Measuring and driving the sustainability of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry has been a key focus in recent months: Environmental efforts from the industry will not only help reduce waste and energy use from electronics themselves, but can also drive solutions to lower the carbon footprint of the larger society.

A new ranking from Tomorrow's Value Rating, a tool developed by London-based sustainability consultance Two Tomorrows, puts those efforts into perspective, and highlights which ICT firms are best prepared to move into the low-carbon future -- and which firms are lagging behind.

Overall, Vodafone scored the highest in the rankings, given 62 percent for its "strong, all-round sustainability leadership."

{related_content}"Vodafone is best positioned to turn some of the world's most pressing sustainability challenges into business opportunities, thereby combining positive impacts with the generation of shareholder value," Thomas Krick of Tomorrow's Value Rating said in a statement. "The company has a strong track record of developing services that help improve the lives of disadvantaged people and remote communities."

Nokia earned recognition and a second-ranked score of 55 percent for its embrace of innovative technologies, including its "Re-made from Nothing New" program. And Hewlett-Packard, with 52 a percent score, was singled out for its industry-leading efforts to make its supply chain more sustainable. Among the efforts we've reported on for HP's supply chain include its green supply chain guidelines, its work on green chemistry supplies and its transparency around supply chain emissions.

AT&T and Verizon were the two lowest-ranked ICT firms, with scores of 28 and 23 percent, respectively.

Despite the leading examples -- and many others from the industry rankings -- no company scored higher than 60 percent in the overall score, and only these three firms were above the 50 percent mark. As a result, the industry's efforts as a whole have plenty of room for improvement.

Notable among the areas for improvement are management of direct environmental impacts. "[W]hile most companies have set CO2 emissions targets, the majority are struggling to achieve significant reductions," the report states, adding that Panasonic is a notable exception. Other weak spots include engagement with stakeholders and e-waste management practices that go above and beyond mere compliance with regulations.

The full rankings are below; for more details about ICT industry sustainability efforts, visit TomorrowsValueRating.com.