Sigma-Aldrich Corporation was named recently to the 2015 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (Global 100) Index, a recognition that identifies the top overall sustainability performers in their respective industrial sectors. Announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by the Corporate Knights, a Toronto-based media and investment advisory company, Sigma-Aldrich is one of only 20 American companies to receive this distinction and is the only St. Louis-based company on the list.

"We are a Company that believes every small change makes a big difference: much like the heart of our work, which is to produce chemicals, biochemicals and other products that are often the building blocks of something bigger," says Rakesh Sachdev, Sigma-Aldrich president and chief executive officer.  "Because we are at the inception of many scientific discoveries, we have a responsibility to use our greatest skill, a passion for science, to create a cleaner, healthier and safer world. That is why we are proud to receive this important award as a testament to our sustainability efforts in the communities where we live and work."

The Global 100 is determined using twelve quantitative sustainability indicators that run the gamut from the amount of revenue companies generate per unit of energy consumed, innovation capacity and lost-time injury rate. Sigma-Aldrich was selected from a starting universe of 4,609 listed companies with a market capitalisation greater than $2 billion (USD).

"It is a huge honour to receive this global recognition for the second year in a row, putting our Company at the pinnacle of sustainability," says Jeffrey Whitford, Sigma-Aldrich Global Citizenship Manager. "It gives our employees great pride to know that we are creating real, measurable change and that we are leading our peers in the region and around the globe."

While the Company was evaluated on several criteria, Sigma-Aldrich's environmental sustainability efforts were one of the key elements that led to this distinction. As part of the Company's internationally-recognized global citizenship initiatives, environmental sustainability practices are fundamental to its overall mission of enabling science to improve the quality of life.

Sigma-Aldrich invests in energy efficiency to decrease its reliance on fossil fuels with a goal of reducing the intensity of its greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the Company also actively supports the development of new alternative energy technologies through the products it provides to researchers working to discover new ways to harness nature's energy.

"Our initiatives promote greater environmental responsibility and support energy efficiency and conservation; natural resource conservation; material reuse, reduction and recycling; and the application of green chemistry in our operations worldwide," says Whitford. "We are continuously evaluating and looking for ways to improve our sustainability efforts as we know that the time and resources we invest in these efforts are not only making a difference in the health of Sigma-Aldrich, but the world."