- AESL becomes the world’s highest ESG-scored utility with 90/100 in S&P Global’s latest assessment
- Nine-point surge follows completion of Media and Stakeholder Analysis review and correction of governance-related assessment
- AESL dramatically outperforms global utilities’ industry average of 41
- Environmental score hits 93, Social 89 and Governance & Economic 84, led by climate strategy and human capital management
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEPT 1
An ESG score can be a number—but a No. 1 global ranking turns that number into a statement. Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) has moved from an ESG score of 81 to 90, emerging as the highest ESG-scored company globally in the Utilities sector in S&P Global’s latest assessment.
India’s largest private transmission and distribution company said the achievement follows the completion of S&P Global’s latest Media and Stakeholder Analysis (MSA) review, after which a governance-related assessment that had previously affected the company’s score was corrected.
The correction resulted in a significant improvement in AESL’s ESG standing, taking its score to 90 out of 100, against a global utilities industry average of just 41.
The company said its disclosure-based Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) score has also risen by 17 points year-on-year to 90, placing AESL at the forefront of the global utilities sector.
A 90/100 score that puts AESL in a league of its own
The latest assessment gives AESL a particularly strong position across all three broad ESG dimensions.
Its scores are:
- Environmental: 93
- Social: 89
- Governance & Economic: 84
The company said these scores significantly outperform the respective industry benchmarks.
The improvement highlights the breadth of AESL’s sustainability framework, with Product Stewardship, Climate Strategy and Human Capital Management identified among the key drivers of its performance.
The numbers are particularly striking when placed against the sector average: AESL’s 90 is more than twice the global utilities industry average of 41.
The governance review that changed the scorecard
The latest jump also reflects the completion of S&P Global’s Media and Stakeholder Analysis review.
AESL said the governance-related assessment that had previously impacted its standing was subsequently corrected, resulting in a substantial enhancement in the company’s ESG score.
That correction has now been reflected in the latest assessment, taking AESL from its earlier 81 to 90.
The company said the outcome also demonstrates the importance of transparent disclosures, stakeholder engagement and continuous strengthening of governance and sustainability practices in external ESG assessments.
“Sustainability is integrated into our everyday decision-making”
Commenting on the global recognition, Kandarp Patel, CEO, Adani Energy Solutions, said: “Being recognized as the highest ESG-scored utility company globally by S&P Global is a proud milestone for AESL and a strong validation of our commitment to sustainable growth.”
He added: “At AESL, sustainability is integrated into our everyday decision-making processes.”
According to Patel, the achievement reflects the efforts of teams across the organisation to strengthen environmental performance, social impact, governance standards and disclosure practices.
“This achievement reflects the dedication of our teams across the organization, who continuously work to strengthen our environmental performance, social impact, governance standards, and disclosure practices,” he said.
From transmission network to sustainability benchmark
For an energy-infrastructure company, the ESG performance is particularly consequential because the sector sits at the intersection of economic growth, energy transition, environmental responsibility and social impact.
AESL’s strong Environmental score of 93 underscores the importance attached to climate strategy and resource stewardship, while its 89 Social score points to the role of human capital and broader stakeholder considerations.
The 84 Governance & Economic score completes the three-dimensional assessment, giving the company a composite score that has propelled it to the top of the global utilities ranking.
The recognition therefore provides AESL with more than a headline ESG number—it places its sustainability and governance framework under an international spotlight.
The bigger signal: ESG moves from reporting to business strategy
AESL’s latest performance also illustrates how ESG is increasingly becoming embedded in corporate decision-making rather than remaining a standalone sustainability-reporting exercise.
Its emphasis on climate strategy, product stewardship, human capital, governance and disclosure reflects a model in which sustainability is intended to influence how the business operates and grows.
The company now has a new benchmark to defend.
Having moved from 81 to 90, and from a strong score to the highest ESG score globally in the Utilities sector, AESL’s challenge will be to sustain that performance as expectations around climate action, responsible infrastructure, transparency and stakeholder accountability continue to rise.
For now, however, the numbers tell a powerful story:
90 out of 100. No. 1 globally among utilities. And a score more than twice the sector average.
For AESL, the ESG journey has just acquired a global leaderboard.
