Dutch paint and performance coating manufacturer AkzoNobel has been listed as a leader in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Index’s chemicals industry group for a fifth consecutive year.

The company has now featured in the top 10 for 12 consecutive years.

“The real value and purpose of the DJSI lies in its effectiveness as a benchmark tool to continue to improve our business,” AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker said.

He pointed to the progress being made by the decorative paints business in transitioning to water-based products and the continued success of partnerships being forged by specialty chemicals as examples of how the company is helping to transform the industries in which it operates.

AkzoNobel is also aiming to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

Regarded as the most respected independent sustainability ranking system, the DJSI World Index benchmarks the sustainability performance of leading companies based on environmental, social and economic performance, including forward-looking indicators.

It assesses various criteria, including supply chain management, operational eco-efficiency, product stewardship, human capital development, integrity and people, process and product safety. – VNS