Industry produces 23 % of US greenhouse gas emissions, making cleaning up businesses a key part of the fight against climate change. Evaluating such efforts is complex and daunting, requiring deep dives into multiple, sometimes conflicting, metrics. Even how companies should measure their carbon footprint is a work in progress.

To help cut through the confusion that companies have cut their greenhouse gas emissions, market research firm Statista has compiled USA TODAY's inaugural list of America's Climate Leaders. It's a data-driven recognition of companies that have reduced their carbon footprint in recent years, a remarkable achievement for investors, customers and anyone trying to understand these ever-evolving measures. "The business sector is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. That makes them a prime point of potential improvement,” said Magali Delmas, professor of management and faculty director of the Center for Impact at UCLA. (Elizabeth Weiseová)