This year over 200 companies made the decision for the first time to undertake the SAM CSA. They join over 1,000 companies seeking to benchmark their corporate sustainability performance. Confirming the findings of the SustainAbility Rate the Raters 2019 Experts View survey, which named the CSA as the “highest quality ratings provider” our assessment has attracted a record level of interest from corporates this year.”

RobecoSAM’s Robert Dornau spoke with Mi-jin Na, Manager of CSV Strategy Team, Hyundai Motor Company who told us what attracted them to the CSA for the first time, and how it will benefit their business into the future.

What has prompted Hyundai Motor Company to have the company’s sustainability performance assessed?

As the internal and external environments change, we believe that sustainability assessment is an important tool for predicting how our company should address future sustainability-related challenges and opportunities. 

While Hyundai Motor Company has consistently released ESG information annually through its sustainability report, the company has now decided to go a step further in actively undertaking a sustainability assessment.

Why did you choose to participate in the CSA this year?

Compared to the various other sustainability assessments, the CSA is the most comprehensive and covers all relevant economic, environmental and social aspects relevant for our company. 

This move also addresses the demand from investors and other industry stakeholders requiring the disclosure of more specific and future-oriented information.

What did you find useful about the CSA in comparison to others sustainability surveys?

Other sustainability assessment providers consider it difficult to evaluate specific internal information that has not been publicly disclosed. These assessments are verified only from information that has been made public in our sustainability report or from our website. However, in choosing the CSA, we are able to participate in an assessment that comprehensively deals with internal and external information to a standard that determines inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. We believe this is a great advantage over other sustainability assessments.

What do you expect to get out of your CSA participation?

While many companies have recently implemented socially responsible activities, it is not easy for all companies to prioritize social values over financial interests. 

Therefore, we hope that the CSA will provide an opportunity to assess the current level of our company’s sustainability practices and to measure the financial impact of the company's non-financial performance. This will help us to determine what efforts should be made throughout the company to become more sustainable and to encourage participation in each division of the company. We also expect that the CSA can help us in preparing for other sustainability assessments and disclosure.