Thai Union Rated Industry Best, Named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index Fifth Consecutive Year


Caption: Thai Union family of brands. (Photo credit: Thai Union)


13 SEPTEMBER 2018, BANGKOK—Thai Union Group PCL., a leading global seafood company with a portfolio of brands worldwide, has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Emerging Markets for the fifth straight year. Thai Union's sustainability strategy, SeaChange®, successfully drove the score with industry best-in-class 100th percentile ranking for total sustainability score.

Individually, Thai Union had industry best-in-class 100th percentile rankings for Codes of Business Conduct, Materiality, Health and Nutrition, Human Rights, Supply Chain Management, Risk and Crisis Management, Packaging, Water-Related Risks, Genetically-Modified Organisms, and Talent Attraction and Retention.

“It is a privilege to be recognized for our commitment to sustainability. As one of the largest seafood companies in the world, Thai Union has fully embraced our role as a leader for positive change and positioned sustainability at the heart of our business,” said Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union’s CEO. “Thai Union and all of its brands around the world are committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner—our future depends on it.”

“I am incredibly proud of our sustainability efforts. It is an honor for Thai Union to be named to the DJSI five years in a row, and quite a climb to now be recognized as the industry leader in these latest ratings,” said Dr. Darian McBain, Thai Union’s global director for sustainable development. “These sustainability successes would not be possible without the hard work of Thai Union’s employees around the world.”

The Emerging Markets Index is a highly regarded sub-index that evaluates companies in emerging markets on their sustainability performance. Each year, more than 3,000 companies are invited to participate in RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), and are selected based on a comprehensive assessment of long-term economic, environmental and social criteria that account for general as well as industry-specific sustainability trends.

SeaChange® is an integrated plan of initiatives, organized into four programs, including safe and legal labor, responsible sourcing, responsible operations, and people and communities. It is designed to drive meaningful improvements across the entire global seafood industry as well as help deliver against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Zero Hunger, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Life Below Water.

Thai Union’s latest Sustainability Report was released in June 2018. The report details the company’s performance against key indicators and targets outlined in SeaChange®, from January through December 2017.

Thai Union continues to be included in two of the world's most followed sustainability indices. In August, the company was also named for the second straight year as a constituent to the FTSE4Good Emerging Index by FTSE Russell, launched in 2001 to help investors integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into their investment decisions and as a framework for corporate engagement and stewardship.

Thai Union has been the recipient of several high-profile international sustainability awards and recognitions this summer. Ethical Corporation recently announced Thai Union was shortlisted in four key categories at its upcoming 9th Annual Responsible Business Awards, including categories for:

A panel of expert judges recently presented Thai Union and WWF-UK with gold in the "Best Sustainable Supply Chain" category at the Global Good Awards UK 2018—a testament to the pivotal work the two organizations have achieved through its European partnership.

This was followed by Thai Union's John West brand being named winner of the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) 2018 UK Canned Brand of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. The annual MSC awards celebrate those safeguarding seafood supplies for current and future generations. The Business Intelligence Group, which at the end of July announced winners for its 2018 Sustainability Awards to honor those who have made sustainability an integral part of business practice, included Thai Union in two categories, including Sustainability Leadership of the Year (Organization), as well as the company's digital traceability pilot project for Sustainability Initiative of the Year (Project).

ABOUT THAI UNION GROUP

Thai Union Group PCL is the world’s seafood leader bringing high quality, healthy, tasty and innovative seafood products to customers across the world for more than 40 years.

Today, Thai Union is regarded as the world’s largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding THB 135 billion (US$ 4.03 billion) and a global workforce of over 49,000 people who are dedicated to pioneering sustainable, innovative seafood products.

The company’s global brand portfolio includes market-leading international brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar, and Rügen Fisch and Thai-leading brands SEALECT, Fisho, Qfresh, Monori, Bellotta and Marvo.

As a company committed to innovation and globally responsible behavior, Thai Union is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, and a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). In 2015, Thai Union introduced its SeaChange® sustainability strategy. Thai Union’s on-going work on sustainability issues was recognized by its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Emerging Markets (DJSI) in 2014. In 2018, Thai Union was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fifth straight year, as well as rated No. 1 in the Food Products Industry. Thai Union is also part of the FTSE4Good Emerging Index.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Chris Hughes

Global Head of Sustainability and Innovation Communications                                                         

M: +66.62.594.1089                                                                         

E: Christopher.hughes@thaiunion.com