Seven Bangladeshi firms among 16000 global corporations have secured a place on Bloomberg's sustainability list.
They were placed on the list based on their strong performance in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas.
The firms are - Grameenphone, British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh, Marico Bangladesh, BRAC Bank, IDLC Finance, Square Pharmaceuticals, and Walton Hi-Tech Industries.
Bloomberg assesses firms by voluntarily selecting pertinent, measurable data from their standard sustainability reports and assigning scores based on this information.
ESG ratings are now vital for attracting global investors, especially European institutional investors, who require ESG compliance for investment.
Grameenphone received the highest score (39.6) among Bangladeshi firms. BAT Bangladesh scores 35.4, while Marico Bangladesh scores 34.9.
BRAC Bank Limited got 33.1, IDLC Finance 31.1, Square Pharmaceuticals 26, and Walton scored 23.7.
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Grameenphone Hans Martin Hoegh Henrichsen said that Grameenphone's commitment to empowering societies is at the heart of our purpose of doing business.
“Since inception, our journey unfolds with the story of connecting the rural marginal communities, especially women, and upliftment of their livelihood. As an integral part of business, we adhere to the high standards of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, creating value for our customers, employees, and society,” he said.
“As a growing telco-tech company, our ongoing efforts include carbon footprint reduction aligned to SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), driving digital inclusion, online safety and upskilling the youth, with a high focus on addressing the gender gaps to contribute to the country's social and economic progress."
