„Good Company Ranking 2013“: Enterprises listed in the DAX-Index leading within Europe

The DAX-listed companies Bayer, BMW and BASF are among the best in Europe concerning the disciplines „Human Resources Management“, „Social Commitment“, „Environmental Management“ and „Financial Performance and Transparency“.

Among the most successful enterprises are the French SANOFI Group on the sixth and the English competitor Glaxosmithkline on the ninth notch. The ranking order illustrates the way the companies listed in the indices STOXX50 and DAX30 how they fulfilled their social responsibility in the financial year 2012.

Particularly successful were the representatives of the automotive, chemical and pharmaceutical industry whereas companies of the financial service sector as well as the sectors raw materials and energy ended up on the latest positions.

These are some of the results of the current „Good Company Ranking 2013“, Europe’s greatest independent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)-Competition, initialised by Kirchhoff Consult AG for the forth time after the years of 2005, 2007 und 2009.

As before the survey has been compiled by independent experts who had been verified the companies achievements. Among the members of the jury were the initiator of the ranking Klaus Rainer Kirchhoff and the university professors Prof. Dr. Edeltraud Günther (Technische Universität Dresden), Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Hahn (Universität Kassel), Prof. Dr. Christian Scholz (Universität des Saarlandes) and Prof. Dr. Henning Zülch (HHL).

In a three-step-treatment they have examined the enterprises responsibility for their personnel, the environment and the society. These areas were evaluated each with 20 per cent. Twice as much counted the financial performance, as it is an indication for the Management Board’s association with the commissioned capital. Those companies who achieved less than the half of the points the best company in one category received a drain (“Malus”).

The results in depth: The top-five-results in the ranking are covered with German enterprises. That is surprising at the first sight. Among the Top Ten there are only two companies from other countries than Germany. What is the reason for this obvious deferment? One is that the foreign companies that had been successful in the last ranking operated in the sector of renewable energies. These days the industry for raw materials had been an outstanding performance particularly due to the support by the capital market. In the last two years German companies developed much better than their European competitors.

„The crucial reason for the deferment lies in the social pressure on the companies as well as the social expectations towards the companies to act responsible. Both are much higher in Germany than in other European countries particularly concerning the responsibility towards the employees”, says Kirchhoff.

An additional cause lies in the increasing transparency in Germany during the last few years, that has to be provided by the companies to find acceptance in the society and the capital market.

With Novo Nordisk A/S there is only one enterprise from Denmark taking part. Because of its successful result (60.4 points) Denmark is the leading country. With an average peak of 58.7 points Germany is the second best country. This mean value is the result of the examined 30 enterprises with a place of business here. The bronze medal is lent to Switzerland (57.8 points). Among the bottom of the league are the Netherlands (51.8 points), Italy (46.3 points) und Russia (32.6 points).

The ranking of the sectors shows a different picture compared to the last survey in the year 2009: In this year the automotive sector starts from the pole position (64.0 points), followed by the chemical industry (62.0 points) and pharmaceutical companies (61.4 points). Among the losers are the financial services sector (52.0 points), the raw material industry (50.0 points) and utilities (48.5 points). In former days the raw material sector achieved the second rank behind the chemical industry but ahead the pharmaceutical industry.

The new leader of the ranking is Bayer AG (74.0 points), reaching in the hit list of 2009 only the seventh rank. Catching up the most ranks the BMW AG is the second best company in this years ranking and receives the silver medal. Bronze goes to the German chemical giant BASF (70.7 points), the former winner in the year 2009.

At the bottom of the league are the Russian companies Gazprom (31.4 points), Lukoil Oil with 31.2 points and the Sberbank Rossil, only achieving 27.4 points. The enterprises received drains in several categories using the “Malus-Rule”.

“The current maladjustment between growth and debt position, the disengagement of the real economy, the destructive exploitation of our natural recourses and the climate change clarify that companies within a social market economy have to assume responsibility”, comments Kirchhoff the results of „Good Company Ranking 2013“.

To download the survey please follow this link: http://www.kirchhoff.de/fileadmin/20_Download/2013-Highlights/Studie_Good_Company_Ranking_2013.pdf

About Kirchhoff Consult AG

The Kirchhoff Consult AG is an agency for financial and corporate communications with an emphasis on reporting, capital market transactions and IR/PR. Regarding conceptual design of annual reports and sustainability reports as well as IPO support it is the leading agency in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Hamburg, with offices in Vienna, Istanbul, Bucharest and Suzhou (China).

Press inquiries: Kirchhoff Consult AG, Dr. Kay Baden, Herrengraben 1, 20459 Hamburg, T +49.40.60 91 86.0, baden@kirchhoff.de