SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT specialist RobecoSAM has published its annual ‘Sustainable Yearbook’, which ranks the sustainability performance of hundreds of the biggest companies in the world.
The Yearbook focussed solely on performance in 2013, and each company was awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze rank, while the top performing company from each of the 59 industries reviewed is awarded RobecoSAM Industry Leader.
A record number of companies participated in RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Out of the largest 3,000 companies that are invited, 818 companies from 39 different countries participated with a 31% increase in participation from companies in emerging markets.
This year, RobecoSAM made it more challenging to be a yearbook member. Now not only do companies need to be in the top 15% of their industry but they must also achieve a score within 30% of their Industry Leader’s score to make the cut. This effectively makes being a yearbook member a more exclusive acknowledgement of a company’s sustainability practices.
Commenting on this year’s rankings, Michael Baldinger, CEO, RobecoSAM said: “Companies still face the challenge of convincing investors to embrace sustainability as a means of generating shareholder value.”
Baldinger is confident that this can change: “Starting with their own corporate pension funds, industry leaders are in an ideal position to encourage investors to integrate sustainability into their investment strategies.”
Nestlé SA took top spot in the food products category, while Sodexo topped the leisure and hospitality management list.
