Leonardo announced over the weekend, with a note dated December 10, that it was confirmed “for the thirteenth consecutive year in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) of S&P Global, the equity indices that include the best-in-class companies in terms of sustainability globally, ranking with the highest score in the Aerospace & Defense sector based on data from the Corporate Sustainability Assessment, updated as of December 9, 2022”.
“The analysis conducted by S&P Global – reads the note – takes into account the economic and ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) performance of companies, with a view to continuous improvement and based on mainly public information”.
“The inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices – comments Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo’s Chief Executive Officer – is the result, once again, of Leonardo’s commitment to Sustainability, an integral part of our Business Plan and the basis of growth, competitiveness, long-term profitability and returns. We have achieved significant results: to name a few, today over 50% of funding sources are linked to ESG parameters, the same ones included in the remuneration policy, and we have recently officially committed ourselves to the Science Based Targets (SBTi) initiative, reinforcing the strategy of decarbonization. But we aim to achieve much more, convinced that the commitment on the issues
ESG is fundamental to seize business opportunities in the future, reducing risks and increasing the ability to attract investors”.
“We are proud of the recognition obtained – underlines the President of Leonardo, Luciano Carta – of our commitment to sustainability and of the leading role we play globally. A recognition that is the result of solid governance that has allowed us to go through the difficult years of the pandemic and which now projects our company into the future, increasingly oriented towards sustainable success and the creation of long-term value for all our stakeholders”.
Leonardo has included objective and measurable ESG indicators, also in the context of the remuneration policy and in the second Integrated Report. In order to increasingly align the financing strategy with the sustainability objectives, Leonardo has signed a loan agreement for 260 million euro with the European Investment Bank aimed at promoting Research, Development and Innovation (RSI) in the field of helicopters, security and electronics for defense and space, as well as the research activities carried out by Leonardo Labs, contributing to the at the same time as the fight against climate change. This funding is in addition to the
ESG-linked Revolving Credit Facility and ESG-linked Term Loan signed in 2021, which returned 50% of the total funding sources linked to ESG parameters.
Inclusion in S&P Global’s DJSI adds to what the Company has achieved in recent years: positioning in Band A of the Defense Companies Index on Anti-Corruption and Corporate Transparency (DCI) prepared by Transparency International, inclusion in Gender Equality Index of
Bloomberg, inclusion in CDP’s (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) Climate A List 2020 and 2021 for measures against climate change, as well as better positioning in the main ESG ratings. The focus on issues related to sustainability is one of the drivers of the ‘Leonardo Be Tomorrow 2030’ plan.