Tomorrow's Value Rating 2014 Calls for a Paradigm Shift in How We Do Business

HOUSTON, Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unilever emerged as the top sustainability leader in the Tomorrow's Value Rating 2014, published by DNV GL, for the second consecutive year. Holcim, Intel and Nestle follow tied for second position, with Diageo ranking third.

Tomorrow's Value Rating 2014 (TVR 2014) assesses the sustainability performance of the world's largest companies. It evaluates how well companies understand their risks and opportunities, and how prepared they are to create future business value.

This year's report also illustrates that drastic, economy-wide action is required if we are to remain within our planetary boundaries.

Dave Knight, Sustainability Director for DNV GL – Business Assurance, says: "It is becoming increasingly clear that, as a global society and economy, we are reaching the limits to traditional growth. Unfortunately, only a handful of even the top-performing companies in the TVR seem to be preparing properly for a paradigm shift in how we do business."

Mega-trends such as population growth, rapid urbanisation and over-consumption of finite natural resources are beginning to push the earth towards a point where, without urgent change, global systemic collapse becomes not just a remote possibility, but a distinct probability.

The TVR finds that the majority of the 45 companies studied have now embedded an approach to sustainability into their business strategy, although few are actively using that strategy to grow their business.  There are strong examples of leadership, but also many gaps and weaknesses in the approach of very large multinational companies.

In retaining its number one position, Unilever offers a significantly more comprehensive, compelling and ambitious vision of the future for itself, its sector and the global economy as a whole, says the TVR. Building materials and aggregates company Holcim, distinguishes itself by clearly stating its commitments to tackling some of the prevailing social and environmental challenges.

Mr. Knight concludes: "Decoupling economic growth from impacts such as carbon emissions, resource extraction and biodiversity loss is the only way forward. As yet only a select handful of the leaders in our TVR 2014 such as Holcim, Unilever and Intel are starting to make these commitments, all of the companies have quite some way to go."

Key findings:

• Unilever reinforces its position as the top sustainability leader.
• Only half of the companies analysed have meaningful SMART targets against material issues.
• Sector leaders such as Unilever, Microsoft and Nestle are utilising sustainability innovations to drive future growth and competitive advantage.
• Too many companies are still failing to integrate sustainability risks and opportunities into their risk management approaches.
• The companies rated in TVR 2014 are all seen as sustainability leaders, yet the average score was still under 70%. This shows that even the leaders have some way to go.

About DNV GL

Driven by the purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organizations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. Operating in more than 100 countries, the company's 16,000 professionals are dedicated to helping its customers in the maritime, oil & gas, energy and other industries to make the world safer, smarter and greener.

For full details of the TVR 2014, visit www.dnvgl.com/TVR2014

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SOURCE DNV GL