The environmental criterion takes into account a company's commitment and effectiveness in reducing environmental emissions in its production and operating processes, its ability to reduce environmental burdens and costs for its customers, and its ability to reduce the use of materials, energy and water to improve its supply chain management.

The social criterion takes into account the company's commitment to being a good corporate citizen, protecting public health, respecting business ethics and human rights, its ability to produce quality goods and services that integrate customer security and data confidentiality, as well as the company's commitment to diversity and employee job satisfaction.

The governance criterion verifies the company's practices in communicating its CSR strategy, management's commitment to good governance practices, and the company's effectiveness in treating its shareholders fairly.

Even so, ESG criteria have their limits. Indeed, among the most widely used methodologies, as here with Refinitiv, we often find the "Best-in-class" classification, which ranks the best performers within each business sector, without privileging or excluding any sector over the benchmark. We may, for example, find ourselves with an oil or mining stock rated highly according to simple ESG criteria, even though it pollutes heavily in a strict manner. In fact, if the company is among the best in its sector, even if the sector as a whole may be made up of highly polluting companies (if we stay with the example of criterion E for "environment"), then it will have a very good "environment" rating. This is the limitation of the "Best-in-class" methodology. However, there are other methodologies, such as "Best-in-Universe" (all stocks taken together, without taking into account sector rankings) and "Best Effort" (measuring the improvement of criteria).

To rebalance the shortcomings of Refinitiv's best-in-class ESG methodology, I took another parameter into account: controversy. Here, the E, S and G criteria are weighted by a controversy rating calculated on the basis of 23 ESG controversy topics. During the year, if a scandal occurs, the company involved is penalized, and this affects its final ESG score. The impact of the event can still be observed the following year if there are new developments linked to the negative event. For example, lawsuits, legislative disputes, fines and generally all media elements are captured as the controversy progresses. Controversy scoring also takes into account the market capitalization bias suffered by large-cap companies, as they attract more media attention than smaller-cap companies.

In this article, I set out to identify ten listed companies with excellent scores in each of the ESG criteria and sub-categories (described above), as well as an impeccable controversy rating. This selection of ten stocks listed below also takes into account the companies' fundamentals, so as to retain only companies with a minimum of profitability, a healthy balance sheet and positive growth.

Here is a list of ten listed companies with good ESG ratings:

STMicroelectronics is a multinational semiconductor company based in Europe. It was founded in 1987 by the merger of SGS Microelettronica of Italy and Thomson Semiconducteurs of France, making it one of the oldest semiconductor companies in the world.

STM manufactures a wide range of semiconductor products, including transistors, integrated circuits, microcontrollers, sensors, data converters, amplifiers and switches.

Although based in Europe, STMicroelectronics has a global presence, with production sites, R&D centers and sales offices all over the world. It employs over 46,000 people in more than 35 countries. The company is committed to reducing its environmental impact and improving the sustainability of its operations. It has set up programs to reduce energy consumption, minimize waste and promote recycling.

Worldline is a French company specializing in payments and transactional services. Founded in 1973, it became an independent entity in 2014 following its spin-off from Atos.

Worldline offers a range of services covering three main areas: merchant services (payment solutions for merchants, including online and mobile payments, as well as in-store payment terminals), financial services (payment processing, fraud and risk solutions, and credit card and debit card solutions) and mobility and e-transaction services (electronic transport tickets, tourist tax solutions and connectivity solutions for connected vehicles).

Worldline strives to minimize its environmental impact and promote diversity and inclusion within its organization. The company has also set up initiatives to promote digital education and combat the digital divide.

Tetra Tech is a US consulting and engineering company that provides consulting, engineering, program management, construction and technical support services in the fields of water, environment, infrastructure, natural resources and energy. The company offers a range of services, from water and waste management to urban planning and infrastructure design. It is also involved in sustainable development and environmental conservation projects.

The company is divided into two main segments: the Consulting and Engineering Services (CES) segment, which provides planning, design, technology and other professional consulting services, and the Program Management Services (GSG) segment, which includes management, information technology and other support services.

Tetra Tech is committed to the principles of sustainable development in all its projects. It strives to minimize the environmental impact of its activities and to promote fair and ethical labor practices.

Owens Corning is a US multinational company that produces a variety of building materials and fiberglass products. Owens Corning is divided into three main business segments: composites (including fiberglass products used in reinforced plastics and building materials), insulation (thermal and acoustic insulation materials for residential, commercial and industrial buildings) and roofing (asphalt shingles and roofing components for the residential and commercial markets).

Owens Corning is known for its commitment to sustainability and innovation. The company has been recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the world's most admired companies, and has also been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Stantec is a US-based professional services company in the fields of architecture, engineering, environment and interior design. It offers services across many sectors, including infrastructure, water, energy, buildings and more. Their work includes project design, consulting, project management, and other services related to engineering and architecture. The company is committed to working on a variety of projects, from hospitals and highways to schools and water systems.

CRH is an international building materials company based in Ireland. Founded in 1970, it is one of the world's largest building materials companies, with operations in 31 countries and around 79,200 employees.

The company produces a wide range of products, including cement, aggregates (such as gravel and sand), ready-mix concrete, precast concrete products and insulation materials. It also provides services such as infrastructure construction and maintenance.

CRH is known for its aggressive acquisition strategy. Over the years, it has acquired numerous companies in the building materials sector, enabling it to broaden its product portfolio and increase its presence on the global market. In terms of social responsibility, CRH is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and improving the sustainability of its operations. It has put in place initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, improve energy efficiency and promote the recycling of construction materials.

MTU Aero Engines is a leading German aerospace company. It specializes in the design, manufacture and support of commercial and military aircraft engines.

It produces a range of engines for commercial and military aircraft. It is also involved in the development of propulsion technologies for future aviation, including hybrid and electric propulsion systems. In addition to engine manufacturing, MTU offers maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for a variety of aircraft engines.

The company collaborates with many other major players in the aerospace industry. For example, it is a partner in several engine consortia, including those producing engines for the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The company invests in the development of cleaner, more efficient propulsion technologies, and strives to improve the energy efficiency of its production facilities.

GEA Group is a German multinational company specializing in food and energy technology. It is one of the world's leading suppliers of technology for the food industry and a wide range of other industries.

The company operates in two main segments: Business Area Equipment (products such as separators, homogenizers, pasteurizers, chillers, fermentation and distillation systems, and material handling equipment) and Business Area Solutions (solutions for the dairy, beverage, food, pharmaceutical, chemical and energy industries).

The company seeks to constantly improve its products and services to meet the changing needs of its customers and to minimize the environmental impact of its operations.

Xylem is a major US company specializing in water technology. It was created in 2011 when ITT Corporation decided to split into three separate companies. Xylem is dedicated to solving the world's water problems by developing innovative technologies.

Xylem's products and services include a wide range of solutions, from water treatment equipment and pumps to intelligent controllers and monitoring systems. The company serves a variety of customers in the public and private sectors, including municipalities, utilities and industries.

It invests in research and development to create new technologies that can help solve water challenges, such as lack of access to drinking water and wastewater management problems.

Pearson is an international publishing and education company based in the UK. Founded in 1844, it has become one of the world's largest education companies, offering a range of educational products and services for individuals, schools, colleges and universities.

It offers textbooks, assessment tests, online courses and training services. It is also known for its English language tests, such as the PTE Academic and the Pearson Test of English.

Pearson has a strong commitment to education and social impact. It has set up various initiatives to improve access to and quality of education worldwide.