Dow Jones & Company, a leading provider of global business news and information, pioneered in 1999 the first index of common stocks that rates corporations according to their performance on sustainability. This index has grown to include
multiple sustainability indexes, such as a World Index, North America Index, and United States Index, among others. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) follows a “best in class” approach that identifies sustainability leaders in each industry. Companies are evaluated against general and industry-specific criteria and ranked with their peers. Data come from questionnaires, submitted documentation, corporate policies, reports, and available public information. Since its inception, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has slightly outperformed its well-known Dow Jones Industrial Index. Based on SAM (Sustainable Asset Management AG) Research’s corporate sustainability assessment, Dow Jones includes not only environmental, but also economic and social criteria in its sustainability index.