Brown-Forman claimed the top spot as the “greenest” beverage alcohol company among US publicly traded companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings, one of the foremost corporate environmental rankings index.

Brown-Forman increased its ranking 17 spots, to 52 from 69 and was named among the top three of all beverage companies in the US, following Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. and Keurig Green Mountain.

The Newsweek Green Rankings evaluate the United States’ largest publicly-traded companies using eight metrics that provide a transparent measurement of overall corporate environmental performance. The 2016 “green score” of each company was based on these components: energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, green revenue score, sustainability pay link, sustainability board committee, and an audited metrics score.

“Environmental sustainability supports Brown-Forman’s vision of enduring forever,” said Alex Alvarez, Senior Vice President, Chief Production Officer, Brown-Forman. “Our environmental performance creates opportunities for cost savings, efficiency, and innovation in our production operations.”

“We are pleased to have been recognized by Newsweek for our ongoing efforts and progress,” said Rob Frederick, Vice President, Director, Corporate Responsibility, Brown-Forman. “This rating is the result of our collective company commitment to sustainability.”