SMURFIT Kappa has announced its listing on the Euronext Vigeo Eiris sustainability index for the sixth consecutive year.
The index is composed of the top 120 highest-ranking listed companies for social responsibility performance, with the global packaging firm being listed for its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.
To qualify, companies are subject to examination of their sustainability programme by a team of analysts, which reviews up to 330 indicators. Only companies that can produce hard evidence of their sustainability programmes and score highly against industry benchmarks make the final test.
Smurfit Kappa’s annual sustainable development report provides an update of its ESG performance in five strategic areas of focus: climate change; forest; water; waste and people.
The 2017 report, launched earlier this year, announced several sustainability achievements including meeting three targets relating to water, climate change and heath and safety ahead of time, the company said. The report also revealed approximately €5 million of investment in social and scientific projects that aim to benefit the communities in which Smurfit Kappa operates.
Steven Stoffer, group VP development at Smurfit Kappa commented, “We are delighted to have been listed on this prestigious index again. For Smurfit Kappa, sustainability is not only about mitigating climate change and reducing inefficiency, it is also about taking a sustainable approach to every aspect of our business.
“With a growing number of investors and funds incorporating ESG criteria into their investment decisions, it’s vital for us to provide complete assurance. Many of our customers also expect their business partners to have a genuine commitment to corporate social responsibility and this is something that Smurfit Kappa has won several supplier awards for.”
