NEW YORK and ZURICH, Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices, one of the world's largest providers of financial market indices, and RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) review. Launched in 1999, the DJSI were the first global indices to track the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide.

Following RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), the three largest additions and deletions (by free-float market capitalization) to the DJSI World include:

Additions: Bank of America Corp, UBS AG and United Parcel Service Inc
Deletions: Johnson & Johnson, HSBC Holdings PLC and Vodafone Group PLC

The DJSI World 2013/2014 will have 333 components following 39 additions and 47 deletions from the index. All changes are effective on Monday, September 23, 2013.

The 2013 DJSI review also yielded the following regional index component changes:

Guido Giese, Head of Indices, RobecoSAM: "The DJSI have a double impact. They enable investors to integrate sustainability into their portfolios and at the same time they provide an engagement platform that encourages companies to adopt sustainable best practices. We encourage active participation in our Corporate Sustainability Assessment each year and this year we were happy to see a 31% increase in participation from companies in emerging markets."

David Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the S&P Dow Jones Index Committee, S&P Dow Jones Indices: "The market upheavals and high debt levels of the last few years should remind investors that a long term view of the world and the markets is essential. The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices combine that kind of long run focus on sustainability with index investing to empower investors."

The DJSI follow a best-in-class approach, including companies across all industries that outperform their peers in numerous sustainability metrics. RobecoSAM invites over 3,000 publicly traded companies, including 800 companies in emerging markets, to report annually on their sustainability practices.

The Corporate Sustainability Assessment provides an in-depth analysis of financially material economic, environmental and social practices, such as innovation or supply chain management, climate strategy and stakeholder engagement and places a special focus on industry-specific risks and opportunities.

Based on the Global Industry Classification System (GICS), RobecoSAM annually identifies the top company in each of the 24 industry groups. The 2013-2014 Industry Group Leaders are (listed alphabetically by Industry Group):

For additional information on the DJSI, please visit:
http://www.sustainability-indices.com/ and http://www.djindexes.com/sustainability/.

About S&P Dow Jones Indices
S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a part of McGraw Hill Financial, is the world's largest, global resource for index-based concepts, data and research. Home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500^® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average™, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC has over 115 years of experience constructing innovative and transparent solutions that fulfill the needs of investors. More assets are invested in products based upon our indices than any other provider in the world. With over 830,000 indices covering a wide range of asset classes across the globe, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC defines the way investors measure and trade the markets. To learn more about our company, please visit www.spdji.com.  

About RobecoSAM
RobecoSAM is an investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing. Its offerings comprise asset management, indices, private equity, engagement, impact analysis and sustainability assessments as well as benchmarking services. Asset management capabilities include a range of ESG-integrated investment and theme strategies (in listed and private equity) catering to institutional asset owners and financial intermediaries across the globe. Together with S&P Dow Jones Indices, RobecoSAM publishes the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Based on its Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual ESG analysis of over 2,500 listed companies, RobecoSAM has compiled one of the world's most comprehensive sustainability databases. RobecoSAM's proprietary research and sustainability insight, gained through its direct contact with companies, are fully integrated into its investment solutions.

In 1995, RobecoSAM was founded on the conviction that integrating ESG factors into traditional financial analysis leads to a better informed investment decision. RobecoSAM is a member of the global pure-play asset manager Robeco, which was established in 1929 and was acquired by ORIX Corporation in 2013. As a reflection of its own commitment to advocating sustainable investment practices, RobecoSAM is a signatory of the UNPRI and a member of Eurosif, ASrIA and Ceres. Headquartered in Zurich, RobecoSAM employs over 100 professionals. As of June 30, 2013, RobecoSAM's assets under management, advice and license amounted to a total of USD 8.8 billion.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices are a joint product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and RobecoSAM AG ("RobecoSAM"). S&P is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"), Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones") and RobecoSAM is a registered trademark of Robeco Groep N.V.  The trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its affiliates.  Inclusion of a company within a Dow Jones Sustainability Index is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold such company, nor is it investment advice.  S&P Dow Jones Indices, Dow Jones, S&P, RobecoSAM and their respective affiliates (collectively "SPDJI parties") do not sponsor, endorse, sell or promote any investment fund or other investment vehicle that is offered by third parties and that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index.  This document does not constitute an offer of services in jurisdictions where the SPDJI Parties do not have the necessary licenses.  The SPDJI Parties may receive compensation in connection with licensing its indices to third parties.

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices