Dow Jones Indexes, STOXX Limited and SAM Group today launch a new set of European
sustainability indexes. The Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes will track the financial
performance of the leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social
criteria in Europe. The Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes will be part of the family of Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) which were launched as the first global sustainability
benchmarks in 1999.
Sustainability has become a crucial success factor in business. Moving proactively to meet future economic, environmental and social challenges is increasingly seen as an important
lever to increase long-term shareholder value. A rising number of asset managers therefore invests in sustainability leaders. STOXX Limited is committed to provide them with
comprehensive and accurate benchmarks for European sustainability portfolios, according to
STOXX Limiteds Managing Director, Scott Stark.
This is a milestone for sustainability investing, said Mike Petronella, Managing Director of Dow Jones Indexes. During the last twelve months we have seen an increasing interest
for a regionally focussed sustainability index. With the success of the DJSI World we have a strong platform to meet this demand and to open a new chapter for sustainability
investments.
The Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes cover the leading 20% of sustainability-driven companies in the Dow Jones STOXX SM 600 index. The index components are identified based on SAM Groups comprehensive sustainability research. Covering over 30 criteria
groups it rates a companys economic, environmental and social performance. By evaluating a companys position with regard to issues such as strategic planning, corporate governance,
environmental reporting, environmental product design, human rights or corruption policies the assessment identifies future-oriented and innovative companies. The top 20% in each industry cluster are included in the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index.
Based on this rule-driven selection, the DJSI STOXX family includes four indexes:
* Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index (DJSI STOXX) covering the leading 20% of
sustainability-driven companies in the Dow Jones STOXX SM 600 index.
* Dow Jones EURO STOXX Sustainability Index (DJSI EURO STOXX) covering the
Eurozone companies of the DJSI STOXX
* Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index
ex Alcohol, Gambling, Tobacco,
Armaments and Firearms (DJSI STOXX ex All) covering the companies of the DJSI
STOXX that do not generate revenue from alcohol, gambling, tobacco, armaments or
firearms.
* Dow Jones EURO STOXX Sustainability Index ex Alcohol, Gambling, Tobacco,
Armaments and Firearms (DJSI EURO STOXX ex All) covering the companies of the
DJSI EURO STOXX that do not generate revenue from alcohol, gambling, tobacco,
armaments or firearms.
The DJSI STOXX is fully integrated in the Dow Jones STOXX SM index family and is balanced with regard to all the 18 Dow Jones STOXX SM market sectors. Thus, the DJSI STOXX accounts for the increasing importance of sectors in asset allocation. As sustainability is
moving into mainstream investing, the need to mirror the market in terms of sectors is of paramount importance. Supporting investors to build up sustainability portfolios without taking
bets on sectors is an important goal for every index provider in this field, explains Alexander
Barkawi, Managing Director of SAM Indexes.
With regard to country allocation the indexes show an overweight in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK. This indicates that on average companies in these countries have
been more successful in positioning themselves for future sustainability challenges. At the same time, companies all over the world are giving more attention to economic, environmental and social issues. We have been assessing companies in terms of
sustainability since 1995. It is encouraging to see that the interest in this concept is increasing steadily and that especially during the last 12 months we have seen a considerable
improvement of corporate sustainability performance around the world, reports Alois Flatz, Head of Research at SAM Group.
