9.27.2006 ET

(CSRwire) Montreal, Canada -- Alcan and The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) announced today the 2006 shortlist of candidates for the US$1 million Alcan Prize for Sustainability. Ten organizations were selected from a field of almost 200 entries from 55 countries around the world, and now face a final consideration by an international Adjudication Panel of distinguished sustainability experts.

"On behalf of Alcan, I congratulate this year's ten finalists. Since the Alcan Prize's inception in 2004, the 32 shortlisted organizations have, through their commitment and collaborative approaches to problem-solving, confirmed Alcan's conviction that cross-sector engagement is the most effective way to pursue international sustainable development," said Daniel Gagnier, Senior Vice President, Corporate and External Affairs, Alcan Inc.

Alcan created the Alcan Prize for Sustainability to recognize outstanding contributions to the goal of economic, environmental, and social sustainability by not-for-profit, non-governmental, and civil society organizations. To ensure credibility and objectivity, Alcan engaged the IBLF to manage the Alcan Prize for Sustainability.

In selecting the 2006 shortlist, the IBLF coordinated Assessment Panels in Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Pakistan, and the U.K. The assessment process, in which almost 90 representatives of business, government, academia, and the NGO community took part, was fully endorsed by the Adjudication Panel, which reviewed and approved the shortlist. Alcan does not have a voice in the assessment or selection of Alcan Prize applicants.

"As a result of a rigorous first round of assessment, IBLF congratulates the 10 short-listed organizations this year," said Adrian Hodges, IBLF Managing Director. "The Alcan Prize highlights innovative sustainability practices and how action translates into social, economic, and environmental impact. This shortlist demonstrates the commitment to sustainability is alive and thriving in the NGO community."

David Runnalls, Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Chairman of the Adjudication Panel added, "The Panel extends its congratulations to the 2006 short-listed organizations. These organizations have survived a meticulous evaluation, and we are pleased that the regional diversity of the short list reflects the international ethos of the Prize. We commend them on their success so far."

The 2006 shortlisted organizations are:

• CIIFAD/Cornell University, USA
  
• Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), Canada
  
• Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW), Germany
  
• Naandi Foundation, India
  
• Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense, Mexico
  
• Sustainable Energy Africa, South Africa
  
• International Development Enterprises (IDE), India
  
• The Barefoot College, India
  
• Instituto Terra, Brazil

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