Stock Profile: Ecolab

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is the foundation of Clean Yield’s investment strategy. Our SRI strategy includes negative screening, to avoid investments in industries or companies that conflict with our clients’ values, and positive screening, to actively seek out companies making a positive impact. Below is an example of the companies we include in our customized client investment portfolios, with a snapshot of the considerations we review. Stock profiles are not investment recommendations. Learn more about our investment strategy and services.

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Ecolab (ECL) is a global sustainability-oriented service company that provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions. Ecolab works in various industries, including heavy industrial, commercial, institutional, and, most recently, semiconductor manufacturing. The company strives to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies for its customers.  

Founded in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ecolab has grown to more than 48,000 employees across 172 countries. The company’s environmental and social commitments and progress have also grown, with the latest announcements including the sourcing of enough clean electricity to power 100% of its European operations and its plans to convert 100% of its North American sales and service fleet to electric vehicles by 2030.

Current Snapshot: Ecolab Is ‘Delivering Sustainable Solutions’

Ecolab is a global enterprise, with sales in the U.S. accounting accounting for 53% of revenue, and the other 47% in other countries, with no other country totaling more than 5%. Its current services fall under four main categories:

1. Water treatment products and technology programs for industrial use, human consumption/sanitation, and the pulp/paper industries;
2. Specialized industrial cleaning, sanitization, and infection prevention products, notably for the food service, hospitality, and medical industries;
3. Cleaning and contamination control for pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturers; and
4. Pest detection, prevention, and elimination services, especially in the food service, hospitality, life sciences, and healthcare industries

Ecolab is targeting several key growth areas, notably semiconductor fabrication and data centers. In August 2025, the company announced its acquisition of Ovivo and its ultra-pure water technologies. Ecolab now offers a closed-loop, ultra-pure water reuse system and a direct-chip cooling technology, both of which have been identified by JPMorgan Chase as emerging and necessary technologies. The known high-volume water use in data centers is a critical environmental issue, making water-use-reduction systems and technologies like these important for the planet.

The risks associated with Ecolab include tariffs, although 92% of what it sells is reportedly locally produced, and government funding, where reduced funding or closures of educational, healthcare, or research facilities could impact the number of available customers in the U.S.

Social and Environmental Impact Review

Ecolab has been recognized for its social and environmental impact based on the nature of its products and services.

In 2025, Ecolab was named No. 27 on Barron’s list of the 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies.

The company has made multiple commitments and regularly reports its progress on its sustainability journey, including the following examples and highlights.

Emissions reduction. Ecolab is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. As part of this goal, the company aims to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, increase its sourcing of renewable electricity to 100%, and reduce scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. As of 2024, Ecolab has achieved a 33% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. 

In March of 2024, Ecolab achieved 100% renewable electricity in its European operations following the completion of a wind farm development project. Ecolab will cover 100% of the electricity used across all its European sites, elevating the company’s global renewable electricity sourcing level to 80%.

Third-party review and transparency. Ecolab’s emissions-reduction targets have been approved by the Science-Based Target Initiative. Ecolab is also a signatory on the UN CEO Water Mandate and the UN Business for 1.5 Degrees Science-Based Target Initiative. Ecolab has its annual emissions independently verified by Apex Companies, LLC. Ecolab is a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and publishes an annual TCFD Index on climate-related matters across governance, strategy, risk management and target-setting processes.

Resource use reduction and water stewardship. Ecolab has been steadily reducing its use of plastic. Because of innovations in the way it formulates and packages products for its customers, it has kept 71 million pounds of plastic out of circulation since 2014. It has also increased the recycled content in plastic packaging materials by 10% every year since 2014.

Ecolab also has a plethora of stewardship initiatives working to advance water health and resiliency, and the company has prioritized water stewardship projects at its sites with the aim of improving the overall health of the local watersheds. 

Ecolab has proven to be a global leader in driving progress alongside its customers and providing a meaningful, measurable impact on people, planet, and business health. As a Clean Yield investment, it meets our sustainability standards while keeping our clients’ return on investment flowing.

Learn more about Ecolab.