Johannesburg - Petrochemicals giant Sasol [JSE:SOL] has been ranked among the world's top 100 companies for sustainability in the QCRD Global Sustainability Index's semi-annual report.
The award recognises exceptional delivery in the fields of environmental, social and governance issues, along with a strong financial performance.
The QCRD Index serves as a benchmark for companies traded on a major US stock exchange which have taken a leadership role in disclosing their carbon footprint, energy usage, water consumption, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, employee safety, workforce diversity, management composition and community investing.
The companies on the index voluntarily disclose their current environmental, social and governance risks as well as their revenue opportunities and how they will affect future performance.
The companies' securities must also meet other eligibility criteria which include minimum requirements for market value, average daily share volume and price.
The QCRD Index is used by investors to make a quick, relative assessment of sustainability across sectors, industries and companies.
Sasol chief executive Pat Davies said: "We believe that a genuine and informed commitment to sustainable development is integral to the achievement of our long-term objectives.
"Growth without sustainability is unacceptable for all stakeholders and, as we continue on this path, it is encouraging to receive recognition such as this listing on the Nasdq OMX CRD Global Sustainability Index."
In a congratulatory letter to Sasol, Michael Muyot, president of CRD Analytics, said: "Thanks to companies like Sasol, the investment world has started to grasp the critical connection between sustainability and solid financial performance."
The index is evaluated on a semi-annual basis in May and November. CRD Analytics evaluated more than 3 000 global companies on 200 complex and diverse performance metrics to establish individual, quantitative ratings of sustainability.