External Evaluations

Performance

External Evaluations

In 2018, Danone was recognized by RobecoSAM and S&P Dow Jones Indices within the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices series - which each year selects the best performing companies based on criteria such as social and environmental responsibility, innovation and economic performance - as a benchmark company in the food and beverage sector, particularly in terms of packaging, water related risks and health and nutrition. In 2018, Danone scored 68/100 for its previous year performance.

 

Due to significant methodological changes in 2018, 2017 scores were recalculated by RobecoSAM and S&P Dow Jones Indices on a comparable basis. Recalculated 2017 score is 65/100.

 

DJSI

Danone is included in several indices of ECPI, an investment and sustainability advisory services provider since 1997.

 

ECPI assesses and selects companies thanks to a rule-based approach which involves almost 100 environmental, social and governance (ESG) key performance indicators.

 

In 2018, Danone was included in the following indices: ECPI Euro Ethical Equity, ECPI Global Ethical Equity, ECPI EMU Ethical Equity, ECPI Euro ESG Equity, ECPI Global Developed ESG Best in Class, ECPI Circular Economy Leaders Index, ECPI Global Livestock GD, ECPI Global Longevity Winners Equity, ECPI Global Megatrend 100, ECPI World ESG Equity, ECPI Global Science for Life, ECPI Global Agriculture Liquid.

 

ECPI

Danone is also included in the Ethibel Index, which provides potential investors with an overview of companies that are leaders in sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Danone has been reconfirmed as a constituent of the Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Excellence Europe and the Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Excellence Global since 21/09/2018.

 

Ethibel

Danone remains a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series following the June 2018 index review.

 

FTSE Russell (the trading name of FTSE International Limited and Frank Russell Company) confirms that Danone has been independently assessed according to the FTSE4Good criteria, and has satisfied the requirements to become a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series. Created by the global index provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The FTSE4Good indices are used by a wide variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.

 

FTSE4Good Index

Danone is evaluated under the ISS ESG rating which includes the Environmental & Social Disclosure QualityScore and the Governance QualityScore.

 

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment (RI) solutions, evaluates companies’ governance risks across Governance, Environmental & Social pillars through the analysis of companies’ disclosures and using a numeric, decile-based score. A QualityScore of 1 indicates better disclosure and lower E&S or governance risk, while a 10 indicates worse disclosure and higher risk versus its industry group or higher governance risk versus its index or region.

 

As of December 2018, Danone had reached the highest score of 1 out of 10 for the Social pillar.

 

ISS Methodology

In June 2018, Danone was awarded with the “Prime” Status by the ISS-oekom Corporate Rating, which evaluates companies’ Corporate Responsibility performance using a comprehensive and mainly industry specific approach.

 

Danone obtained a B- rating and was particularly well rated in terms of equal opportunities and non-discrimination, climate change strategy and eco-efficiency. Danone positioned itself among the industry leaders.

 

ISS-OEKOM Research Methodology

In 2018, Danone was rated AAA by the MSCI ESG Research according to its performance on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) issues.

 

The MSCI ESG Research is designed to identify sustainability's stakes to be integrated into investment decision making.

 

Danone has been upgraded from AA in 2015 to AAA in 2016 and since maintained this rating, owing to good scores in the following areas: water stress, raw material sourcing, product carbon footprint, and opportunities in nutrition and health.

 

MSCI

Since the latest evaluation of food and beverage sector’s companies in July 2018 by the extra-financial rating agency Vigeo Eiris, Danone was given the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) score of 68/100 and is considered as an “advanced performer” and remains the leader in the food and beverage sector (Vigeo Eiris's Global Food Universe). In addition, since their latest update in July 2018, Danone has been included in the ESI Excellence Europe, ESI Excellence Global, Euronext Vigeo Eiris Europe 120, Euronext Vigeo Eiris Eurozone 120, Euronext Vigeo Eiris France 20 and Euronext Vigeo World 120.

 

 

Vigeo Eiris

Top 3 performing companies

 

On May 2018, the third edition of the global Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) was released by the Access to Nutrition Foundation (ATNF). This new edition ranks Danone among the top 3 performing food companies. Danone is ranked first in the Breast-milk substitutes Marketing sub-ranking.

 

Access to Nutrition Index

Since 2015, Danone has become a part of BBFAW (a Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare).

In 2018, Danone was ranked in the Tier 2 of the Benchmark, recognizing the work done with our farmers to improve animal welfare practices.

 

BBFAW

Danone is one of 230 companies selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality.

 

Bloomberg’s standardized reporting framework offers public companies the opportunity to disclose information on how they promote gender equality across four separate areas – company statistics, policies, community engagement and products and services. Reporting companies that score above a globally-established threshold, based on the extent of disclosures and the achievement of best-in-class statistics and policies, are included in the GEI.

 

 

Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

In 2018, Danone was rated A (Leadership) for its climate change policy and is part of the Climate A List.

 

CDP – Climate Disclosure

Danone has participated in the CDP Water Disclosure since it was created in 2010. This program seeks to gather critical data from the world’s largest companies on water shortages and related issues. This global database facilitates access to vital information on the sustainable use of water. In 2018, Danone was rated B (Management).

 

CDP – Water Disclosure

Danone participated in the Forest Footprint Disclosure (FFD), which primarily aims to mitigate the growing effects of deforestation.

 

This global rating, created by the CDP, assesses the impact that very large companies have on forests, based on their use of five raw materials: soy, palm oil, wood and paper pulp, animal feed and biofuels. Danone was able to report the data necessary for this evaluation based on its Forest Policy published in 2012, illustrating the company's concern for its impact on the upstream part of the value chain.

 

In 2018, Danone was rated A- (Leadership) for its soy policy, its timber policy and its palm oil policy.

 

CDP - Forest Footprint Disclosure