Cathay Financial extends run on Dow Jones sustainability indexes

By AI, Created 10:52 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Cathay Financial Holdings said May 6 that it was included for the eighth straight year in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World Index and for the eleventh year in the Emerging Markets Index. The insurer-banker said its ESG score now ranks in the top 2% of the global insurance industry as it expands climate, health and empowerment initiatives across Taiwan and beyond.

Why it matters: - Cathay Financial Holdings is using ESG performance as a measurable competitive advantage in global insurance and finance. - The company’s top-tier sustainability ranking can influence investor perception, capital access and long-term credibility. - Cathay Financial says its approach now reaches climate transition, financial health and workforce inclusion at scale.

What happened: - Cathay Financial Holdings was included in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World Index for the eighth consecutive year. - Cathay Financial Holdings was included in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Emerging Markets Index for the eleventh consecutive year. - The company was named a Top 5% Member in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2026. - Cathay Financial’s ESG Score ranked in the top 2% of the global insurance industry. - The company said the ranking places it ahead of 98% of international peers. - The announcement was dated May 6, 2026, in Taipei.

The details: - Cathay Financial received full scores in Transparency & Reporting, Risk & Crisis Management, Policy Influence, Information Security, Sustainable Finance, Human Rights, Financial Inclusion, Customer Relations and Privacy Protection. - The company also scored strongly in Climate Strategy, Labor Practices and Human Capital Management. - Cathay Financial said its sustainability strategy is built around three pillars: Climate, Health and Empowerment. - The company has established a Corporate Sustainability Committee under the Board of Directors. - That committee oversees an executive-level ESG Strategy Committee and six task forces. - Cathay Financial said its climate work has influenced companies responsible for more than 200 million tons of annual carbon emissions to commit to net-zero targets. - Cathay Financial said it is also pushing ESG disclosure standards across supply chains. - Cathay Life Insurance, Cathay United Bank, Cathay Century Insurance and Cathay Securities were all named to Taiwan Stock Exchange’s List of Institutional Investors with Better Stewardship Disclosure 2025. - Cathay Financial said its banking and insurance businesses were early financiers of solar and offshore wind projects. - The company has engaged with RE100 and Climate Action 100+. - Cathay Financial has maintained a presence at the UN Climate Change Conference since 2021. - President Chang-Ken Lee has been invited for three consecutive years to the World Climate Summit to present Asia-focused views on climate finance. - In 2025, Cathay Financial integrated biodiversity and natural capital into decision-making. - Cathay Financial also endorsed the Belém Investor Statement on Tropical Forests in 2025. - Cathay Life Insurance has invested over NT$200 million since 2024 to build its “Wellness” brand promotion mechanisms. - The insurer has added incentive-based wellness features across its health insurance portfolio. - Cathay Life Insurance’s “Every Step Counts” campaign has drawn nearly one million participants. - Participants have logged more than 272.7 billion steps and contributed more than NT$28 million to charity. - Cathay Financial serves more than 60% of Taiwan’s population through insurance, banking and asset management. - Cathay United Bank prevented over 2,000 fraud cases in 2025. - The bank said those interventions helped avert more than NT$1.7 billion in losses, based on Taiwan’s National Police Agency statistics. - Cathay Financial promotes a “Place for All” workplace culture and policies aimed at demographic and generational shifts. - In 2025, the company’s employee engagement survey hit new highs in overall satisfaction. - Retention within one year after parental leave approached 90% in 2025. - Cathay Financial was recognized for the seventh time as one of Asia’s Best Employers. - The company said it is expanding support for youth and women through education, entrepreneurship and sports development.

Between the lines: - Cathay Financial is signaling that ESG is no longer a side program; it is embedded in governance, product design and capital deployment. - The broad set of perfect-score categories suggests the company is emphasizing operational discipline as much as environmental goals. - The climate, health and empowerment framing links external sustainability goals with internal workforce and customer programs.

What’s next: - Cathay Financial said it will deepen low-carbon investment and financing, product innovation and international engagement. - The company is positioning itself as a catalyst for Asia’s shift toward a net-zero economy. - Cathay Financial also aims to strengthen its role as a benchmark institution in sustainable finance.

The bottom line: - Cathay Financial’s latest rankings reinforce a sustained ESG strategy that is translating into global recognition, stronger governance and expanded climate and social initiatives.