HEERLEN/AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Royal DSM N.V. has regained its number one position in the chemical industry sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. AkzoNobel placed second in the sector with a score of 87 percent, two percent behind DSM.

 

DSM innovations are helping to address some of the world’s most pressing issues such as climate change, energy consumption and the need for a balanced food and water supply. This year, DSM once again took concrete steps to actively reduce its own and its customers’ carbon footprint and fight hidden hunger and malnutrition around the world.

 

DSM also announced its signing of the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate to underline the company’s commitment to water management as part of its sustainability strategy. UN’s CEO Water Mandate is a leadership platform that deals with the use and conservation of water worldwide.

 

AkzoNobel has systematically reinforced its commitment to sustainability, emphasized late last year when 50 percent of the company’s long-term incentive scheme for executives was directly linked to the company's ranking on the DJSI index.

 

Other recent developments from AkzoNobel have included the introduction of a unique company-wide cradle-to-gate carbon emission reduction program and the integration of sustainability reporting into the AkzoNobel 2008 Report.