EDP is number 1 in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World

Monday 16, September 2019

With a total of 90 points, EDP secured the best score ever and is number 1 among the integrated utilities in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. It is the only portuguese company which has been in the index for 12 consecutive years.

EDP once again stood out among the global companies with the best sustainability practices, having reached 90 points in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index worldwide and in Europe. In addition to achieving its best score ever in the index which it first entered 12 years ago, the company also increased its ranking: it is the leader in integrated utilities and is in the top 2 among utilities.

With 5 points more than in 2018, the index that ranks the world's leading companies in sustainability, once again assessed EDP's performance using three main metrics: environmental, economic and social. Among the criteria evaluated there are 9 in which EDP reached the maximum score (100 points): Water risk management, climate change, environmental reporting, social report, human rights, community development, stakeholder engagement, responsible political involvement and materiality analysis.

For the CEO of EDP Group, António Mexia, "being number 1 in the Dow Jones sustainability Index, among integrated utilities once again is a clear recognition of EDP's commitment to sustainable development and its ability to execute within the different sustainability domains. The energy sector is experiencing a revolution marked by decarbonization, digitization, and decentralization, and over the last 12 years we have been anticipating these trends and aligning our business model with the energy transition to fight climate change. This is a commitment that EDP will continue to make in order to create a more sustainable world for future generations.”

EDP is the only portuguese company to be part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12 consecutive years. In this latest edition, the company was also able to recover points in relevant areas such as operational eco-efficiency, human capital development or customer care, according to RobecoSAM's assessment, which, according to Rate the Raters from SustainAbility, is the reference analyst for sustainability indexes.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index was created in 1999 as the first non-financial benchmark for globally listed companies. For the 2019 edition, 2,296 companies were analyzed (202 more than the previous year), and 318 were selected to be part of DJSI World, among them EDP - of the group of 16 utilities, eight are electric ones. At the European level, DJSI Europe has selected 142 companies, including EDP, which is one of three electrical utilities in the group of eight utilities.

In addition to the economic and financial indicators, this index evaluates criteria such as transparency, corporate management, investor relations, social and environmental responsibility and the quality of management. The inclusion of EDP in the Dow Jones Index of sustainability is a recognition of the commitment it has made towards sustainable development, reflected in the reinforcement of the best corporate governance model practices, both regarding its strategy for expansion of renewable energies and the use of more efficient production technologies.