Thai Union Group PCL, one of the world’s largest value-added seafood producers, has been ranked No. 1 in the Food Products Industry Index of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the second year in a row. It has now appeared on the index for six consecutive years, driven by its SeaChange global sustainability strategy.
The Bangkok-headquartered company, a major processor of tuna products and frozen shrimp, achieved an industry best-in-class 100th percentile ranking for total sustainability score. It received the same ranking for Codes of Business Conduct, Health & Nutrition, Materiality, Supply Chain Management, Environmental Reporting, Genetically Modified Organisms, Water Related Risks, Human Rights and Talent Attraction & Retention.
“It is an incredible honor to again be recognized by the DJSI for our global sustainability efforts,” said Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri. “Sustainability is at the very core of our business and forms part of all our business decisions. With a portfolio of brands across three continents, we embrace our industry leadership role and take great pride in driving positive change across the entire seafood sector.”
CEO Thiraphong Chansiri
Darian McBain, the company’s global director of corporate affairs and sustainability, added: “This is a really proud moment for everyone at Thai Union. Our teams around the world work hard every day to make continual improvements so that we are making the global seafood industry more sustainable, the world’s oceans more sustainable and our business more sustainable.”
Each year, more than 3,500 companies are invited to participate in RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), and are selected based on a comprehensive assessment of long-term economic, environmental and social criteria that account for general as well as industry-specific sustainability trends.
Earlier this year, Thai Union released its 2018 Sustainability Report, which details the positive progress made and the company’s performance against key performance indicators and targets outlined in SeaChange. Initiatives are ongoing to further strengthen sustainability efforts, including joining forces with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to collaborate in actively promoting solutions for reducing plastic waste and the growing problem of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) worldwide. The company also released its first annual Tuna Commitment Progress Report as part of an ambitious strategy to ensure 100 percent of its branded tuna is sustainably sourced.
SeaChange is an integrated plan of initiatives, organized into four programs, including safe and legal labor, responsible sourcing, responsible operations, and people and communities. Its aim is to drive meaningful improvements across the global seafood industry while also helping deliver against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Zero Hunger, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Life Below Water.
Along with its position on the DJSI, Thai Union was last year named as a constituent of the FTSE4Good Emerging Index by FTSE Russell for the third consecutive year. Launched in 2001, the index helps investors integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into their investment decisions and as a framework for corporate engagement and stewardship.
Thai Union’s sustainability efforts have also been recognized in a number of awards this year, including winning the Sustainable Supply Chains award with WWF-UK at the edie Sustainability Leaders Awards; Dr. McBain was named among Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen by CSRWorks; while Thai Union’s John West brand was named winner of the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) 2019 UK Canned Brand of the Year Award for the third consecutive year.
Thai Union volunteers are seen preparing emergency relief packs to provide humanitarian assistance to flood victims in Myanmar in 2018. This is one of numerous reasons the company has been ranked number one in the world in the Food Products Industry Index of the DJSI for the second consecutive year.
