The best industry companies globally were selected to the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World index based on an extensive sustainability assessment. The Dow Jones Best-in-Class Europe index, in turn, lists the sustainability forerunners in Europe. Over 12,000 listed companies across the world were invited to take part in the index assessment.
Finnish companies from other industries also included in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World index were Neste and UPM-Kymmene. Finnish companies from other industries included in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Europe index were Neste, Nordea, UPM-Kymmene and Wärtsilä.
”Dow Jones is one of the most comprehensive and esteemed international sustainability assessments, and measures corporate sustainability and responsibility in all its dimensions. Kesko’s good result is proof that our sustainability work is moving in the right direction in all business divisions. It also encourages us to continue the work to achieve our ambitious goals. Moreover, the assessment helps us identify areas where we can improve further, thus spurring on our sustainability efforts,” says Noomi Jägerhorn, Kesko’s Vice President of Sustainability.
In the index assessment, companies’ sustainability is measured based on dozens of environmental, social, economic and governance related criteria. Kesko received strong scores in, for example, Transparency & Reporting, Biodiversity, Water, Climate Strategy, and Human Rights. Kesko’s score for Biodiversity improved significantly compared to the year before.
Kesko is one of the top five companies in the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry included in the DJ BIC World index, the others being CP All Public Company Limited, President Chain Store Corporation, and Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. from Asia, and Carrefour from Europe.
As for the DJ BIC Europe index, Kesko and Carrefour were the two companies to have been included in the index.
Kesko’s sustainability work focuses increasingly on the whole value chain
Promoting emission targets is one of the central focus areas for Kesko’s sustainability strategy. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated Kesko’s near-term and long-term science-based emission reduction targets in January 2026. Kesko’s plan to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions, extending to 2034, relies on measures such as electrifying logistics and switching to biofuels, improving energy efficiency, and using renewable energy.
’’In addition to our own operations, we are increasingly focusing on our value chain, as most of the environmental impacts derive from there. Reducing emissions across the value chain requires new actions as well as involvement from our suppliers, and we are currently making plans to reduce value chain emissions. We have also prepared preliminary plans for mitigating harmful impacts on biodiversity in our value chain, and will continue the work in all our divisions,’’ says Jägerhorn.
As for social responsibility, Kesko’s targets and actions focus on both its own personnel and the people working in the supply chain. Kesko promotes sustainability in its supply chains through the use of sustainability guidelines, audits conducted at factories and farms, and sustainability certificates for products. The main objective in Kesko’s personnel diversity efforts is to raise the share of women in top management to 40% and in middle management to 45% by 2030.
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