OREANDA-NEWS. SEB was the only Nordic bank to be included in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Valued most by investors, it is a global compilation of rankings on sustainability and responsible business.

The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index is based on a very extensive questionnaire that maps companies’ performance across 20 different categories, from business to environmental and social responsibility.

“For years, we have been working systematically in order to make it into the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and have now earned the recognition we deserve from the decision-makers. SEB has performed comprehensive and exhaustive work to set an example with responsible financing on its home markets, contributing to communities and serving as an adviser/partner for its clients,” said Cecilia Wideback West, Head of Corporate Sustainability at SEB.

“The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index is an important milestone, great recognition of our long-running work in this area. SEB’s staff volunteers at schools Estonia-wide to teach approximately 250 money wisdom lessons a year, on average, and our client executives provide consultations on sustainable business. These are just a few examples of how we as a financial sector business can set a global example for others in the area of responsible and sustainable business,” Allan Parik, Chairman of the Management Board of SEB Pank, noted, citing an example.

This year, the European rankings feature a total of 20 Nordic businesses, including four newcomers. In the rankings, SEB is the only Nordic bank, its rating a score of 88 out of the maximum 100 compared to a score of 78 last year.

In terms of specific categories, SEB’s ratings are 89 in financial responsibility, 84 in environmental responsibility and 89 in social responsibility. Most indicators improved; however, the rise was steepest in the area of social responsibility.