Change the World

Fortune’s Change the World list is built on the premise that the profit motive can inspire companies to tackle society’s unmet needs. The 2020 list, our sixth, stresses a crucial corollary: No business succeeds alone. Collaboration among companies, even among rivals, is a common thread, from the effort to make “green” steel, to the campaign to close America’s racial wealth gap, and, above all, in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine. As we face unprecedented collective challenges—a global pandemic, climate change, profound income inequality cooperation has become a business superpower. Speaking of cooperation: As always, we’ve selected our list in collaboration with our expert partners at Shared Value Initiative, a consultancy that helps companies apply business skills to social problems.