NKSJ Holdings Receives Silver Class Distinction in SAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment

Tokyo, Japan, March 08, 2012 --(PR.com)-- NKSJ Holdings, Inc. (hereinafter “NKSJ Holdings”) has received the Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) Silver Class in this year’s SAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment*1.

Earning the SAM Gold Class distinction last year – becoming the first Japanese insurance company to receive the award, NKSJ Holdings has been recognized for the second consecutive year since the company was founded. This also marked the fifth consecutive year that the NKSJ Group has received the distinction, including the distinctions received by its subsidiary, Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (hereinafter “Sompo Japan”).

The Corporate Sustainability Assessment is used to select companies for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (hereinafter “DJSI”)*2. NKSJ Holdings is listed also in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World).

NKSJ Holdings will continue to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities.

*1 About SAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment
(1) The Corporate Sustainability Assessment, conducted annually since 1999 by Swiss asset management advisor the Sustainable Asset Management Group (SAM), is a survey that assesses companies from the perspective of sustainability performance. The activities of target companies are assessed based on economic, environmental, and social criteria.

(2) The companies participating in the Assessment are those which were assessed for that year’s DJSI indexes*2. Only the top-scoring 15% of companies assessed are included in the following year’s The Sustainability Yearbook issued by SAM. In 2011, the world’s 2,500 leading companies (from 58 sectors) were invited to participate in the Assessment.

(3) Each year the best companies from each sector are named SAM Sector Leader. Companies whose score is within 1% of the Sector Leader’s score receive the SAM Gold Class award. Companies whose score is within a range of 1% to 5% from the score of the Sector Leader receive the SAM Silver Class distinction. Companies whose score is within a range of 5% to 10% from the score of the Sector Leader receive the SAM Bronze Class distinction. Among the top 15% of each sector, the company that has achieved the greatest performance is named the SAM Sector Mover. Source: The Sustainability Yearbook 2012

<Awarded Companies (Insurance Sector)>
・SAM Sector Leader： Swiss Re
・SAM Gold Class： Swiss Re, Allianz
・SAM Silver Class： Munch Re, NKSJ Holdings, Storebrand ASA, Tokio Marine Holdings
・SAM Bronze Class： Aviva plc, AXA, Dongbu Insurance, Mapfre, RSA Insurance Group, Standard Life, Zurich Financial Services, Aegon, ING Groep, Insurance Australia Group, Legal & General Group
・SAM Sector Mover： Dongbu Insurance

*2 About the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI)
(1) The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, developed by SAM in 1999 in collaboration with U.S.-based Dow Jones, are SRI indexes of corporate stocks worldwide.

(2) Based on sources such as independent surveys, publicly available information, and the Dow Jones Global Indexes (DJGI; performance indexes evaluated by institutional investors considering international investments), SAM selects companies engaging in progressive economic, environmental, and social performances for the DJSI brand.

(3) DJSI is used as a benchmark for the establishment of SRI funds by investment trust companies. Currently approximately 60 DJSI licenses are held by asset managers to manage a variety of financial products including active and passive funds, certificates and segregated accounts. In total, these licensees presently manage over 8 billion USD based on the DJSI.

(4) NKSJ Holdings has been listed on the DJSI World for the 12th consecutive year, including the listing of its subsidiary Sompo Japan.

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