Unilever has been named sustainability leader in the Food & Beverage ‘super-sector’ of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) for the twelfth consecutive year.
This year, the company reached an overall score of 82% – one percentage point higher than in 2009 and substantially ahead of the average industry score of 49%. Unilever scored 100% for its record in Operational Eco-Efficiency, Environmental Policy, Environmental and Social reporting, Health and Nutrition, and Packaging.
These scores are the result of an annual review of the broad range of DJSI benchmarks, which include World and European categories. Analysts assess issues such as corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labour practices – with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.
“I am delighted that we have retained our place at the top of the Dow Jones league table. The consistency of our performance over the past twelve years is remarkable, and a unique achievement among more than 300 companies in the DJSI World sample,” says Gavin Neath, SVP Sustainability.
The 2010 assessment was conducted by SAM, a Swiss investment company focused exclusively on sustainability investing, in partnership with the Dow Jones Indexes.