The annual review will influence the investment decisions of currently 40 asset managers who use the DJSI family as objective benchmarks for sustainability portfolios. In total, they manage close to 2 billion EUR in funds, certificates and segregated accounts based on these benchmarks.
The assessment results also offer detailed insights into the growing importance of economic, environmental and social criteria in the corporate world. Over the last twelve months, the average sustainability performance of companies has improved significantly. The integration of economic, environmental and social issues is moving up the business agenda in all sectors and has reached a high level of sophistication in particularly exposed industries. This development is mirrored by a rapidly growing number of sustainability-driven investors. -People realize that sustainability trends have an important impact on the companies they invest in. Moreover, recent corporate candals have emphasized the need for greater transparency and accountability. As a result, an increasing number of investors is turning to the concept of sustainability to identify well-managed and future-oriented companies”, explains John Prestbo, Editor, Dow Jones Indexes.
-The floods and torrential rains in continental Europe were just another – alarming -case in point for the growing environmental challenges we are facing today. Investors are increasingly translating their understanding of these sustainability trends into portfolio decisions”, adds Alex Barkawi, Managing Director, SAM Indexes.