Unilever named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12th consecutive year

RP news wires
Tags: energy management, green manufacturing

Unilever has been named sustainability leader in the Food & Beverage “super-sector” of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the 12th consecutive year.

This year, the company reached an overall score of 82 percent – 1 percentage point higher than in 2009 and substantially ahead of the average industry score of 49 percent. Unilever scored 100 percent 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 labor 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, senior vice president for sustainability.

The 2010 assessment was conducted by SAM, a Swiss investment company focused exclusively on sustainability investing, in partnership with the Dow Jones Indexes.

About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries. Its portfolio includes iconic brands such as: Knorr, Lipton, Becel/Flora, Blue Band/Rama/Country Crock, Wall’s/OLA/Langnese, Hellmann’s, Calvé, Unox, Dove, Pond’s, Lux, Axe/Lynx, Sunsilk, Vaseline, Rexona/Sure, Omo, Surf, Cif and Glorix/Domestos. It has approximately 163,000 employees in approaching 100 countries, and generated annual sales of €40 billion in 2009.