“We see the award of the Gold Class to be another confirmation of our sustainability strategy,” said Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, member of the Bayer Board of Management responsible for Innovation, Technology and Environment. “The principles of sustainability are an integral component of our business activities. By bringing economic growth into harmony with social interests and ecological needs we are safeguarding Bayers long-term success.”

SAM is responsible for evaluating the sustainability performance of more than 2,000 of the worlds largest listed companies, this being used as the basis for the composition of the Dow Jones Sustainability indices. Bayer is included in both indices relevant for the company, the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index. These indices help investors who value sustainable business practices with their investment decisions.

The companies sustainability performance is assessed according to economic, ecological and social criteria. The economic criteria include corporate governance and innovation management. Among the relevant ecological criteria are climate strategy and reporting. And in the social sphere the focus is, for example, on personnel development and supplier management.