Launched in February 2005, the Australian SAM Sustainability Index (AuSSI) tracks the performance of Australian companies that lead their industry in terms of corporate sustainability. Based on a thorough assessment of economic, environmental and social criteria, the AuSSI comprises the top sustainability-driven companies from each of 21 industry clusters covering the entire Australian economy.

The AuSSI is in part the successful evolution of a proposal from the Mays report which identified sustainability leaders amongst Australia’s listed companies. The report highlighted the potential value creation demonstrated by selected companies from integrating economic, environmental and social criteria into their business strategies and activities. The AuSSI

takes that outcome to a new level. It allows the wider public to track the value of Australia’s sustainability leaders on a day to day basis. It provides a reference point for the growing Australian interest in corporate sustainability and sustainability investing. And it aims to offer an incentive for Australia’s corporate sector to independently and pro-actively raise their sustainability performance.

The AuSSI was launched on 17 February 2005 and is published by SAM Indexes – a wholly-owned subsidiary of SAM Group. Dow Jones Indexes signs responsible for the index calculation. Further support for the index is provided by the Environment Protection Authority in Victoria.