Siam Cement Group has become the first Thai company to lead the Dow Jones Sustainability Index’s Construction and Materials Supersector, after years of laying out Bt1.4 billion per year on social and environmental projects, The Nation reports.

"The DJSI is proof that we have strong commitment," SCG president Kan Trakulhoon said on October
18.

Pramote Techasupatkul, pre-sident of SCG Cement and chairman of the SCG sustainable development committee, said investment back into the community would tend to rise in the years to come.

However, the sustainable development programme is not seen as a burden, as corporations stand to realise greater benefits but with social recognition, he said.

SCG is the first company from a developing country to head its section of the index. After lingering in the Gold Class for a few years, this year it beat Holcim for first place.