Cybersecurity vendor Fortinet was named to this year's Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World and North America for the first time, signaling "clear validation of our progress across material ESG [environmental, social, and governance] issues," Fortinet Global Head of Sustainability Barbara Maigret told SDxCentral.

She explained that environmental product impacts and human rights are critical to this industry, which is coming under increasing pressure from stakeholders to integrate ESG priorities. "Cybersecurity is becoming a sustainability issue in the digital world we live in, and we expect cybersecurity to be increasingly seen as a material ESG issue, not just for our industry but for business as a whole," Maigret said.

Fortinet is joined on the sustainability leaderboard by cloud and software providers like Akamai Technologies, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP, NTT Data, and VMware; telecom operators AT&T and Deutsche Telekom; and hardware vendors like Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Keysight Technologies.

As the cloud operating model becomes mainstream, cloud computing makes up a significant portion of enterprises' carbon emissions, and increasing efficiency through networking software and virtualization are effective ways to lower the environmental impact of enterprises across all industries.

The DJSI indices are a widely recognized standard to assess corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs from the top 10% of the largest companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index based on long-term economic, environmental, and social criteria.

Fortinet's place on the indices "is a testament to our ongoing sustainability efforts and our dedication to building a more sustainable future for all," Fortinet CEO Ken Xie said in a statement. "At Fortinet, we believe it is our duty to make the digital world a safer and more sustainable place," and "we are further driving that vision into reality by innovating sustainable security technologies, diversifying cybersecurity talent, and promoting responsible business across our value chain."

Fortinet has committed to reach carbon neutral scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2030. It's investing in energy efficiency projects, supplying new sites with 100% renewable electricity, and reporting on its emissions footprint.

Reducing the company's environmental impact "has always been integral to Fortinet’s DNA and an important issue for our founders – not just at an operational level but also from a technology standpoint," Maigret said.

She touted Fortinet's security-focused processors' ability to integrate various networking and security functions into one platform with higher energy efficiency than legacy solutions. "As a result of this innovation –the only such technology in the entire cybersecurity industry – Fortinet produces the world’s most energy-efficient security appliances, helping our customers and partners reduce their environmental footprint," Maigret said. "And we are committed to remaining a leader in innovation and low energy use."