The Tohmatsu Evaluation and Certification Organization Co. of Japan announced on June 20, 2007 the environmental ratings for 505 companies, with Toyota Motor Corp. and Ricoh Co. achieving AAA ranks, the highest rating awarded. Since 2002, Tohmatsu has awarded environmental ratings based on companies' yearly environmental reports, including CSR (corporate social responsibility) reports and information disclosed. This is the sixth year these ratings have been announced.

Tohmatsu sets environmental ratings based on seven criteria: release frequency of environmental reports; Tohmatsu group's scorecard rating of environmental reports; extent of environmental activities; efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; reference to soil pollution measures in reports; reliability and transparency of activities; and acquisition status of the ISO 14001 certification. Companies are classified into nine levels from AAA to C for each criterion. For example, for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, AAA requires lower CO2 emissions than 1990 levels.

In the comprehensive evaluation, 38 companies were ranked A or above, which is four more companies than the previous year. Companies ranked A should obtain A ratings for every criterion, while AAA companies are required to obtain AAA ratings for all of the criteria. For the third consecutive year, Toyota and Ricoh achieved the AAA rank . Eleven companies were ranked AA, up by two companies, and 25 companies were ranked A, up by seven companies.

According to Tohmatsu, the 2006 rankings show that more companies have released CSR reports instead of reports on environmental perspectives, in an effort to improve transparency by disclosing information and to further promote CSR activities.

http://www.teco.tohmatsu.co.jp/service/is022e.html

Posted: 2007/10/28 12:09:33 PM
Japanese version

TAG Manufacturing industry , Other , University/Research institute