The latest review of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) by S&P Global, published with new additions, shows sixteen Spanish and European firms included in the world index. Repeats from the previous year include BBVA, Banco Santander, Bankinter, CaixaBank, Inditex, Amadeus, Ferrovial, Grifols, Indra, Acciona, Enagás, Endesa, Iberdrola, and Redeia, reflecting continuity in the assesssment and the ongoing emphasis on ESG performance. In the most recent European ranking, BBVA earned the top score within Europe for banks and ranked second globally for the fourth consecutive year (source: S&P Global CSA).
Aena, the airport operator, and Merlin Properties list on the world index for the first time in this review, which was announced on December 8 and will take effect on December 18. Iberdrola continues its long-standing presence in the world index for the twenty-fourth year, while Endesa has appeared for twenty-three years and Ferrovial for twenty-two in the global listing (source: S&P Global CSA). These long-standing appearances illustrate a consistent commitment to sustainability across diverse sectors (source: S&P Global CSA).
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index series, developed jointly by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM, serves as a benchmark for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. The indices are widely used to guide sustainable investment decisions and have become established standards in the market (source: S&P Global CSA).
Banking sector
In banking, BBVA achieved the best European score for the fourth straight year and the second-highest global ranking in the bank category during the latest DJSI evaluation. The bank earned full marks in several areas, including transparency and reporting, financial strategy, human rights, and customer relations (source: S&P Global CSA).
Javier Rodríguez Soler, head of sustainability and corporate & investment banking at BBVA, stressed the bank’s pivotal role in supporting a green and just transition. He noted that while banks are not the main protagonists, their participation is decisive in guiding the decarbonization of the broader economy (source:BBVA press materials, cited in S&P Global CSA).
Caixabank ranked among the world’s top banks for the twelfth consecutive year and reached the 13th position in sustainability, scoring 82 points. The institution aims for a perfect 100 in areas such as transparency and reporting, business ethics, information processing and cybersecurity, and human capital development (source: S&P Global CSA).
Bankinter confirmed its presence for the sixth year, claiming the top score in transparency and reporting, customer relationship management, and privacy. Pedro Guerrero, president of Bankinter and the sustainability committee, underscored the bank’s ongoing commitment to a more sustainable economy and noted the index’s recognition of employee efforts worldwide (source: Bankinter communications summarized by S&P Global CSA).
Energy sector
Iberdrola was re-added, becoming the sole European utility featured in the selector for its 24 editions. The group highlighted its adherence to the highest ESG standards, pointing out that only about 10 percent of the top scorers were chosen from a candidate pool of roughly 10,000 companies (source: Iberdrola press release, cited by S&P Global CSA).
Endesa, part of the Enel group, remains among the eight electric utilities with the strongest sustainability performance in the index for the twenty-third year. Enagás has appeared in the index 16 times, earning 85 points. The energy company emphasizes environmental management, waste handling, innovation, biodiversity, materiality, business ethics, cybersecurity, and stakeholder engagement as core strengths (source: S&P Global CSA).
Ferrovial, listed as a Dutch company after relocating headquarters to the Netherlands, marked its twenty-second year in the index even though it continues to be listed on the Spanish Ibex 35. Only three companies from the same sector are included in this edition of the indicator (source: S&P Global CSA).
In total, more than 13,000 publicly traded companies were invited to participate in the annual analysis conducted by S&P Global CSA. The process relies on a comprehensive survey of nearly one hundred ESG questions and requires the submission of public and non-public data. Only about 10% of companies in each industry achieve the top score and secure a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (source: S&P Global CSA).