- RobecoSAM's annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) determines which companies receive a coveted spot in world's first global sustainability indices

- Assessment provides insights into business practices of world's largest companies

- Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components industry improved the most, while Life Sciences Tools & Services saw biggest performance decline in terms of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors

- World's largest companies perform best in Code of Conduct / Compliance criteria and struggle most with Operational Eco-Efficiency

NEW YORK and ZURICH, Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices, one of the world's leading 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. The three largest additions and deletions (by free-float market capitalization) to the DJSI World this year include:

Additions: Bank of America Corp, Telefonica SA, BHP Billiton Ltd      
Deletions: Cisco Systems Inc, PepsiCo Inc, Royal Bank of Canada

The components list for the DJSI will be published on the Sustainability Indices website on Monday, September 14, 2015. All changes are effective on Monday, September 21, 2015.

Launched in 1999, the DJSI World is the first global index to track the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide based on RobecoSAM's analysis of financially material Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. RobecoSAM invited the world's largest 3,400 companies from developed and emerging markets to take part in its annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). This year, RobecoSAM assessed 85% of the invited universe's free float market capitalization, for the DJSI review.

Guido Giese, Head of Indices, RobecoSAM: "Over the years the DJSI index family has not only come to be the gold standard for corporate sustainability but has also become a competitive platform where companies receive recognition for their sustainability practices. The CSA is a state of the art, in-depth sustainability performance assessment methodology. Thanks to its broad reach, the results of the CSA are one of the leading sources of information on how listed companies around the globe are exercising financially material ESG practices. The entire DJSI index family benefits from that."
 

David Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices: "More and more investors look at companies' environmental policies and track records in making their investment decisions. The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices are comprehensive benchmarks that allow investors to gauge the collective performance of those companies that meet the RobecoSAM standard for corporate sustainability and to formulate global allocations consistent with sustainable investment standards and practices."

The Corporate Sustainability Leaders
RobecoSAM identifies the top scoring company in each of the 24 industry groups (according to GICS). The 2015-2016 Industry Group Leader profiles can be found on the Sustainability Indices website.

Observations from this year's DJSI Review
The CSA consists of over 100 financially material criteria. An analysis of this year's review provides insight into the business practices of the world's largest companies. Listed below are some of the most notable observations from the 2015 Review:

Industry Movers and Shakers 
Top three most improved industries relative to last year:

1. Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (+23.45%)
2. Transportation and Transportation Infrastructure (+18.16%)
3. Homebuilding (+15.3%)

Top three least improved industries relative to last year:

1. Life Sciences Tools & Services (-7.71%)
2. Personal Products (-6.73%)
3. Oil & Gas (-5.95%)

Companies Successfully Implement Codes of Conduct but Struggle with Operational Eco-Efficiency
CSA criteria where companies earned the highest scores:

1. Codes of Conduct / Compliance / Corruption & Bribery
2. Corporate Governance
3. Environmental Policy / Management System

CSA criteria where companies earned the lowest scores:

1. Operational Eco-Efficiency
2. Human Capital Development
3. Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy

Social Reporting Criterion on a High, Risk and Crisis Management Hit a Low
Most improved CSA criteria relative to last year:

1. Social Reporting
2. Environmental reporting
3. Human Capital Development

Least improved CSA criteria relative to last year:

1. Risk and Crisis Management
2. Talent Attraction & Retention
3. Corporate Governance

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

Additional CSA methodology information:

• Corporate Sustainability Assessment homepage: Download criteria weightings, 2015 criteria changes, Measuring Intangibles brochure, key facts, participation benefits, and more.
• RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment Companion: This document provides general information about the CSA, including terminology.

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 1,000,000 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
Founded in 1995, RobecoSAM is an investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing. It offers asset management, indices, engagement, voting, impact analysis, sustainability assessments, and benchmarking services. Asset management capabilities cater to institutional asset owners and financial intermediaries and cover a range of ESG-integrated investments (in public and private equity), featuring a strong track record in resource efficiency theme strategies. Together with S&P Dow Jones Indices, RobecoSAM publishes the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Based on its Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), an annual ESG analysis of 2,900 listed companies, RobecoSAM has compiled one of the world's most comprehensive databases of financially material sustainability information. The data of the CSA is also included in USD 89.8 billion of assets under management by Robeco.

RobecoSAM is a member of the global pure-play asset manager Robeco, which was established in 1929 and is the center of expertise for asset management within the ORIX Corporation. 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. Approximately 130 professionals work for RobecoSAM, which is headquartered in Zurich. As of March 31, 2015, RobecoSAM had assets under management, advice and/or license in listed and private equity* of approximately USD 10 billion. Additionally, RobecoSAM's Governance & Active Ownership team** had USD 82 billion of assets under engagement and USD 50 billion of assets under voting.

Important legal information:
Standard & Poor's®  and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"), a subsidiary of McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"). RobecoSAM is a registered trademark of Robeco Groep N.V. These trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI" . The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by, and is the exclusive property and a trademark of, S&P and MSCI Inc.

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. S&P DJI, Dow Jones, S&P and their respective affiliates do not sponsor, endorse, sell or promote any investment fund or other investment product that is offered by third parties and that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index. S&P DJI does not make investment recommendations, and inclusion of a security within an index, and CSA results, are not recommendations by S&P DJI for the purchase or sale of any security or other asset or to pursue any investment strategy. This document does not constitute an offer of services in jurisdictions where S&P DJI does not have the necessary licenses. S&P DJI receives compensation for licensing its indices to third parties.

The details given on these pages do not constitute an offer. They are given for information purposes only. No liability is assumed for the correctness and accuracy of the details given. The securities identified and described may or may not be purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients. It should not be assumed that an investment in these securities was or will be profitable. *RobecoSAM Private Equity is the marketing name of the combined private equity divisions of Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. ('Robeco') and its fully owned subsidiary, RobecoSAM AG ('RobecoSAM'). Any funds or services offered by RobecoSAM Private Equity are managed and offered by Robeco, who may have delegated certain investment advisory functions to RobecoSAM. ** RobecoSAM's Governance & Active Ownership team is a brand name of Robeco. RobecoSAM USA is an investment adviser registered in the US. Copyright © 2015 RobecoSAM – all rights reserved.

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices