Bayer stock has been included once again in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), providing renewed proof of the standing of the company as an international leader in sustainability. Bayer is thus one of very few companies headquartered in Germany to have been listed in the DJSI World without interruption since the establishment of the index in 1999.
“We are delighted about the renewed inclusion in the DJSI World. With the increased significance of innovation management in company analysis, the index underlines how closely sustainability is allied to innovation - an approach that we ourselves are pursuing through our sustainability strategy”
The DJSI World follows the "best in class" principle: Out of the 2,500 corporations listed in the Dow Jones Global Index, a selection is made every year of the 10 percent of companies in a given sector that best meet certain economic, ecological, ethical and social criteria. The categories assessed include transparent sustainability reporting, responsible corporate governance and human resources policy, environmental management and environment performance, customer and supplier relations and social commitment. Since last year the aspect of innovation management has also been weighted more strongly in the overall evaluation. The assessment is performed by the independent Swiss company Sustainable Asset Management (SAM). The DJSI World is one of the leading international sustainability indices, which give investors a basis on which to make sustainability-oriented investment decisions.
"We are delighted about the renewed inclusion in the DJSI World. With the increased significance of innovation management in company analysis, the index underlines how closely sustainability is allied to innovation - an approach that we ourselves are pursuing through our sustainability strategy," comments Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, the member of Bayer AG's Board of Management responsible for Innovation, Technology and Environment.
Investment in the future and innovative capability play a key role at Bayer. In 2010, Bayer's budget for research and development is around EUR 3.1 billion - this is yet another new record for the Group and the highest research budget in the German chemical and pharmaceutical industry. As part of its sustainability program, the company launched several international projects at the end of 2009 that make specific contributions, based on the company's innovations, to meeting global challenges such as health provision in developing countries, food supply for a growing world population and climate protection.
In their investment decisions an increasing number of institutional investors are taking account of whether a company includes sustainability aspects in its strategy. According to the index provider Dow Jones, portfolio managers in 18 countries currently use the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices alone as a basis for equity investment decisions for assets totaling just under US$ 8 billion.
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