Akzo Nobel has been ranked as the chemicals industry leader on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI), recognizing the company’s ongoing commitment to improving its social responsibility performance.

Akzo Nobel has been ranked as the chemicals industry leader on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI), recognizing the company’s ongoing commitment to improving its social responsibility performance. Rated on the index for the third successive year, Akzo Nobel again improved its average score in the individual indicators and achieved a best-ever overall mark, thus becoming the global sector leader for the chemicals industry.

Commenting on the company’s leadership ranking, CEO Hans Wijers said: “This is a clear message, based on independent research, that our strategy is paying off. As a company we are well positioned to deliver sustainable solutions for our customers, while at the same time creating top-line growth. The top rating on the DJSI World Index represents important recognition for the company and is testament to the collective effort made by our employees around the world to embrace sustainable business practices.”

One of the world’s foremost corporate social responsibility indices, the DJSI World Index benchmarks the sustainability performance of leading companies based on environmental, social and economic performance, including forward-looking financial indicators.

“We are convinced that doing business in a sustainable manner is key to our economic success now and in the future,” added Wijers. “Compared with our peers, Akzo Nobel is number one with respect to the use of renewables, carbon emissions and energy efficiency. Indeed, around 40 percent of the energy we use in our production processes originates from renewable energy, twice the European target for 2020.”

Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide.

Akzo Nobel’s website is atwww.akzonobel.com. For more information about the DJSI, including a full list of member companies and a guide to the assessment and selection process, visitwww.sustainability-indexes.com/.