Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the Royal Mail

Challenge

Royal Mail Group sought to establish a reputation for excellence in corporate responsibility as it approached flotation in October 2013. It determined to measure and match best private-sector practice. As a new public company Royal Mail Group determined to ensure that its practice matched shareholder expectations, particularly of socially responsible investors. It was determined to rank highly in key sustainability indices.

Solution

Corporate Citizenship (an SLR company) worked with Royal Mail to map shareholder expectations. We jointly determined what were the main external indices that Royal Mail Group should excel in.

Having done this we entered into a detailed work programme with Royal Mail Group. Through the programme we helped Royal Mail Group to identify areas for improvement in the performance and communication of its Corporate Responsibility.

We then worked to ensure that a complete account of Royal Mail Group’s corporate responsibility is available through the annual CR report.

Impact

We have assisted Royal Mail in achieving high scores within the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Industry Group Leader 2014, 2015 and 2017), CDP and the Business in the Community CR Index.

To complement our existing work with Royal Mail Group, in 2015/16 we helped further by conducting a materiality review for the company.