During December 2012, Provident received notification that it was to be represented on three new corporate responsibility (CR) indices that have recently been developed by the European sustainability rating agency Vigeo, in partnership with the global financial markets operator, NYSE Euronext. This followed a review undertaken by Vigeo of Provident’s policies, processes and performance in the following areas: business behaviour, human resources, the environment, corporate governance, customer and supplier relations, human rights, and community involvement. As a result of the review, Provident has been included within the Vigeo World 120 index (which includes the 120 most advanced sustainability performing companies at the global level), the Vigeo Europe 120 index (which includes the 120 most advanced sustainability performing European companies) and the Vigeo United Kingdom 20 index (which includes the 20 most advanced UK companies based on their sustainability performance).
The indices that have been developed by Vigeo and NYSE Euronext cover a wide range of listed companies in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe belonging to the Stoxx 1800 index. The companies that feature in the indices are those that have achieved the highest score on 38 sustainability criteria.
The information that is held in the new indices will be used by Vigeo’s institutional investor, pension fund and asset manager clients as a reference guide for making sustainable and socially responsible investment (SRI) decisions.
Rob Lawson, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Provident Financial, commented:
“We are very pleased to be included in Vigeo’s new indices. We believe that our inclusion in mainstream sustainability indices is an important facet of Provident’s CR programme as it enables us to provide investors and other stakeholder groups with demonstrable evidence of our commitment to operating our business in a responsible manner, and that the CR impacts that are material to our operations are well managed.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About Provident Financial
Established in 1880, Provident Financial is the UK’s leading supplier of personal credit products to the non-standard lending market. It is a FTSE mid-shares 250 company listed on the London Stock Exchange which has almost 3,700 employees and 10,500 self-employed agents who serve 2.5 million customers in the UK and Ireland. Provident’s commitment to corporate responsibility is enshrined in it mission “to be the leading non-standard lender in the UK, acting responsibly in all its relationships and playing a positive role in the communities it serves.”
About Vigeo
Founded in 2002, Vigeo is the leading European expert in the assessment of companies and organisations with regard to their practices and performance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
For more information go to: www.vigeo.com