LANXESS again achieves top positions in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 

•	First rank in Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe; second rank in DJSI World
•	Upgrade in the ESG ratings of ISS and MSCI

Cologne, November 16, 2020 – LANXESS' commitment to greater sustainability is again paying off in fiscal 2020: The specialty chemicals company is at the top of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe in the "Chemicals" category, as it was last year, and improved to second place in the DJSI World. LANXESS is thus included in the DJSI Europe for the fourth consecutive year and in the DJSI World for the tenth consecutive year. The company achieved particularly good results in the areas climate strategy, human rights as well as management of water-related risks. 

“Sustainability has long been firmly anchored in our corporate strategy and we are constantly working to sharpen our ESG profile. 
We are therefore pleased that our efforts have been particularly recognized this year,” said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG. “Also on the capital market, sustainable criteria are now at the top of the priority list.” 

For the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices financially relevant environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are evaluated once a year. Only the best 10 percent of the global companies analyzed in each sector are included in the DJSI World, while the best 20 percent of companies headquartered in Europe are included in the DJSI Europe.

Sustainability rating agencies upgrade LANXESS

In addition, the rating agencies ISS and MSCI, which specialize in sustainability, have upgraded LANXESS in their renowned ESG ratings. 
ISS-ESG has upgraded LANXESS this year by two notches from C to B-. The specialty chemicals company also received “prime” status for the first time, placing it among the top 8 percent of the 170 companies listed in the “Chemicals” sector. ISS-ESG evaluates more than 100 industry-specific indicators. LANXESS scored particularly well in the areas of environmental management, corporate governance and business ethics as well as eco-efficiency.

MSCI ESG Research has also upgraded the rating for LANXESS from BBB to A. The climate strategy, the well-formulated principles of corporate governance and the robust efforts in the area of chemical safety have led to the improvement. The MSCI rating shows how resilient a company is to long-term, financially relevant ESG risks. 

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.8 billion in 2019. The company currently has about 14,400 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good.

Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.

Information for editors:
All LANXESS news releases and their accompanying photos can be found at http://press.lanxess.com. Recent photos of the Board of Management and other LANXESS image material are available at http://photos.lanxess.com.

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