KESKO is ranked first in the global Dow Jones Sustainability Assessment and third in the European Union for its industry.
As the most successful business in its field across all of Europe, Kesko was selected for inclusion in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), both the DJSI World and the DJSI Europe. Kesko achieved the third best ranking in its business sector within the global DJSI World.
Companies were evaluated for the indices based on a variety of criteria, including but not limited to their climate change activities, sustainable product selections, transparent supplier chains, and occupational health and safety policies.
“The expectations that investors and other stakeholders have towards firms are always expanding, and in order for organisations to be successful in the current climate of intense competition, they need to succeed in all aspects of sustainability.
According to Riikka Joukio, Kesko’s Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Public Affairs, “the fact that Kesko ranks as the top company in its industry in sustainability in Europe and No. 3 globally is proof that our sustainability strategy adopted in spring 2022 and related measures are guiding our sustainability work in the right direction.”
This year, invitations to participate in the evaluation process for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices were sent out to more than 3,500 publicly traded companies all around the world.
Based on the findings of the evaluation, the most successful businesses in each sector throughout the globe were chosen for index inclusion in the DJSI World, while the most successful businesses in Europe in terms of sustainability are included in the DJSI Europe.
In the DJSI Europe, Kesko has earned the top spot for the very first time in its industry, which is known as Food and Staples Retailing. Metro and Ahold were two more corporations from their respective sectors that were included in the index.
This year, several Finnish companies such as Neste, UPM-Kymmene, Valmet, and Wartsila were also featured in the DJSI World with Kesko.
This year’s Dow Jones Sustainability Assessment placed a greater emphasis on aspects such as business emission objectives, management of climate risks, and standards on worker health and safety. It was determined that Kesko’s environmental initiatives, as a whole, were the most effective in the industry.
Within the context of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, Kesko was awarded a perfect score of one hundred points for a variety of categories, including operational eco-efficiency, environmental reporting, management of water-related risks, and climate risk analysis.
Efforts to promote sustainability are still being developed across many fronts.
The K Group’s business model is built on the principle of sustainability. The K Group intends to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2025, and it plans to eliminate all emissions produced by its operations and transports by the year 2030.
The entire value chain is included in the scope of the emission reduction targets; by 2025, two-thirds of Kesko’s direct suppliers will be required to establish science-based emissions reduction targets.
“Our efforts toward sustainability are still ongoing across many fronts. We are actively working on a road plan for healthy nutrition, with the goal of making it as easy as possible for customers shopping in our grocery shops to make healthier food selections.
We are also working to improve the sustainability competences of our people. As part of the planned initiatives, an online training course on how to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity will be made available to all staff, as Joukio explains.
Further information:
Riikka Joukio, EVP, Sustainability and Public Affairs, Kesko, tel. +358 105 323 712, riikka.joukio@kesko.fi
K Group media desk (Mon-Fri 9-16), tel. +358 105 350 200, viestinta@kesko.fi
https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-csa-annual-review
Kesko and K-retailers together form K Group, whose retail sales total over €15 billion. K Group is the third biggest retail operator in Northern Europe and it employs some 45,000 people. Kesko operates in the grocery trade, building and technical trade, and car trade. Its divisions and chains act in close cooperation with retailer entrepreneurs and other partners.
Kesko’s net sales total over €11 billion and it employs approximately 17,000 people. Kesko has around 1,800 stores engaged in chain operations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Kesko’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. The company’s domicile and main premises are located in Helsinki. www.kesko.fi
