New Kantar study reveals the brands consumers trust most on sustainability

Home care brand Ecover has come out on top in the inaugural Consumer-Led Sustainability Brand Ranking from Kantar, a new global study that tracks how consumers perceive brands’ sustainability credentials.

Other brands to rank highly include skincare brand The Ordinary, which places second, Adidas, which ranks third, and established global brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Mastercard, Sony, and Lego, which all rank in the top ten.

Other familiar names in the top 20 include Disney (12th), Apple (15th), Nike (17th), Dove (18th) and PayPal (20th).

Kantar’s ranking was derived from the views of 18,000 consumers across 12 markets, covering more than 2,100 brands. As Kantar noted, the ranking measures not only sustainability perceptions but also the credibility and influence of brands’ sustainability efforts, adjusted for brand size.

Brand expectations

“People are deeply concerned about environmental and social issues but feel overwhelmed, uncertain and stretched by multiple crises,” commented Karine Trinquetel, head of offer, sustainable transformation practice, Kantar.

“We still expect a lot from brands on sustainability, but our attention span is limited and our trust is fragile after one too many greenwashing scandals. Amid this backdrop, it’s important to learn from the brands turning sustainability into measurable advantage. The brands in our top 10 demonstrate that whatever the sector or size, sustainable brand growth is founded on being meaningful, credible and relevant.”

Sustainability at the heart

Ecover came out on top for being an ‘exemplar’ of how to put sustainability ‘at the heart of a brand’s DNA, rather than as an add-on’, Kantar noted. It also highlighted second-placed The Ordinary’s commitment to use ‘radical transparency around ingredients to build a brand rooted in honesty’, while seventh-placed Back Market was hailed for its ‘creative approach to communicating sustainability’.

“Sustainability should be fundamental to your company, and for Back Market it’s one of our founding pillars,” commented Luke Forshaw, head of marketing Europe, Back Market. “We were set up to make tech more affordable, more accessible and more sustainable. When we articulate that to people, its important we’re credible and real in how we say it. Our brand tone of voice is human; it doesn’t patronise, lecture or overcomplicate, which I think is a huge part of our success.

The Consumer-Led Sustainability Brand Ranking is based on research conducted in January and February 2026 across Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, the UK and the US. Read more here.

Consumer-Led Sustainability Brand Ranking – Top 20