Tate & Lyle PLC, a global provider of ingredient solutions for food and beverages, has announced that Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has upgraded its Environmental, Social, and Governance rating for Tate & Lyle to Prime, a designation that puts the company in the upper ranks of the Food Products sector.

"Tate & Lyle is a purpose-led company with a strong desire to make a positive impact on society,” says Nick Hampton, CEO. “We are proud that our ESG performance and high level of transparency have earned us ISS’s Prime rating, underscoring our commitment to acting as a responsible business in everything we do."

ISS is one of the most noted rating agencies for corporate governance and sustainable investments. ISS ESG Corporate Ratings score companies based on an analysis of more than 100 sector-specific ESG factors. ‘Prime’ status is awarded to companies with an ESG performance above the sector-specific Prime threshold, which means that they fulfill ambitious absolute performance requirements. According to ISS, the Prime rating classification qualifies Tate & Lyle for responsible investment.

Tate & Lyle’s ESG program includes establishing science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable agriculture programs for corn and stevia, and a commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. It also comprises policies for employees on areas such as equal parental leave and clear targets to measure progress on equity, diversity, and inclusion, including achieving gender equality in its top 500 leadership and management roles by 2025. Tate & Lyle is committed to contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is a signatory of the UN Global Compact.