NYK selected for inclusion in SAM's Silver Class

JAPANESE shipping giant NYK has been selected for inclusion in the Silver Class of excellent companies by Swiss-based SAM Group Holding AG, which assesses socially responsible investment. Having been included in the SAM Bronze Class in 2008 and 2009, NYK was honoured to be recognised one class higher in 2010.

SAM is a global social responsible investment evaluation company, which selects companies for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI), one of the world's two largest indexes, said the NYK announcement.

Every year, SAM rates companies that conduct superior corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and places the top companies in one of three classes: gold, silver, and bronze, said the statement.

In 2010, of the leading 2,500 companies in 58 industries around the world, SAM first selected the top 15 per cent, or 392 companies, that have outstanding corporate sustainability in terms of management, society, environment, and other relevant issues. From the list, SAM then placed 246 of the companies (including 39 Japanese companies) into the three classes: 97 for the Gold Class, 84 for the Silver Class, and 65 for the Bronze Class.

Of the nine companies selected from within the transport sector- three for the Gold Class, four for the Silver Class, and two for the Bronze Class, NYK was the only Japanese company, said the statement.

"NYK, as a good corporate citizen, will continue to take an active role in social issues, including the conservation of the environment, to contribute to the achievement of a better global society," said the statement.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) is one of the world's leading transport companies. At the end of March 2009, the NYK Group was operating 779 major ocean vessels, as well as fleets of planes, trains, and trucks. The company's shipping fleet includes 154 containerships, 289 bulk carriers, 57 woodchip carriers, 112 car carriers, 80 tankers, 33 LNG carriers, three cruise ships, and 51 other ships. NYK's revenue in fiscal 2008 was about US$24 billion, and as a group NYK employs about 55,000 people. NYK is based in Tokyo and has regional headquarters in London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and Sao Paulo.

(Source: www.schednet.com)