METRO again listed in Dow Jones Sustainability Index

METRO has once again asserted itself in the renowned sustainability ranking of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which was published on 9 December after the close of trading in New York. The Düsseldorf-based wholesale company increased its total score slightly to 78 out of a possible 100 points and thus occupies the sixth place in the DJSI Ranking 2022 "Food & Staples Retailing", in which 161 companies participated METRO also defended its places in the DJSI World and DJSI Europe Indexes, in which five and three food retailers respectively made it into the 2022 index.

METRO's strongest performance in this year's ranking was in the areas of "Climate Strategy", "Health & Nutrition" and "Materiality", with more than 90% of the possible points scored in each case. METRO also achieved significant improvements compared to the previous year in the fields of "Biodiversity", "Environmental Policy & Management", "Occupational Health & Safety" and "Living Wage".

"Sustainable management is one of METRO's guiding principles and is closely linked to our new corporate strategy ‘sCore’. We see ourselves as a central link in the value chain and try to anchor sustainable standards both towards suppliers and customers and to support our customers in operating their business even more sustainably", said Ivonne Julitta Bollow, Senior Vice President Corporate Responsibility & Public Policy METRO AG. "I am very pleased that this self-image as well as, in particular, our clear climate protection goals are reflected in the index".

The importance of an objective assessment of companies' sustainability strategies and practices is increasing from the point of view of the public as well as shareholders, investors and capital markets in particular. This can also be seen in the number of companies participating in the Corporate Sustainability Assessment of S&P Global CSA, which is the basis for the ranking of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Thus, a total of 2,480 companies participated in the CSA this year. Together, they represent a global market capitalisation of 48% compared to 45% in 2021. 161 companies participated in the "Food & Staples Retailing" ranking, which is relevant for METRO - five years ago, the number was 92.

Founded in 1999, the internationally renowned Dow Jones Sustainability Index annually evaluates the sustainability performance of listed companies worldwide. The index family was developed jointly by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM and is conducted by S&P Global CSA. The underlying questionnaire for the sustainability rating is updated on a continuous basis. This year, for example, a net zero commitment was included for the first time as part of the analysis of the climate strategy.

METRO is a leading international food wholesaler, which specialises in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent merchants (Traders). Around the world, METRO has some 17 million customers who benefit from the wholesale company’s unique multichannel mix: customers can purchase their goods in one of the large stores in their area as well as by delivery (Food Service Distribution, FSD) – all digitally supported and connected. In parallel, METRO MARKETS is being developed as an international online marketplace for the needs of professional customers, which has been growing and expanding continuously since 2019. Acting sustainably is one of the company principles of METRO, which has been listed in various sustainability indices and rankings for many years, including FTSE4Good, MSCI, CDP and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. METRO operates in more than 30 countries and employs over 95,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2020/21, METRO generated sales of €24.8 billion. More information can be found at MPULSE.de, our online magazine.