Whirlpool Corporation on September 10 announced it has been named to the 2009/2010 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), an international stock portfolio that evaluates corporate performance using economic, environmental, and social criteria. This is the fifth year in a row that Whirlpool has been named to a Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
"We are proud to be recognized by one of the world's most comprehensive reviews of sustainable business practices for five consecutive years," said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool Corporation's chairman and CEO. "Our ability to be included on this Index stems from the efforts of Whirlpool employees. I am proud of the people at Whirlpool who make our long-term commitment to social responsibility a reality."
Whirlpool Corporation has conducted business with integrity and given back to the communities in which it operates since its founding in 1911, long before sustainability became a focus of business and society. Nearly 40 years ago, the company established a corporate office for environmental control and, in 2003, Whirlpool became the world's first appliance manufacturer to announce a global greenhouse gas reduction target. Recently, the company announced that by 2015, it will make all the electronically controlled appliances it produces – everywhere in the world – capable of receiving and responding to signals from smart grids.
Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones Indexes, STOXX Limited and SAM they are intended to provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios.
Companies are selected for the DJSI based on a thorough assessment of general and industry-specific sustainability criteria including corporate governance, environmental performance, labor practices, and community development. The analyses are verified by an external auditor. Further information on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes can be found at www.sustainability-indexes.com.
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion in 2008, approximately 70,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.