29 September 2008

 

Per unit Index tracks financial performance of top sustainability-driven companies

Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson") has been selected for the first time as a component company of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), a leading indicator for socially responsible investment. The DJSI World assesses companies around the world based on their approach to combining financial profitability with concern for the environment and social issues, and selects those with the best future prospects for achieving sustainability. Those qualifying are considered to be among the top ten percent of the world’s best companies based on the Index’s measures. The DJSI World is an international stock index jointly developed by the American company Dow Jones and Switzerland's SAM (Sustainable Asset Management) Group.

In September 2008, 320 companies out of a pool of roughly 2,500 worldwide were selected for the DJSI World. Epson was one of six companies selected for the computer hardware and electronic office equipment category within the Index’s technology sector.

As evidence of its commitment to sustainability, Epson’s “Environmental Vision 2050” defines actions the company will take by 2050 to achieve a self-imposed goal of reducing by 90% all CO2 emissions associated with its products and business activities. The program’s goals also include improving product design and reorganizing the supply chain to reduce energy use, material use and waste, as well as developing products with a longer service life that can be 100% reused or recycled.

Since 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has assessed sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Each company in the index is subject to a yearly review.

Epson’s Sustainability Report 2008 is available online here.