorded 11 1/2 sacks last year.

Cincinnati traded the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence last weekend. It was the first time the Bengals did not have a first-round pick since 1989.

Howell joins Myles Murphy, Boye Mafe and Shemar Stewart on the Bengals’ defensive end depth chart.

The Bengals had notable needs at linebacker and cornerback, but the opportunity to add a premium pass rusher in Howell was too good to pass up.

“The quick wins he can give us as a rusher is really dynamic,” assistant general manager Mike Potts said. “His arsenal of rush tools and moves that he has, I thought it was second to none in this draft class.”

The Bengals drafted Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M last year in the first-round, but Howell has a very different style. His speed stands out, and he also offers outside linebacker versatility.

“He can play 4-2 edge,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “He can play outside backer if you go into five down (linemen). He showed proficiency being able to drop. He can help us on special teams. This is a multi-faceted athlete. A really, really twitched up guy.”

Potts said that the Bengals weighed opportunities to move up and move back on Friday night, but the compensation didn’t work out. Sticking at pick No. 41, the Bengals were able to land a player in Howell who made a very strong impression during the pre-draft process.

“They told me on my (pre-draft) visit that they’d hope I fall to them,” Howell said. “It’s a blessing.”

He began his college career as a redshirt at Bowling Green. Howell transferred to Texas A&M in 2024, and 2025 was his true breakout year.

“We were completely aligned with the personnel and coaching staff,” Potts said. “This guy is one of our favorite players in the draft.”

While the Bengals had three potential impact pass rushers already on the roster, there was no established depth beyond that. Entering the draft, the Bengals’ fourth defensive end was Isaiah Foskey, who wasn’t on the roster at the start of last season.

Even though the Bengals could have added a potential starter at linebacker or corner, they were planning to address defensive end early in this draft. They checked that box with Howell.

“There are always different tiebreakers,” Potts said. “In this case, it was a position we wanted to address and the highest-graded player.”

In the third round, the Bengals went for upside at a position of need and selected Washington cornerback Tacario Davis.

The Bengals lacked a backup corner with the physical skill set to grow into a future starter, and Davis checks that spot. The front office was impressed by his combination of size, speed and production. Davis can contribute as a true man corner in specific matchups and on third downs when the Bengals look to get more defensive backs on the field.

Davis backs up two standout corners in Dax Hill and DJ Turner and provides important depth in the secondary.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell (9) rushes Samford quarterback Quincy Crittendon (2) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Nov. 22, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft, File)