Sun Life Financial named as one of the 2013 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World

TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2013 /CNW/ - For the third year in a row, Sun Life Financial is the only North American insurance company named among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World for 2013.

Sun Life is one of 10 Canadian companies across all industry sectors to make the Global 100, and this is the seventh year that the company has appeared on the list.

"At Sun Life, sustainability means having the ability to assure our customers, employees, distributors, shareholders and communities that we are in business for the long term," said Mary De Paoli, EVP, Public & Corporate Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer, Sun Life Financial. "It is embedded in our decisions and processes, and demonstrates to our customers that we are focused on keeping our promises and living up to our mission of helping customers achieve lifetime financial security."

"Sun Life is proud to be among the Global 100, which validates the work we are doing to make life brighter for generations to come," De Paoli said. "People are increasingly seeking to work for and do business with companies that are aligned with their values, and Sun Life's inclusion in the Global 100 affirms to our stakeholders that we are focused on the issues that matter to them."

In the last year, Sun Life has been reducing energy consumption in its offices and data centre; building on its long-standing leadership in the Canadian financial services industry by continuing to invest in clean and renewable energy projects; strengthening reporting of its broader sustainability performance; and joining networks of like-minded organizations focused on advancing sustainability goals.

The Global 100 list was announced today by Corporate Knights magazine at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Recently recognized as the world's most credible corporate sustainability ranking by Rate the Raters, the list consists of the 100 top-performing companies worldwide on a range of sector-specific sustainability metrics.

Other recognition

In addition to its Global 100 ranking, Sun Life is ranked first out of 244 companies in the Globe and Mail's eleventh annual review of corporate governance practices in Canada. Sun Life is also on the Corporate Knights' 2012 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada list, as well as the FTSE4Good and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America indexes. Sun Life is the "Most Trusted Life Insurance Company" in Canada, according to the 2012 Reader's Digest Trusted Brand consumer survey.

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Vietnam and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2012, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $515 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to Editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.

SOURCE: Sun Life Financial Inc.