The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) today disclosed that as Thai listed companies have continuously been strongly committed to global standard sustainable development, 24 Thai listed companies are selected as members of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) in 2021 – the highest inclusions in ASEAN for an eighth consecutive year which indicates that Thai listed companies are committed to balancing business and society and building confidence in the eyes of local and foreign investors.

The 24 listed companies are Advanced info Service pcl (ADVANC), Airports of Thailand pcl (AOT), Banpu pcl (BANPU),  Bangkok Dusit Medical Services pcl (BDMS), Berli Jucker pcl (BJC), BTS Group Holdings pcl (BTS), CP All pcl (CPALL), Charoen Pokphand Foods pcl (CPF), Central Pattana pcl (CPN), Delta Electronics (Thailand) pcl (DELTA), Electricity Generating pcl (EGCO), Home Product Center pcl (HMPRO), IRPC pcl (IRPC), Indorama Ventures pcl (IVL), Kasikornbank pcl (KBANK), Minor International pcl (MINT), PTT pcl (PTT), PTT Exploration and Production pcl (PTTEP), PTT Global Chemical pcl (PTTGC), The Siam Commercial Bank pcl (SCB), The Siam Cement pcl (SCC), Thai Oil pcl (TOP), True Corporation pcl (TRUE) and Thai Union Group pcl (TU). Among them, three – comprising BDMS, BJC and DELTA - are new comers; and 12 are named in the DJSI World Index, of which constituents are the leading world-class companies with potential in terms of scales and sustainability performances. The 12 listed companies comprise ADVANC, AOT, CPALL, CPN, DELTA, IVL, KBANK, PTT, PTTEP, PTTGC, SCB and SCC.

SET President Pakorn Peetathawatchai said that SET has continuously promoted sustainable development in the Thai capital market, taking into consideration the environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects for balanced growth in line with vision ‘To Make the Capital Market Work for Everyone’. Notably, Thai listed companies have been increasingly invited to the international evaluation of their sustainability since 2018. The higher constituents of Thai listed companies in DJSI reflects their determination in prioritizing sustainability.

“The business operations that embrace sustainability not only benefit the society and the environment but also act as mechanisms to manage risks and strengthen businesses. Today Thai listed companies apply sustainability strategies to their operations, consequently enabling the capabilities to cope with the crises. The steady increase in numbers of Thai listed companies being selected as members of DJSI shows that businesses focus on performances in compliance with the ESG aspects. They place importance on the identification of emerging risks more comprehensively, including climate risks and human rights risks in the enterprise-wide and supply chains which have received tremendous attention from the international community.In addition, they also disclose more sustainability-related data and information that match sustainability evaluation by DJSI which emphasizes data revealed by companies and respond to ongoing demand for sustainability-related data for analyses and investment decisions.

Regarding the growing trend of sustainable investing locally and globally, the participation in DJSI will boost the attractiveness of the Thai capital market and its credibility in the eyes of local and international investors. At present, Thai mutual funds find stocks with sustainable growth interesting. To-date there are as many as 60 ESG funds with the combined net asset value of THB 57.02  billion (approx. USD 1.74 billion), a 96 percent rise from the beginning of this year. Moreover, the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has found that 82 percent of institutional investors have taken ESG into consideration as a factor for their selection and monitoring process of stocks for their investment,” Pakorn said.

The announcement of DJSI members will take effect on November 22, 2021. The list is reviewed and updated in September each year.

Please note that as BTS is named for inclusion in DJSI in 2021. Therefore, the company has been selected to be a constituent  in Thailand Sustainability Investment (THSI) list this year in accordance with the SET’s THSI criteria. (Details are available at https://www.setsustainability.com/libraries/989/item/THSI-2564).