LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two Tomorrows, the leading international sustainability adviser and part of the DNV GL Group, announces the findings of the Tomorrow’s Value Rating 2013 (TVR).

Unilever takes the top position as a widening gap on the leaderboard is revealed. Those at the top increasingly demonstrate clarity of vision and innovation in their pursuit of a sustainable business model, says the report. The average TVR score across the companies rated has varied only slightly over recent years, but in that time the highest scores have got higher. The average for the top 10 this year is 83% compared to 55% in 2010.

Now in its tenth year, the TVR assesses the sustainability performance of leading businesses worldwide. It uses a probing methodology to assess 50 companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). The Rating asks the question: are the companies considered by the DJSI to be sustainability leaders likely to drive sustainable value in the future?

The Tomorrow’s Value Rating 2013 top five:

1. Unilever

2. KT

3. Nestlé

4. Sprint

5. Vodafone

Jon Woodhead, TVR Director, notes, “Leaders in the TVR are characterised by the clarity of their vision when using market forces and societal trends to build a more sustainable business model.”

“Unilever’s growth is directly related to the way it has responded to the challenges of global megatrends such as increasing resource scarcity, rising commodity costs and health and hygiene issues.”

He continues, “Leadership is an attribute claimed by many, but the ability to demonstrate an integrated and embedded approach to sustainability is much rarer. The companies that score highest in the TVR 2013 are those we believe are best equipped to deliver value through sustainable business performance.”

The report reveals that TVR leaders drive innovation through partnerships and collaborations and a structured innovation process based on clear sustainability criteria. This enables them to develop new, more sustainable product revenue streams. They also incorporate stakeholder views in decision making and adapt their enterprise risk management systems to include long-term risks.

The TVR also pinpoints a number of companies relatively new to sustainability leadership. China Mobile stands out in effectively elevating stakeholder concerns to the CEO. Norway-based Telenor demonstrates a strong understanding of how sustainability risks impact its value chain.

Jon Woodhead concludes, “Even those identified as leaders now will have to continuously invent new ways to address global sustainability challenges. The world’s population is forecast to pass 7.5 billion by 2020 and life-changing increases in global temperatures are inevitable. No clearer signals are needed that, to be successful in the future, companies must demonstrate how their operations, products and services and value chain make a net positive contribution to the big challenges faced by the world.”

Visit www.twotomorrows.com/tomorrows-value-rating for full results, methodology and sector insights.