Accountability score*: 71
Global 500 rank: 4
Sector: Petroleum refining
Region: Europe

BP's score dropped a bit this year, but it still ranks tops in the oil industry. Part of the reason it fell is because it had some significant non-financial events last year, namely a deadly explosion at a refinery in Texas and a pipeline spill in Alaska. The fact that BP's corporate social responsibility guidelines failed to prevent those flare-ups did reflect on its score. But BP still produces voluminous, and externally verified, reports on its environmental impacts. It's always asking outsiders how it can do better. And CSR likely did help mitigate the damage from its mistakes. If the CEO who follows Lord Browne keeps it up, that approach may help prevent crises in the future.