From 1 April 2017 there have been strong new incentives for companies wanting to obtain a high ranking in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
The DJSI have begun to track corporate chemicals management, and specifically which companies are taking action against hazardous chemicals in their products and supply chains.
For the most part this is because of the massive risks involved with using harmful chemicals in products.
As we have seen time and time again, a single scientific study indicating large risks to human health in a particular chemical ingredients can cause massive public backlash against a product line, and even against the company itself, causing damage to their brand which can be very hard to repair.
“It’s a strong incentive for companies to increase their chemicals management efforts, since it will now be difficult to obtain a top position in the prestigious DJSI rating if you don’t know the chemical content of your products.”
This extensive new approach to reducing the usage of harmful chemicals is the first of its kind in the investment world and a truly progressive move by DJSI. We at Verdant believe that this is only the beginning. The public at large is more and more acutely aware of the damage harmful chemicals are doing to us, and to our environment, and this is reflected in consumer and market trends.
Read Anne-Sofie Andersson's full article here.