Nov. 29, 2007 BASF is the best of the best at communicating corporate sustainability efforts via the web, according to a new study of European sustainability leaders.

Dutch web consultancy Jungle Rating reviewed the websites of 53 European companies listed on the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index, finding that BASF used web capabilities such as timely updates and interactive features to greatest advantage.

The best performers provide complete and topical information, but also make use of the unique possibilities the web offers in terms of multimedia and personalization," says Geert Jan Grimberg, an internet consultant at Jungle Rating.

The report cites the BASF website's topical sustainability news and comprehensive data on corporate performance according to Global Reporting Initiative environmental indicators. The website also features case study videos, flash animations, downloadable Excel sheets, and interactive graphs. (In June, BASF launched an interactive marketing site that shows how a sustainable community might use its products.)

Increasingly, companies are using their websites as the primary means of informing stakeholders about internal programs and external factors such as government policy issues, according to the report. Grimberg notes, however, that very few companies currently use their corporate websites to facilitate stakeholder dialogue via weblogs or chat sessions.

The top ten finishers are:

1. BASF
2. BHP Billiton
3. Centrica
4. Novo Nordisk
5. BP
6. Vodafone Group
7. Bayer
8. Deutsche Post
9. DSM
10. Daimler Chrysler

A complete listing is available here.