11th October 2005 - Trucost sponsors UNEP Finance Initiative Global Roundtable in New York

Trucost is sponsoring the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Finance Initiative Global Roundtable in New York on 25-26 October 2005. Recognised as the principal event on sustainability worldwide in the finance sector, the 2005 Roundtable carries on a tradition which stretches back a decade, and has spanned the globe from Chicago to Frankfurt and Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo.

Trucost is exclusive sponsor for the pre-conference cocktail reception following the UNEP FI AGM on 24th October. Held in New York, this reception will host 90 invitation-only guests and UNEP FI signatories. During this reception veteran US corporate governance specialist Bob Monks (who is an investor in and advisor to Trucost) will be speaking on behalf of Trucost. During the day Trucost will officially become a Member of UNEP FI.

Bob Monks will also speak at the Opening Plenary session on the first day of the Roundtable (25th October) between 09:00 and 10:00.

This year's Global Roundtable will be attended by leading professionals from around the globe, providing a high-level forum for debate and discussion, with strong emphasis on interactivity throughout the event. The Roundtable will be engineered to help decision makers explore the real risks for the financial services community arising from often complex sustainability challenges and the rewards associated with rapidly evolving markets that serve the goals of sustainable development.

Trucost helps investors and companies understand the environmental impacts of business activities. Trucost provides data and analysis on company emissions and natural resource usage (on over 3,200 companies worldwide) and presents these in financial as well as quantity terms, providing the basis for an improved dialogue between companies, investors and other stakeholders. Trucost’s clients include leading financial institutions and companies, such as Merrill Lynch Investment Management, Societe Generale Asset Management, Aerion Fund Management, Hermes Pension Fund Management, CCLA Investment Management, Standard Life Investments, Henderson Global Investors and European Credit Management.

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General: "I firmly believe that if investors take a longer range view that incorporates environmental and social factors it will help meet a common goal of the United Nations and the private sector: stronger and sustainable markets."

Colin Melvin, Head of Corporate Governance at Hermes Investment Managers: "Hermes has been a long standing advocate of good corporate governance and believes that active engagement with companies creates long-term value. We have a legitimate interest in the management of environmental risk of the companies in which we invest and Trucost gives us the basis for effective engagement on these issues."

David Pitt-Watson, Chief Executive, Hermes Focus Asset Management Ltd: "Trucost’s ability to dig out the data about the environmental consequences of production is absolutely second to none anywhere in the globe."

Bob Monks, veteran US corporate governance specialist and advisor to Trucost: "I invested in Trucost because I believe that environmental performance analysis is a natural extension of corporate governance and companies that pay attention to their impact on the environment will be more highly rated than those that neglect it. Trucost is the only environmental research firm in the world with a rigorous quantitative approach which institutions and businesses can base key decisions on. Trucost research looks beyond corporate environmental policies and systems to the actual performance, expressing environmental damage in financial terms, which gives companies comprehensive and comparable data to help them comply with increasing reporting obligations worldwide and link environmental performance and shareholder value. I believe that this is second-generation environmental research. Investors are also increasingly aware that poor environmental stewardship can pose a significant threat to shareholder value and investment returns. Trucost provides the data they can use to differentiate themselves, to make better investment decisions and to help them win the increasing number of environmental investment mandates."

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