Accountability score: 68.5
2006 rank: N/A
Global 500 rank: 83
The British bank is new to the list this year. Barclays scores points for being a member of the Equator Principles, a coalition of banks that discourage lending to infrastructure projects which displace communities or disrupt ecosystems. But the bank ranks above its competitors for its stated commitment to responsible credit lending, agreeing not to offer teaser credit-card or mortgages at interest rates consumers can't really afford. It was the first bank to include a statement in credit-card offers making all interest rates and finance charges explicit.