Bankia : recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the world following its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)

• Only 27 banks in the world form part of the index, of which ten are European, including three from Spain
• The index reflects the bank's corporate governance, transparency, management of non-financial risks, tax policy and the social and environmental impact of its business, among other aspects
• 'Bankia's inclusion in this index reflects the efforts it has made over the last four years to become one of the best and most responsible companies', said David Menéndez, Director of Reputation and Corporate Social Responsibility at Bankia

Bankia has been selected to join the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which recognises the bank as one of the most sustainable companies in the world. Only 27 banks around the globe form part of this index (of which only ten are European, including three Spanish banks), which evaluates the financial, environmental and social performance of different companies.

'This recognition reflects the efforts that Bankia has made over the last four years to become one of the best and most responsible companies. Joining the index is recognition of our work and will help us to persevere on this process we have begun', said Bankia's Director of Reputation and Corporate Social Responsibility, David Menéndez.

Bankia started with a score of 69 points in 2012. Over the following three years the bank improved its score by seven points to 76 before increasing it by an additional eight points last year to 84 out of a maximum 100. More than 3,400 companies were invited to participate in the selection process for the index, which will finally consist of 316 companies from 28 countries.

'Dow Jones specifically took into account the bank's corporate governance, the degree of transparency when explaining what we do and how we do it, its control of non-financial risks, data security and processing, tax policy, social action, environmental reporting and policy, and the way that we incorporate the expectations and requirements of our stakeholders into our management', said Menéndez.

This year, the MERCO corporate reputation monitor also included Bankia in its index for the first time in ten years and ranked its chairman, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri, among the top ten chairmen of Spanish companies.

Furthermore, the Spanish CSR Observatory announced that Bankia has the second best business social responsibility report of the major listed Spanish companies.