The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) is one of the longest-standing benchmarks of corporate sustainability. Launched in 1999, it selects the best-performing companies in each industry on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Being included has long signalled to investors, customers and employees that a company is among the leaders in its sector.
One important update: since 10 February 2025, the DJSI family has been renamed the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices. The methodology and the underlying assessment are the same, so the term DJSI is still widely used, but the official index name has changed. This guide explains how the index works, who runs it, why it matters and how to aim for inclusion.
What is the Dow Jones Sustainability Index?
The index is produced by S&P Dow Jones Indices and built on the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. S&P Global acquired the CSA from RobecoSAM in 2020, so the assessment that many older sources attribute to RobecoSAM is now run by S&P Global. In 2025, more than 3,600 companies, representing around half of global market capitalisation, took part in the CSA.
The assessment scores companies across three dimensions:
- Governance and economic: board structure, business ethics, transparency, risk management and innovation.
- Environmental: emissions and climate strategy, resource and energy efficiency, waste, water and product stewardship.
- Social: labour practices, human rights, human capital development and community engagement.
Only the top scorers in each industry are selected, and they are grouped into families such as the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World or Dow Jones Best-in-Class North America (the former DJSI World and DJSI North America).
Why the index matters
- Investor confidence: institutional investors use the index and the underlying S&P Global ESG Scores to identify companies with strong ESG performance and to build sustainability-focused portfolios.
- Competitive advantage: a high score helps companies stand out in markets that value ethical and sustainable practices.
- Reputation: inclusion is a recognised mark of corporate responsibility, valued by customers, employees and other stakeholders.
- Strategic insight: the CSA methodology highlights strengths and weaknesses, guiding future sustainability priorities.
How companies are evaluated
- Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA): eligible companies complete a detailed questionnaire on ESG policies, performance data and risk management.
- Analysis of public information: analysts review annual reports, ESG disclosures and media coverage to validate the responses and to score companies that do not actively participate.
- Score and selection: the resulting S&P Global ESG Score determines a company's position relative to its industry peers and whether it qualifies for the indices.
Since the 2025 changes, the indices are rebalanced after the close of the last business day in April, aligned with the CSA timeline, rather than in December as before.
How to improve your score
- Run a gap analysis: compare current practices against the CSA criteria for your industry to find the priority gaps.
- Strengthen ESG reporting: adopt recognised frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the SASB standards for consistent, comparable disclosure.
- Set measurable targets: commit to science based targets for emissions, water and waste, and report progress against them.
- Engage stakeholders: gather input from employees, communities and supply-chain partners to surface risks and opportunities.
- Invest in sustainable innovation: improvements in energy efficiency, circularity and product design can lift the score across several dimensions.
Challenges and considerations
- Resource constraints: smaller firms may find the time and cost of the CSA demanding.
- Data quality: gathering complete, accurate ESG data is complex for global companies with diverse operations.
- Relative benchmarks: the score is measured against industry peers, so standing out means going well beyond minimum compliance.
- Evolving criteria: S&P Global updates the CSA every year, which requires continuous improvement to maintain a place in the indices.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DJSI still called the DJSI?
The index family was officially renamed the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices on 10 February 2025. The DJSI name is still used informally, but the methodology and the S&P Global CSA behind it are unchanged.
Who runs the Corporate Sustainability Assessment?
S&P Global, which acquired the CSA and ESG ratings business from RobecoSAM in 2020.
How is a company included?
By achieving a high enough S&P Global ESG Score, based on the CSA, to rank among the best performers in its industry.
The foundation of a strong ESG score is reliable data. Manglai helps companies measure and report their environmental performance, starting with their carbon footprint, so they can back sustainability claims with verifiable figures.
