Posted on: 20 Nov 2025

The Ireland Sustainability Reputation Index 2025, carried out by The Reputations Agency, today revealed that organisations have improved their reputation in sustainability overall, as Credit Unions retain their top position in the Index, with Bord Bia taking second place, followed by Bon Secours Health System in third place.

The Index, now in its fourteenth year, tracks the perceptions of 5,500 members of the informed public on the sustainability measures undertaken by 100 prominent organisations in Ireland. The Index measures four pillars - Conduct, Environmental Impact, Social Performance, and Workplace. These pillars are underpinned by 16 sustainability factors, which reflect the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).  The study took place between 3rd January and 17th March 2025, and only those who were familiar with an organisation were invited to rate that organisation.

Perceptions of Sustainability continued to trend upwards - 29 organisations achieved a Strong Sustainability score in 2025, scoring 70-79 points out of 100, compared to 23 organisations in 2024, and just 16 organisations in 2023.

The Top 10 most highly ranked organisations in the Ireland Sustainability Reputation Index 2025:

This year’s Ireland Sustainability Reputation Index highlights the importance of Sustainability in driving reputation. Through a statistical driver analysis, the study found that on average, 53% of an organisation’s reputation is based on the public’s perceptions across four Sustainability pillars – Conduct, Environmental Impact, Social Performance, and Workplace – while 47% of an organisation’s reputation is based on the public’s perception across four Enterprise Pillars – Products & Services, Innovation, Leadership, and Performance.

The Index also found a strong correlation between Ireland’s most trusted organisations and their Sustainability Score. An Post was found to be the most trusted organisation of the 100 studied, with the Credit Unions, Bord Bia, Bon Secours Health System, and Aer Lingus taking the remaining top five positions in Trust.

Launching the results of the Ireland Sustainability Reputation Index 2025, Niamh Boyle, Chief Executive of The Reputations Agency, said, “In 2025, we have strengthened our insight into both the public’s expectations of how organisations should progress their sustainability agenda and the minimal impact that recent cynical global discourse has had on public perception in Ireland. It’s reassuring that organisations are perceived to be moving in the right direction, with the average Sustainability Reputation Score significantly improving by +1.7 points, moving from a moderate tier score of 65.2 in 2024 to 66.9 in 2025. Our 2025 findings indicate that the public recognises the turbulent environment in which organisations operate and appreciates those that continue to prioritise sustainability.”

The study found that some Sustainability Factors are more important than others in driving the public’s perception of an organisation’s reputation. The Social Performance factors ‘Improves the lives of others and their communities’ and ‘Positive influence on society’ were ranked as the two most important factors by the public in this year’s Index, followed by three Conduct factors, ‘Fair in the way it does business’, ‘Behaves ethically’, and ‘Open and transparent’.

Of the 16 sectors studied, the best sectoral performers in 2025 are Retail – Food, followed by Healthcare, each with Strong tier scores. The biggest sectoral movers this year are Public Service Bodies, which increased score by +4.5 points to a Moderate tier score of 68.1, Sporting Bodies, which improved by +3.7 points to a Moderate tier score of 66.4, and Energy – Retail, which improved by +3.5 points to a Moderate tier score of 69.2. Sporting bodies such as the GAA and IRFU made a notable appearance across Social Performance Factors. The IRFU achieved an Excellent score of 80.3 for ‘Positive Influence on Society’, while the GAA took seventh place for ‘Improving the lives of people & their communities’.

As well as being ranked first overall, the Credit Unions achieved first place in seven of the 16 Sustainability factors measured. David Malone, Chief Executive of The Irish League of Credit Unions, said, “Taking the top spot in the Ireland Sustainability Reputation Index highlights the vital contribution that local credit unions make in communities across the country. From their inception, credit unions have been rooted in a mission to strengthen communities and advance financial inclusion by offering fair, ethical lending and a comprehensive range of financial services to their members.

That purpose remains at the heart of the movement today, with credit unions supporting 3.6 million members in more than 400 communities nationwide. As accessible, affordable, not-for-profit organisations, they reinvest directly in their members, through dividends, community programmes, and sustained social impact.”

Mick Houlihan, Director of Origin Green at Bord Bia, said, “This recognition reflects the commitment and hard work of Ireland’s entire agri-food sector. The achievement also reinforces the impact of initiatives like Origin Green, which continue to drive real, measurable progress in sustainability across farms and food businesses nationwide. We remain focused on working together with our stakeholders to ensure Ireland leads with integrity, innovation, and long-term environmental responsibility.”

Alan Sharp, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bon Secours Health System, which came third in this year’s research, said, “We are proud to be recognised as the highest-ranked healthcare organisation in this year’s Sustainability Reputation Index. This is a strong endorsement of the work underway to embed sustainability across our health system, from everyday operations to major developments such as our newly opened Limerick hospital, designed with energy efficiency, a reduced carbon footprint, and future patient needs at its core. We will continue to build on this progress as we strengthen our commitment to environmental and social responsibility in the years ahead.”