KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — British American Tobacco Malaysia Berhad (BAT Malaysia) is once again accorded the highest grading band of four stars following the release of Bursa Malaysia’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) ratings of public-listed companies that are assessed by FTSE Russell. 

In a statement today, BAT Malaysia managing director Nedal Salem said securing the four-star rating reflects BAT’s unrelenting commitment to upholding high standards of ESG practice.

"Our ESG efforts support our purpose to build ‘A Better Tomorrow’, which has sustainability in the front and centre of everything that we do.

"As we move into 2022, we will continue working towards reducing the health impact of our business while championing environmental, social and governance excellence.

"We believe this will drive the company’s long-term business sustainability and create shared value for consumers, society, employees and our shareholders,” said Nedal.

The Bursa Malaysia FTSE Russell ratings measure the overall quality of a company’s management of ESG issues.

Its ESG data model is overseen by an independent external committee comprising experts from the investment community, business, non-governmental organisations, unions and academia and supports alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The 4-stars represent companies that are in the top 25 per cent amongst Malaysian public-listed companies by virtue of their ESG performance.

FTSE Russell is a leading global index provider creating and managing a wide range of indexes, data and analytic solutions.

Covering 98 per cent of the investable market, FTSE Russell indexes offer a true picture of global markets.