Lanxess joins DJSI World index

As of today, specialty chemicals company Lanxess enters the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World index. In announcing its addition to the index, company Management Board member Werner Breuers commented: “Sustainable economic success is impossible without a diligent approach to the environment and society. This conviction is part of Lanxess’ philosophy. That is why the principle of sustainable development is firmly anchored in our corporate strategy.”

Lanxess refers to DJSI World as being “among the most important stock indices” as they provide institutional investors “orientation in investment decisions and show the extent to which companies include sustainability aspects in their strategy and have anchored them in their business processes.” The German company notes that, of the approximately 2,500 companies surveyed each year for the DJSI World, the top ten per cent per industry are included in the global index. Evaluation for DJSI World is conducted by the independent Swiss-based rating agency SAM.

Inclusion in the DJSI World index is by no means the first feather in Lanxess’ environmental cap – in July the company joined the United Nations Global Compact, and in April it also met the criteria for inclusion in the FTSE4Good index, which lists companies that perform strongly in the areas of environmental protection, human rights and social standards. Furthermore, at the start of the year the German independent rating agency oekom research raised its corporate responsibility rating for Lanxess to “C+.” This improved level applies to both the “social” and “environmental” categories.

Between 2007 and 2009 Lanxess cut its CO2 emissions by around 50 per cent; the company’s current goals include a further ten per cent reduction in specific CO2 emissions and specific energy consumption for each business segment by 2015.