ACCIONA ranks as one of the world’s top 10 corporations for diversity and social inclusion in the workplace, according to Thomson Reuters’ 2018 Diversity and Inclusion Index published.
The distinction reflects ACCIONA’s forward-looking environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies at its infrastructure and renewable energy operations, as well as its commitment to gender equality, socially inclusive contracts and cultural diversity training for its 38,000-strong workforce in more than 40 countries.
The Thomson Reuters D&I index, now in its third year, analyses the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data of more than 7,000 listed companies worldwide to achieve a transparent and objective measure of the relative performance of these companies.
In 2018, ACCIONA was ranked tenth in the D&I index. It was the only Spanish company and the only renewable energy or infrastructure group to make it to the top 10.
Alfonso Callejo, ACCIONA’s Chief Corporate Resources Officer, says: “For more than a decade, ACCIONA has designed and put into practice an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy that seeks to attract the broadest possible talent pool from the diverse cultures and societies in which we work.
“Since 2010, our EDI strategy has been part of the group’s Sustainability Master Plan. We measure our progress with an annual evaluation of key targets, including the number of women in leadership and management positions; the effectiveness of socially responsible employment initiatives to hire people at risk from social exclusion; and the impact of cultural awareness programmes in the projects we carry out throughout the world.
“At ACCIONA, we are committed to creating working environments that reflect the increasingly open, diverse and plural nature of our communities. Being included in Thomson Reuters’ Diversity and Inclusion Index is an indication that we are on the right track, and a big incentive to continue working towards our EDI goals.”
ESG investment has become a global phenomenon, reflecting the rising importance of factors such as diversity and inclusion to the investor community – on the part of both institutional and retail investors. Generational shifts are likely to fuel this trend further, along with the focus of national regulators and governments in encouraging corporate governance and socially responsible investment over the long-term.
The D&I Index, launched in 2016, ranks the top 100 publicly traded companies globally with the most diverse and inclusive workplaces, as measured by 24 metrics across four key categories: Diversity, Inclusion, People Development and News Controversies. The Index is available on Thomson Reuters Eikon, as are the underlying diversity and inclusion metrics, which can be used to help financial professionals screen companies for long-term opportunities and risks in their investments.
Forward-looking diversity and inclusion policies and strong environmental stewardship can be a growth engine for companies, strengthening their overall performance. Thomson Reuters research shows that over one, three and five-year periods, companies that invest in and reinforce their ESG metrics deliver better long-term profitability and outperform their peers on the stock market.