KPMG, a leading professional services network, has entered into a global alliance with Swiss-based Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) group to help firms measure and enhance corporate sustainability performance, a key differentiator valued by investors.

The alliance leverages the expertise and sustainability benchmarking capability of SAM, the official partner with Dow Jones Indexes, for publication of Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and KPMG's Climate Change and Sustainability consulting services, to provide chief financial officers and ultimately investors with a tangible, results-focused roadmap to help enhance a company's sustainability strategy.

'KPMG's services can help companies improve performance in the region by identifying leadership characteristics, gaps and opportunities in sustainability strategy,' remarked KPMG partner Wirtschaftspruefer Ernst Weber.

'The outcome of this process is a way for chief financial officers to understand whether they are getting a return on their sustainability investment,' he added.

Under the alliance, specialist investment boutique SAM will independently analyse a company's sustainability performance against benchmarks established by global leaders in its sector.

KPMG Climate Change and Sustainability professionals will independently review, assess and enhance a company's sustainability strategy using the benchmark analysis compiled by SAM.

Several businesses from the GCC region, including companies from Bahrain, have been invited to participate in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and participating businesses in the region have until June 5 to complete their online questionnaire.-TradeArabia News Service