United States
ELC Included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America
Company Feature, 3 Dec 2020
As The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) continues to make strides toward its citizenship and sustainability goals, the S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI), the world’s leading index provider, has added the Company to its prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for North America. ELC’s inclusion in the index recognises the Company as a sustainability leader, reflecting the successful execution of its citizenship and sustainability strategy and the Company’s continuing commitment to transparency and disclosure.
“Despite the significant and ongoing challenges we face due to the ongoing pandemic, The Estée Lauder Companies remains steadfast in delivering progress against its citizenship and sustainability strategy, goals and targets,” said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies. “We are incredibly proud of this recognition, a true reflection of the dedication and hard work of individuals across the Company. I look forward to continuing to accelerate progress towards our goals with a keen focus on the initiatives and investments that will position us to take even more decisive action.”
Focused on assessing the largest companies globally, the DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalisation weighted indices that measure the performance of businesses selected with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Qualifying for inclusion depends not only on robust sustainability practices, but also a high level of ESG transparency and disclosure.
To meet these demanding criteria in 2020, ELC invested in enhanced disclosure, as well as doubling down on environmental and social initiatives across its value chain. Jumping from a score of 29 / 100 in 2019 to 52 / 100 in 2020 (a notable 23 point increase), the Company is proud to have made rapid progress in its ESG performance over the past 12 months.
“We congratulate The Estée Lauder Companies for being included in the DJSI for North America. A DJSI distinction is a reflection of being a sustainability leader in your industry,” said Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research and Data, S&P Global. “With a record number of companies participating in the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment and more stringent rules for inclusion this year, this sets your company apart and rewards your continued commitment to people and planet."
The naming of ELC to the DJSI is reflective of the citizenship and sustainability achievements set out in the Company’s FY20 Citizenship and Sustainability Report, Beauty Inspired, Values Driven. Fiscal 2020 saw the achievement of milestone climate goals, with ELC meeting its goals to source 100% renewable electricity and reach Net Zero carbon emissions, as well as establishing Science Based Targets (SBTs) to further reduce emissions across its value chain. Continuing to excel in social responsibility, over the past two years, ELC has positively impacted the lives of more than 20M individuals worldwide with programmes and grants focused on health, education and environment, surpassing its goal to impact 10M individuals by 2020.
Buoyed by this recognition from the DJSI, ELC is excited to continue to embed social and environmental action even more deeply across its business.